HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES FOR BOYS
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! The shopping season is in full swing and I am elbow deep in all things holiday. I love this time of year and really try to enjoy it with my boys, as they are quickly getting older and growing up so fast. This will probably the last year the Elf on the Shelf is up to his usual mischief and Santa will come to visit, so I am trying to maximize it. It has been fun to get my older son involved and last night he was in charge of moving the Elf.
Today, I want to share with you my Holiday Gift Guides for Boys. Specifically, boys that are a little bit older, as they can be a bit hard to shop for. My eleven year old is quite particular and knows what he likes and wants, so he is usually pretty easy and was a great resource for this gift guide. I did manage to find a couple of surprises he will not be expecting, so that was fun for me. He is will be 12 in a couple of weeks and loves soccer (he is pretty serious about this and plays on a travel team), legos and socks. Literally, nothing makes him happier than a 6 pack of new socks.
My older son wants nothing. He told me I should just figure it out. He said maybe money or a gift card, but how boring is that?! I did manage to find him some great gifts that I am sure he will love. He will most likely get some spending money as well, as his active social life has become quite expensive. I would say, he is your typical teenager, who loves his Iphone and playing on the Xbox, but he also loves singing, music and theater. He plays sports, but is not really competitive and enjoys playing soccer and basketball for fun and exercise.
I think, between the 2 boys, I have pretty much every category covered when it comes to gift giving. I created 2 gift guides, one for tweens and one for teens, but they are certainly interchangeable and a lot of these gifts will be shared or played together. Generally, I do not encourage electronic gifts, such as video games or headphones, as I believe they do enough of that already. The only time I think they are a good idea, is if they encourage playing with others or create a fun social environment. I have included a couple of examples in the gift guides below.
Also, I wanted to point out, that this is the season of giving and there are so many kids that have truly nothing this time of year. If you decide to purchase a gift for a child, I would kindly encourage you to consider donating a gift for an older child between the ages of 12-17. These older children are forgotten and they deserve a nice holiday just as much as everyone else. I have included some gifts that are not too expensive that are sure to make any teenager happy. Thank you for your kindness this holiday season.
Without further ado, please enjoy my curated gift guides for boys:
*This post is not sponsored. I love what I do and only recommend products I truly enjoy and I think you will too. That being said, this post contains affiliate links, which means, If you choose to purchase products through the links below, I will receive a small commission. It does not cost you anything extra, but helps support my blog and lets me keep bringing you relevant content. Thank you for supporting what I love to do. It really means so much to me.
GUIFT GUIDE FOR BOYS (TWEENS -10-12)
- SMART SOCCER TRAINING BALL// What appears to be a regular soccer ball is actually a super smart virtual training device that will improve your kids’ soccer skills. You download the app onto your phone and get going. The app has a speed tracker, virtual cones and live audio feedback to improve your skills in real time and can be used in as little as six square feet of open space. It also comes in other sports, such as basketball, baseball and football.
- CATAN// We love playing board games as a family, so I always love to gift them to the boys to add to our collection. This promises to be a really great one and is sure to become a favorite.
- MY AUDIO PET// My son has been asking to borrow our speaker to listen to his music when he plays with his legos and I thought this was perfect for him. It comes in tons of diffeent animal shapes, so you can pick your child’s favorite. We got the panda one. It is my son’s favorite animal.
- STORY THIEVES SET// My son is a picky reader and he asked for this set, so I was more than happy to oblige. Plus, one of the character’s names is Owen (my older son’s name). It was meant to be.
- MADD CAPP PUZZLE – I AM PANDA// We love to do puzzles as a family during the cold winter months and I thought this would be a fun addition. Again, I had to get the Panda, but it comes in tons of options and I am thinking of getting my older son the I am Moose one.
- ROCKET COPTERS// I thought these were the perfect stocking stuffers. We have a ton of boys in the neighbourhood and they all love to play together. These copters come 6 to a pack, so they will be great for the boys to share with their friends and encourage them to play outside.
- MONSTER SLIPPERS// I just thought these were so silly and fun. Plus, they keep your feet warm and come in a variety of shapes.
