2009 Hot List of Top Christmas Toys for Boys
Holiday Gift Options for Young Men Ages 8-18
Oct 10, 2009
Gone are the days when a simple toy truck and building blocks would keep a boy happy for hours. This new generation wants action packed play. Choose gifts that will promote friendly competition and challenge the mind.
Holiday Gift Choices for Boys Ages 8-18
Legos: Legos were popular 30 years ago. Back then, parents simply bought a tub of 250+ pieces and sat the tub in front of the child for hours of creative fun. These days, Lego kits are the norm. Parents buy individual building sets. The child spends hours building the set. He may play with it.
Some boys collect the sets like one would collect model airplanes or cars. If the boy on your list likes to build with Legos consider buying two of the latest building sets. The most popular include: Space Police, Temple of Doom, Battle of Endor and Echo Base.
Mindflex From Mattel: Mindflex challenges players to test their mind-over-matter skills by levitating a soft foam ball in order to move it through an obstacle course, using only the power of their mind. Kids strap on the included headset that contains sensors for the forehead and earlobes to measure their brainwave activity.
With deep concentration, the ball rises on a stream of air, and when the mind relaxes the ball begins to descend. Players must master these mental maneuvers to guide the ball through an obstacle course. Up to three friends can challenge each other with five unique game modes. 4 "C" batteries and 3 "AAA" batteries required (not included). Ages 8 years and up. The average retail price is $80
Guitar Hero 5: The fifth installment of the popular pretend to be a rock star game. It's a computer software game designed to be played either on the Wii, Xbox 360, Play Station or Nintendo DS. The gameallows gamers to customize how they experience music by being able to play with any in-game instrument combination -- multiple vocalists, guitarists, bassists and drummers, in any game mode.The game includes 85 songs from 83 different artists. The average retail price is currently $99 for the complete bundle package.
Ripstick: Growing in popularity for both boys and girls ages 8 and up, the Ripstick replaces scooters and skateboards. It's across between a snowboard and a skateboard on wheels. Good coordination and balance is a must have skill when using a Ripstick. Its unique design allows acceleration and turning without pushing.There's a concave deck for increased foot control. The weight limit for a Ripstick is 220lbs and the average cost is $50-$70.
Portable Game Systems: The two most popular are the Nintendo DSi and the PSP 3000. There's also the Apple iPod but it's more of hand held computer and not just a portable game system. Both the Nintendo DSi and PSP 3000 play games and movies.
The DSi has a built in camera. The PSP 3000 is the first integrated portable entertainment system designed to handle multiple applications: music, video, photo, Internet, and wireless connectivity with games as its key feature. The PSP 3000 cost a little more than the Nintendo DSI. The average retail price of the PSP 3000 is about $170 while the DSi is only about $160.
The newest version of the PSP is coming out for Christmas. It's the PSP GO and it will retail for about $250. The average game cost about $40 each. Family members as young as 5 can enjoy any of these portable gaming systems.
Apple ipod Touch: This little $190-$200 gadget is a hand held pocket computer and portable game player all in one.Boys can listen to music, watch movies or TV, serf the web and check their email. It has built in Wi-Fi.
Nerf Raider Rapid Fire CS-35 Dart Blaster: For the boy that would rather be outdoors consider this Nerf dart gun. It's safe and fun when two or more boys get together to compete with each other. The special drum magazine gives this gun the highest dart capacity yet, the drum magazine holds 35 darts and features a clear window to let boys know when ammo is getting low. A pump-action handle lets boys control the rate of fire and choose blasting mode, either single or multi-shot. This is for ages 6 and up and retails for a low $35 compared to other hot Christmas toys.
Other Things to Consider When Choosing Gifts
Choosing a gift for a boy takes a little guesswork. Is the boy all about computers and games or would he rather be outside playing sports? Some never go anywhere without their Ripstick. Others are lost without their iPod or DSi. Do the research, and if all else fails buy a gift card or put cash in a Christmas card. Letting them choose their own gift always makes them happy!
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