When you’re buying those last minute gifts for boys age eight to twelve, chances are your budget has already seen some heavy damage from earlier seasonal purchases. With just a little cash left to buy a couple more gifts for under the tree or something to fill the toe of a stocking, it’s time to make a few fun decisions. Whether your favorite 8 to 12 year old enjoys games, accessories, puzzles, or novelties, these ten great gifts for boys are certain to be fun holiday items that any youngster would enjoy.
Bop it Blast – Bop it Blast is a handheld electronic educational game available for $11.99 from eToys. A product by Milton Bradley, Bop it Blast is an action toy that tests reflexes with fun sound effects and a choice of either male or female call voices. Bop it Blast can be played solitarily, head to head, or with friends. Also available from the same toy line is bop it extreme, bop it keychain, and Groove it. All items retail for under $13.00.
20 questions is a game/toy that retails under $13. To play, you must answer several yes and no questions about something you are thinking about. The ball will eventually try to guess the item you’re thinking of. If it guesses your item correctly, it wins. If it doesn’t, you win. The object of the game is to stump 20q. This game is available at Walmart and in most toy stores. It is manufactured by Radica Games.
Rolla Ball – The Rolla Ball 80 piece set from eToys is basically a ramp construction set with which you can assemble a marble maze. There are a lot of small pieces in this set, so it’s not as easy to build or elementary friendly as its counterparts, but at a price of just $16.99, it is definitely a fun buy for older boys. Rolla Ball carries larger sets for a little more, but the starter set is just the right size to start with.
Jenga – Jenga is a classic game for one or more players that involves taking a block from the tower and putting it on top of the tower. Players take turns removing blocks and putting them back on the tower until the tower falls. The last person to put a block on the tower before it falls is the winner. A new twist on the original Jenga game is Throw ‘n Go Jenga. This one includes colored wood blocks and a dice which tells you exactly which two blocks you must pull. Both versions are products by Milton Bradley.
Wooden Brainteaser Puzzle Set – Your favorite guy will have hours of fun from a classic Wooden Mini Brainteaser set available from Bits and Pieces. This set includes four wooden puzzles: the cube, sphere, barrel, and octagon. Made from real wood, this gift is certain to be durable for years to come. Puzzles can be purchased in sets, singly, or pairs. In addition, other puzzles are available in a special dark wood set which includes a ster, triangle, plus, and open peg square. Solutions are included. Puzzles measure 2″ x 2.”
Eyewitness kits by Skullduggery are exciting educational models that teach about the items you construct. At around $13 each, skullduggery has created the ultimate in educational models with its Dinoworks series featuring a Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, Velociraptor, or Stegasaurus; its animals series featuring North American Animals, Horse, Elephant, Lion, Giraffe, whale, spider, butterfly, shark; the Humanworks Series, Fossilworks, Space, and Train. In addition, Skullduggery has other educational products to cast, paint, assemble, explore, and create with.
Handheld Game – The 7 in 1 Electronic Casino Game is a fun game at just $4.99. If your child likes card games, this electronic mini casino features baccarat, slots, deuces, bigger or smaller than 7, poker, blackjack, and lotto. It also has a built in FM radio with ear buds.
Steel Tek Construction Set – If your 8 to 12 year old likes to work with his hands, now is the perfect time to buy him a Steel Tek Construction set & Power Tool from Lillian Vernon. This toy comes with a battery operated screwdriver with two hex keys, a flathead, and a Phillips head screwdriver bit. The set itself is a 114 part kit containing plastic and steel parts. Your child can either construct an off road sport vehicle or a helicopter from this model kit, which costs $14.98.
Mini Robosapien is the smallest offering from the Robosapien line. At just under $13 from eToys, he makes a neat stocking stuffer. He’s a cool little guy, but unfortunately he is not remote controlled like his daddy. He does look like an exact miniature replica of the 14″ version at 7″ tall. He walks, his eyes light up, and you can move his arms around. This toy is recommended for kids who have the larger version or for a stocking stuffer. Though it is not as cool as its $99 counterpart, what can a person expect for $13?
I Spy Books – The I Spy series of books by Jean Marzollo may seem silly, but they provide hours of fun. Published by Scholastic, and selling for under $11 on Walmart.com, the I Spy series features rhymed riddles describing objects hidden in photographs. Sound easy? Well, it’s not always so simple. I have personally spent thirty minutes looking for a hidden penny among several everyday items, so these books are not only novel, they’re fun for any age.
Though less than $20, these great gifts are sure to give your favorite 8 to 12 year old boy hours of fun, and they aren’t as impersonal as a gift card. Consider finishing up your holiday shopping with one of these fun items, and have a safe and happy holiday season!
