Top 10 (plus a Few) Gift Ideas for Teenage Boys

Let me preface this article by saying that I have two teen-age boys and four brothers, so I have Christmas shopped for teen boys for about 25 years or so! The style of gift they ask for has changed over the years, for teen boys, as technology changes, but the content has stayed very much the same! 

It seems to me that the dilemma comes when trying to pinpoint their exact maturity level and then base our giving on what we think they would like. This is respectful and sound thinking; we don't want to buy something that is too old for them, but we DEFINITELY don't want to buy something that is too young for them, either. 

Here is my thought, if I may expound for a moment. It is difficult to pinpoint maturity level, especially in the teen years. My 16-year-old who has a job and a car, just asked me where I kept a certain computer game that he hasn't played since 7th grade! 

So what am I saying? That they are unpredictable? Sure! But I believe and have found that if you put time and thought into a gift, generally they will like it! (And if not, they are spoiled, right? Oh! they are your own kids?! Well then they just have good judgement! And you can take it back!!) 

Here are my hoiday picks!

1. In order to make a thoughtful purchase, it is helpful to know a few things about the boy if you can. What is he 'into'? Hobbies? Sports? Clubs? Does he play an instrument? Does he own a car? If you know any of that information, then you can take several directions: 

1. a gift subscription to a magazine dedicated to his interest. Below is a link for reasonably priced subscription. 
  
2. a book about the hobby; this is especially good for aspiring musicians. 
   
3. $ in a PayPal account for him to order something from ebay or other site pertaining to his interest; I am doing this for our 
16-year old who loves Ebay and wants items for his electric guitar and car. He can bid on what he likes and use
the money we put in a Paypal account for him.