- LUSH BATH BOMPS AND BUBBLE BARS// My boy loves a good tub and has been asking repeatedly for these bath bombs. Lush makes some super cute and fun ones, including this bubble bar fidget spinner. What boy wouldn’t want that!? They are a great xmas eve gift, paired with a cozy new set of PJ’s and may help encourage going to bed on such an exciting night.
- MAGNETIC DART BOARD// My boys love playing darts and this set is safe to play for all ages and is a ton of fun!
- LEGO CHAIN REACTIONS// My boy still loves playing with Legos and this takes it to the next level. This Klutz book teaches kids to build moving machines. How cool is that?!
Now that we have the younger boys squared away, let’s move on to the teenagers, shall we?
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR BOYS (TEENAGERS 13-18)
- DROPMIX// My son loves singing and I thought this was the perfect game for him to play with his friends. ( Mom and Dad may or may not borrow it for a dinner party in the near future as well). It was developed by the creators of Rockband ( which my son loves) and lets you create unexpected song mixes.
- EXPLODING KITTENS// A card game that is tons of fun and family friendly. It is hard to find ganes that will please everyone in the famlily, but this one is a winner. Everyone loves it.
- PACKABLE DOWN COAT// My son hates wearing coats. They are bulky and uncomortable (according to him). This jacket is warm, leighweight and can be packed into an 8 inch square pouch, which means he can shove it in is backpack at school. He loves it and looks “cool” when he wears it. Also, it comes in like 6 colors. A winner in both our books’. Plus Old Navy is having crazy sales right now. I got this coat for $27.00 (originally $69.99)
- IPHONE PROJECTOR// I will admit, I was most proud of discovering this present. My son love to get together with his friends and watch movies and this makes it so fun and easy. You can project a movie directly from your phone anywhere inside or outside, even on the ceiling. This will also come in extremely handy for family movie night in the attic.
- JUNK FOOD SOCKS// These sock are so fun. I also got the kid’s version for my younger son. A great stocking stuffer idea.
- UNDER ARMOUR 64 OZ WATER BOTTLE// My boys got them for xmas last year and love them. They use them all the time for sports and other activities and they really keep drinks cold. Quite often, I empty them the following day and the ice cubes are still frozen. Comes in tons of colors, for girls too.
- SEPHORA FAVORITES COLOGNE SAMPLER// I gave this to my son for his 13th birthday and he loved it. It is a dopp kit with 12 cologne samples and a certificate that you can trade in for a full size bottle of your favorite scent. My son really took his time to find his favorite and enjoyed the trip to the store to get his first cologne. (He picked PRADA)
- KARAOKE MICROPHONE// Owen is always, always singing. Whether he is humming a tune in the car or belting out a song in the shower. I thought this was a fun gift for him. He can take it anywhere and have a karaoke party with his friends, or his family, if we are so lucky. It works with your phone to give you background tracks and lyrics.
- VICTROLA TURNTABLE WITH BLUETOOTH// My son was recently involved in a show called “Rock & Soul” at his high school. The rock part of the show was all Beatles songs. He has been asking for a turntable and I thought this tie dye one was perfect for him and I will give him this Beatles vinyl to go with it. My dad has a huge vinyl collection and I think it will be fun for Owen to carry on the tradition. This player is reasonably priced and comes in a huge variety of colors
- AND THE CROWD GOES WILD// Ask my kid any statistic in the world of sports and he can probably tell you. When he was young, he would get up early before school to watch Sports Center on ESPN just so he could catch up on the stats at the bottom of the screen. I thought he would love this book. It comes with 2 cd’s to accompany some of the greatest moments in sport’s history.
That is all folks! I hope you enjoyed these Holiday Gift Guides for Boys and I have inspired you a bit. Most of these items are sold on Amazon, so it is easy and convenient but I would encourage you to not wait until the last minute, because things do sell out and prices do go up the longer you wait.
As always, I would love for you to share any great ideas you may have that help out the other readers, so please leave any suggestions in the comments.
Until next time,
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