# Need gift ideas for 9 year old boy, please **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 14, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576 "2005-12-14T13:52:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/1 "2005-12-14T13:52:18Z")
My son says he doesn’t know what he wants, and I surely don’t know, so here we are less than two weeks before Christmas and I haven’t found a thing. If anyone has any ideas, they will be greatly appreciated. At the risk of sounding old and crotchety, I’d really like to hear ideas that don’t have anything to do with video games. Why, when I was a nine year old, they didn’t even _have_ video games. (Well, yes, they did, but I mean I didn’t \*personally \* have any.) All we had were dogs and BB guns, and we liked it that way! (And no, the boy is not getting a dog or a BB gun. What am I, nuts?) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/2 "2005-12-14T14:16:48Z")
What’s he into? Books? [Eragon](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375826688/qid=1134569018/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/102-5011588-4706508?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) is a fantastic book in a good series that will be just a little challenging for him. Comics? Some old-school Spider-Man or Superman are cool and pretty kid-safe. I’d stay away from X-Men or anything Niel Gaiman for now. 😉 Science? Target has a wonderful line of activity sets put out by [National Geographic](http://www.target.com/gp/search.html/ref=/601-9774852-3944919?%5Fencoding=UTF8&index=target&field-browse=1038620&field-keywords=national%2Bgeographic) which are affordable and really neat. The old standbys like microscopes and ant farms, but also some really creative ones as well. There are only 6 on the website, but dozens in the store near me. Building stuff? My son loved [K’nex](http://www.target.com/gp/search.html/ref=/601-9774852-3944919?%5Fencoding=UTF8&index=target&field-browse=1038620&field-keywords=K%27nex) at that age, and they come in carrying cases or tubs for storage. Of course, there’s always [Lego](http://www.target.com/gp/search.html/ref=/601-9774852-3944919?%5Fencoding=UTF8&index=target&field-browse=1038620&field-keywords=lego) If he’s into large scale building, consider getting him a tool kit - but one with real wood and steel tools, not a plastic crapy thing. Acting/Creative Play? Hit a Thrift Store for a bunch of wildly-colored and pattered shirts, ties, shorts, tablecloths, draperies, and scarves. Put them all in a wooden trunk marked “Wardrobe”. Or you can buy sets, but most are (unfairly) girl themed. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/3 "2005-12-14T14:22:51Z")
What about something like [this?](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000246L7U/qid=1134569644/br=1-12/ref=br_lf_t_12//104-3472166-1729529?v=glance&s=imaginarium&n=1003178) Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set Board Games Construction sets (like Legos or any of the other 5 million different types). Is he old enough for those more grownup Legos (Bionicles, I think they’re called) Books Gift Cards (Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble) Movies (Madagascar and March of the Penguins are recent releases) I’m a huge fan of creative toys for kids, and one benefit of something like construction toys or that kit I linked to on the first line is that it’s something they can play with right away. When I was a kid, it sucked to get too many things that you couldn’t play with immediately. Oh, and I just bought my 5-year-old nephew [this](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0007WX1EI/qid=1134570100/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-3472166-1729529?v=glance&s=toys&n=507846) for his Christmas gift. I don’t know how popular that’ll make me with his parents, though. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/4 "2005-12-14T14:43:39Z")
I feel your pain. I refuse to give the curse of video games. [Castle](http://www.liveandlearn.com/toys/falconcastle.html) [Knights and Stuff](http://www.toyknights.com/) (Seem like really nice folks here.) [A ping pong ball catapult & action figure](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6002451671&category=1197&refid=store) (You secretly want it. Buy two or three for all out warfare!) [Gondola pulley system for an afternoon of fun!](http://cgi.ebay.com/Gondola-Chair-Lift-Clamp-Winch-Set-for-Treehouses-NIB_W0QQitemZ6002580472QQcategoryZ1197QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem) and you are all set. (Cause that is what my kids are getting, minus the castle and pulley system.) We can send out kids to therapy together. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/5 "2005-12-14T15:52:26Z")
