<p>I’m looking for inspiration for my 2014/2015 DS. He doesn’t want an e-reader or tablet - computer kid who rejects gadgets.</p>
<p>So what are you giving your kids this year?</p>
<p>Does he like board games? I have a list from a twenty something who plays them a lot. All of the other guys that I buy for love tech stuff but pretty much own it already!</p>
<p>We are upgrading his cell phone and putting some $$ in his bank account. Two things he wants = easy for us!</p>
<p>I’m going to assume you don’t want gift card suggestions, but actual in-a-package gifts. I have two college-age sons (an outdoorsy type and a…not outdoorsy type). These are all things we have successfully gifted them in past years</p>
<p>Sports equipment (football, frisbee, golf club; tennis balls, golf tees)
Business casual clothing
Shoes (not sneakers, not dress shoes, something casual)
Socks
Retro games (like Trouble, or Sorry, or Checkers)
Great quality belt
Cooking gadgets (Foreman grill, stick blender, toasters, etc.)
Apple TV or Roku box
Wireless speakers for their iThings
Headphones
Pillows/blankets
Books
Magazine subscriptions
Weird stuff from thinkgeek or uncommongoods
Color-by-number sets (we did these a lot when they were little. They seem to enjoy throwback gifts more than I would expect)
Unicycle or pogostick
One of those things you use to make snow blocks or snowballs. These were huge hits on campus</p>
<p>We got our current college aged kid a tablet so probably not much help there. :D. All of our kids want gift cards. Our oldest likes Amazon, the rest like food, movie and Itunes. DD is asking for Victoria Secret too :eek:.</p>
<p>We always include a gift card or two to an inexpensive restaurant near campus. Sometimes you just need to go out! Also, what you give is dependent on how he/she needs to get it back to school–via car or plane.</p>
<p>Some good suggestions, thanks!
He goes to school by plane, so the big things are out. Love the snow-block idea, but I’m going to keep that one for D next year!</p>
<p>Games - there are a few of those “uber games” that he’s played with his friends - I will have to look at that one.</p>
<p>I actually bought a kindle fire, and decided to give it to myself this year, but I’ll have it in reserve “just in case.” The phone upgrade is definitely needed - he lost his last phone and has been using an old flip phone! I need to decide if we’re changing our plan this year - Verizon is so out of control!</p>
<p>anniezz–Verizon is no worse than any other company now :D. If you do switch carriers though, make sure your kids can get coverage where they are/will go to school. That is a huge issues for a lot of kids. I know several kids that went to my oldest son’s school, remote, rural campus, could only get cell service if they held their phone just so in 2 spots on campus :D.</p>
<p>SteveMA, yeah, they are all so expensive! I played around with different plans last night - right now I have a grandfathered plan with Verizon but if I add data for either kid, or get a “discounted” phone when we upgrade, I lose the plan and it will cost at least $50 more per month. I should be able to get a comparable plan elsewhere for at least $30 less per month.</p>
<p>DS’ US phones doesn’t work at school anyway, so he has 2. I’d like to add data for him to his US phone so he can email/skype with his UK friends when he is home - right now, he can only do that with his laptop, or twitter on his phone.</p>
<p>I was thinking of one of those chair pads that provide heat and massage for my daughter. Does anyone have experience with those? Do they work?</p>
<p>What about gift cards for go go or the internet service for the airline they travel on to come home?</p>
<p>A good raincoat like Marmot … a bike. A good bike lock.</p>
<p>One of my kids goes through a set of earbuds about every six months. No idea what is happening to them (are they getting chewed on or something?). In any case, earbuds are a good stocking stuffer.</p>
<p>My S wants the rest of the “Law & Order tshirts” he got one several Christmas’ ago and says they are a hit when he wears them on campus. Easy gift there. He gets GC’s to use when he is at home & then amazon. I try to put some fun items in there but it was a lot more fun when they were little.</p>
<p>Always give DS a book for birthday and holiday. This year is Nate Silver’s book which should intrigue my math major. Then a couple of gift cards and somehow always needs new headphones; if I didn’t know better I would swear he has a dog in his dorm room that chews them up! :)</p>
<p>Movie giftcards
restaurant g.c.'s
college-emblem things if he likes that kind of thing…mugs, towels, slippers, etc.
drug store items…soap, deodorant, shaving cream, razor and/or blades, shampooo, body wash, socks, underwear, memory cards, workout gear, warm stuff if it’s cold where he goes…scarf, cap, gloves,etc.</p>
<p>My sons opt for gift cards, unless there’s something else they can think of. </p>
<p>This year S2 keeps finding new things he needs on an almost daily basis…Headphones (decided he really only needed replacement ear pads since the headphones still work), another HDMI cable so he doesn’t have to keep switching between his cable box and Xbox, and now new jeans (according to him, some stupid incident wrecked a pair of jeans…what could he have done?)</p>
<p>A couple other thoughts … a subscription to Netlix, an external hard drive, college cookbook, a tripleA membership if they will be taking a car to school.</p>
<p>Don’t get the chair massage thing. The novelty wears off right away and then it is just uncomfortable.</p>
<p>New large bath towel to replace one bought as freshman. Board/ card games to play with dorm/ roommates. Basket of snacks. Gas card (help pay for gas of friend with car) Mechanical pencil pack. Fleece pants…</p>