Okay. Inexpensive gift for eight-year-old boy?

I'm a little confused.

I'd like to buy a little gift for my friend's son. They live in Connecticut. His older sister is getting some girly stuff from me (nail polish, probably some earrings.) I don't usually buy stuff for kids, so I need some help here. I'm thinking something from Seattle might be a big hit, since I don't believe the young man's ever been here.

Current ideas:

Sounders (pro soccer team) hat or t-shirt
Candy, dude (it's what I wanted when I was eight)
I have no idea what he likes to read, so that's probably out

I'd like to spend less than $20 on this. (I'd actually like to spend less than $10, but he's not getting a sports team hat for less than $15, I'm thinking...) I didn't ask his mom because she's going to say, "Oh, you don't have to do that."

Hellllp!
Julie

:hi:

Plus, is there an eight-year-old on the planet who doesn't play soccer?

:hi:
Julie

And tell him it came from A-Rods cleats over the last several years.

>And tell him it came from A-Rods cleats over the last several years.

I could always just give him a divorce lawyer's business card... ;-)

Julie

I just ordered a pair for my 7 year old son. Found them on Amazon for less than $5.00.

He has barely put them down since I gave them to him.

Don't know how you feel about giving him 'weapons' though.

This is kind of cool, but I am a bit worried that Mr. JulieRB will strip them from me before they even make it to the young man in question... :scared:

Julie

My 12-year-old has spent the past two days "jousting" everyone in the family with them.

My daughters favorite toy right now.

:shrug:

CB

If he's into that.

Dragons or dinosaurs; that's what my 8 year old is all about.

really cheap and easy to mail.

Thanks, MrsG! I'm seeing his mom next week in San Francisco, so the planes would be easy to put in my luggage, too.

:hi:!
Julie

If I know the kid, I tailor the gift to him/her. Like, if I know he's into a sports team, then a team hat would be perfect. My youngest daughter is into ballet, so when I buy gifts for her ballet friends, ballet stuff is appropriate. Or if I know what the parents like and dislike, I can choose accordingly.

Otherwise I stay neutral. Not all boys are into sports, not all girls into dolls, and not all parents like gifts like that. Some hate it, in fact. I never liked dolls or makeup for my daughters, at least until my youngest got old enough to actually choose stuff like that for herself. My oldest was never into if (I'm sticking with girls there because I don't have any boys), and I never liked the assumption that she was.

If I don't know, I give things like books, games, puzzles, gadgets, or science stuff. Nothing that makes big messes or lots of noise. Lots of purchases from Barnes and Noble and Learning Express. If I know the kid is into something, I go for that, though.

Just my thoughts. Hard to go wrong with a cap, though. Just throwing in other options.

http://www.target.com/b/ref=sc_iw_r_2_1/602-2863163-4904622?node=235632011

I particularly like the Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6.

ts.com/ideas/children

:hi:

Either they already have that toy, it doesn't quite fit their age or maturity range, or they just don't like it. It's really subjective, so I just pick generic toys for kids. You can't go wrong with a ball of any type with a kid that age.

The site gives me "ideas" :hi:

I like the Sounders idea. Everett Aqua Sox or Tacoma Rainiers works well, too.

Actually, what's even better is an unusual Tshirt from, say, a Louisiana Crawdad Festival. (Oh wait...that's what I want).

I actually have an Aqua Sox t-shirt that I bought in Seattle years ago!

Of course I also have caps from the Missoula Osprey, Arkansas Travelers, Round Rock Express, New Orleans Zephyrs, and Louisville Bats...

We got one for our nephew when we were visiting...
He LOVED it!

You can get ones that shoot librarians, or business executives
or cows, too.

We brought a bracelet for the niece, and THAT was a BIG mistake,
as they ended up fighting over the chicken chucker.

Next time, TWO chicken chuckers!

None of those on Saturday, missy.

More appropriate, don't you think?

this time of year a cool squirt gun is also a good choice.

http://www.stomprocket.com/

Usually about $15-$20 retail, these things are a blast!

mikey_the_rat

:thumbsup:

all good

http://www.incrediblegifts.com/bofley1do.html


Hot wheels radar gun with some hot wheels

good eye-hand coordination practice.

Some schools are forming teams for this!

with unlimited text and internet - like this woman just did for her 8 year old son's birthday. My wife saw her getting it at the AT&T store...

Since I am a total sucker for toys, he's getting one of the newer varieties of the Chicken Flinger that involves pickles. It was between that, or the pirates. The woman I spoke with this morning at Magic Mouse Toys in Seattle assures me it rocks!

The young man's mother is getting the Nun Chucks. ;-)

Thank you so much for all the great suggestions, and Passing Fair, my husband is going to be consumed with jealousy. It's a good thing I just got him some monkey slingshot thing... :scared:

Julie

without the GUN!

Glad you liked them. There is a "chucker" for everyone!

Kids like menthols.

sorry, is the gift the one that the little boy would love?

(drum set. or a trumpet...)

or the gift a parent would love?

(blow bubbles or a scrabble game.)

that is your choice...

they're cheap plus them kiddies like their musics these days

Best gift a kid could ever get.

Seriously. That's my standard gift for boys. It's probably about 15 bucks now. You can throw in a small magnifying glass. Not only will he learn a lot, but he'll LOVE it.

that matures in 10 years.

:rofl:

and get him the field tip pellets, no gay BB's.

(that shit hurts too, it will embed into your skin as opposed to BB's which will just leave an indentation)

It's too easy to lose the "chickens" from the flinger. This one never runs out of ammunition, as long as there's a potato or a zucchini in the house.



You can get them at Archie McPhee: http://www.mcphee.com/

http://www.archiemcpheeseattle.com/
http://www.mcphee.com/categories/catapults.html
I have been the recipient of rubber elf shoes, and we got a spud gun, and Bibo, and some other fun stuff over the years from their mail order. We are fans.

Sorry, but the only absolutely safe answer is: candy.

It's true. Everything else is hit-or-miss -- although any toy will appeal to a kid at first.

get a small remote controlled car or something.

does he collect anything?