How about $50 and a bank account? ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/6 "2005-12-14T15:54:41Z")
… though that might be better-suited for a birthday. [Magnetix](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00009SZYX/qid=1134575610/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1379813-6652822?v=glance&s=imaginarium&n=507846) are pretty cool. I can never walk past them on display without stopping to play with them, and I’m quite a ways out of their targeted age range. ---
**Author:** ![girls\_shoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@girls\_shoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/girls_shoes)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/7 "2005-12-14T15:57:23Z")
A Swiss Army knife is good at that age. Be sure to get one with the little Swiss flag on it, so his pals won’t tell him it’s a fake. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/8 "2005-12-14T16:32:21Z")
Martial arts lessons. Check out schools in your area and go observe classes. If you find one you like, sign him up on their beginner program, then wrap the uniform and put it under the tree. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/9 "2005-12-14T17:39:54Z")
Some good ideas here. I’m thinking along the lines of something I could set up in front of the tree, and have him run out and go “wow!”, so the building sets look likely. I really liked your suggestions, **Shirley** , but I’m a little late to order for Christmas. (The boy will probably still need therapy!) **Clothahump** , I’m filing your idea away for a possible birthday gift, just because I don’t have time to take him to lessons at this point. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/10 "2005-12-14T17:45:35Z")
If he’s into building stuff, or experiments - Snap Circuits kits are pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![DrLoveGun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@DrLoveGun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrLoveGun)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/11 "2005-12-14T19:12:58Z")
A wood burning kit, definately a wood burning kit. He can make interesting things, and redecorate your furniture. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/12 "2005-12-14T19:59:25Z")
Meccano ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/13 "2005-12-14T21:31:49Z")
Surely you’ve heard of Lego? Lego is appropriate for all ages, you just keep giving more sophisticated sets. Plus Lego benefits from network effects…the more Lego you have the more you can do with new Lego. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/14 "2005-12-14T22:27:59Z")
OOH-OOH, I can say it first!!! A 10 year old girl. I also like **DrLoveGun** ’s suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/15 "2005-12-14T22:34:37Z")
Does he already have a razor scooter? Cause if not, those are popular. Plus it comes with the coolest stupid warning ever: “Caution: this item moves when used.” (Unless they came to their senses and took that warning off) ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/16 "2005-12-14T23:19:17Z")
My nephew got a jacket with a radio “built-in” with headphones in the hood. He frickin’ LOVED it. His uncle got it at Target. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/17 "2005-12-15T00:27:24Z")
> [@An Arky](#): > > If he’s into building stuff, or experiments - [Snap Circuits](http://www.daxstores.com/educational-toys-snap-circuits.html) kits are pretty cool. This is what I was coming to suggest, but I see you’ve beat me to it. These are seriously cool. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/18 "2005-12-15T00:34:21Z")
[**Roboraptor**](http://www.roboraptoronline.com/)? I think it’s nifty, and I one, I’d just have to play with it away from the already nervous cat, so I wouldn’t terrorize her. ---
**Author:** ![Rhinocerous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@Rhinocerous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhinocerous)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/19 "2005-12-15T00:37:32Z")
Have you considered buying him pornography? I guarantee it would be his favorite gift and would occupy much of his time. ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576/20 "2005-12-15T00:43:29Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > My son says he doesn’t know what he wants, and I surely don’t know, so here we are less than two weeks before Christmas and I haven’t found a thing. If anyone has any ideas, they will be greatly appreciated. [ul] [li]flamethrower[/li][li]dynamite[/li][li]fishing rod[/li][li]skateboard[/li][li]sled[/li][li]stuffed tiger[/li][li]Spaceman Spiff outfit (in case you hadn’t already guessed where all this is going…) 😃 [/li][/ul] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-gift-ideas-for-9-year-old-boy-please/335576.md?page=2)