by Christine Costlow

Created on: December 03, 2009

"What do you want for Christmas" his grandmother asked him. "I don't know" came the familiar reply. If you are facing the same unsolveable dilemna, I have a few suggestions to assist you in provideng a Merry Christmas to all. Even the 8-13 year old boys on your list.

I know they were fascinated by the Mindflex game when it was advertised on television in October. We all thought we had plenty of time to shop, and now you can't find this game in the stores anywhere. It allowed you to move a ball through a maze using only the power of your mind! Who wouldn't be intrigued? Although it's impossible to find the Mindflex this year, a the Jedi Trainer is available and on sale in some stores for as little as $79.99. This game takes you through several levels of Jedi training, with instruction from Yoda on how to clear your mind and focus on the task at hand. It could be fun for the entire family.

The Nintendo Wii continues to be a great Christmas gift. If your kids already have one, make sure that you have set ut the internet capabilities. Then most games you buy have the option of on line gaming against people from all over the world. Since no personal information is provided, parents do not need to worry about cyber stalkers locating the kids, which can happen in regular online games. Check the back of the games you are purchasing for this internet option.

MarioKart allows you to customize cars and race against virtual drivers. Animal Crossing provides your character with a home, and the ability to travel and earn money. He can take a train to visit other friends who have Animal Crossing and internet capabilities at their home. New songs for Guitar Hero are available via the internet connection, and Mario Supersmash Brawl does just what you'd expect. Your character participates in an all out cartoon brawl, sometimes across several actual continents.

Although not strictly a toy, the Ipod Touch is a great gift for the kid who isn't ready for a cell phone just yet. He can download games from Itunes for 99 cents, much cheaper that the game system counterparts. If you buy him an Itunes gift card, you have 2 gifts in one. Offerings like Monopoly, Tetris, The Sims, Jelly Car, Spore,Bejeweled, and many others are appropriate for this age group. They can also purchase their favorite Spongebob Squarepants episodes to watch on long car trips.

Many kids of this age group still like Webkins or similar stuffed animals, but are too self conscious to ask for a "toy". If you purchase them as gifts, the pressure is off, and they can spend Christmas break enjoying the simple pleasures of being a kid. The Webkins provide a free online site, with the code included on the animal's tag. It is great fun to find that you new pet has a virtual home that can be furnished and decorated. He can also visit with other Webkins belonging to friends and classmates.

Although no gift buying guide will please all of the boys in this age group, I hope something listed here will catch your eye. The gift buyers for this age group will have to be satisfied with the ghost of a smile that may flit across their faces Christmas morning. Then we'll know that we did a good job!

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