A Gift Guide When Shopping for Teenage Boys

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Shopping for others can be somewhat daunting and challenging. As our own children get older – or those in our family grow up, it can be difficult to pick out the perfect gift they will love and use – especially if they are a teenage boy.

What is your go-to gift for a teen boy? Do you ask the teen? Sometimes it might be easy because the parents will tell us they are saving up for something – a new gaming platform, sporting equipment, or a concert or trip. Other times they might even have an online wishlist. But what if they don't make it easy?

For the Gamer

The one thing our teen seems to go through is Xbox controllers. Perhaps you know of a young man who is also hard on their gaming controller? If it is within your budget you could purchase a new controller or a gift card to go towards a new one. They even make custom ones.

Headsets are a great option for teens who are allowed to play online games with their friends and family. And just like controllers, they often break and need to be replaced.

If the teenage boy has a favorite video game series, you can bet there are product tie-ins. For example, our son has a Destiny watch and socks. Other gaming series that sell merchandise include Fallout, Minecraft, and Bioshock.

For the Reader

Depending on whether or not your teen enjoys reading, you may or may not find our suggestions helpful. We have struggled for many years trying to find books that our teen enjoys to read for fun. While he liked the Harry Potter series, he wasn't reading them nonstop to find out what happened to Harry and his friends. However, he does enjoy Star Wars comics and reading books about World War II. This recommended reading list has been my husband's go-to list since he was a teen himself. We have provided several suggestions from it for our teen son.

Comics are also a great choice – I recommend finding your local comic book store and supporting them. We are fortunate enough to have one in our town.

 

 For the Sports Enthusiast

To go along with the gaming theme, you could get a custom Xbox controller if your teen is into the NFL. And of course clothing is always a great idea when it comes to buying gifts for growing teens. From t-shirts and hoodies to jerseys and hats, there is such a variety of items available for any sports fan to wear to show their team pride. There are also fun items like Fathead decals or a tabletop foosball table.

Other Fun Ideas

One thing our teen can't seem to get enough of is candy. We don't buy it for him often – usually just the holidays – so candy would be a great gift idea. Even snacks you ordinarily wouldn't buy make for a great gift (and are perfect for snacking during the winter break!).

For the artist, new sketchpads, art pencils and pens, or other drawing materials is a great idea. For the musician, maybe a new case for their instrument or music by their favorite band.

Do your teens have a favorite gift they have received?

Holidays: Father's Day Gifts for Gamers

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When it comes to gift giving for Father's Day, there are so many options available. One can make a homemade card with their children, provide their husband or dad with a gift card to a outdoor store, or find something that aligns with their personal likes.

My husband loves gaming – from video games that we play together to roleplaying to board and card games. If your loved one is also into games, here are few ideas to help you find the perfect Father's Day gift.

Board and Card Games

Two of our favorite games are the Red Dragon Series and the Munchkin Series. But there are also a lot of other games we enjoy including Superfight, Monopoly, as well as cooperative games that help us work together or grow team-building and communication skills.

Roleplaying Games

My husband has been a fan of roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons, Top Secret, and others since he was in elementary school. Over the years he has collected a number of handbooks, modules, and materials that allow him to lead family and friends in adventures. As it is a genre where people are always adding new adventures, plots, and materials, there are multiple options for gifts within the RPG community.

And if you are really stuck, a gamer is always happy for a new set of cool looking dice! Or a way to store those dice in a purchased dice bag, lunch box (like we use), or a hand-sewn bag.

Miniatures are also a great gift for a gamer. Especially since it doesn't matter if they have one skeleton or a hundred skeletons - they can always adapt a dungeon to include the necessary amount for the adventure.

Video Games

Over the years my husband has gone from playing single-player games to those that allow him to play with our teen, other family members, and me. This way, what could be a time-consuming hobby that takes one away from the family is actually turned into a team-building activity where we can all work on communication skills. Whether we are playing Minecraft, Wii Sports games, or games rated for older players like Borderlands, we can enjoy time together.

There are many options for husbands and fathers who enjoy video games. Controllers, headsets, and games are great options as well as gift cards that allow them to make in-game purchases or DLC purchases for games they already love and play often.


Then you have the T-shirts, books, collectible figures, and more affiliated accessories that many companies offer. For example, one could purchase a Fallout Crate for a fan of the Fallout Series, a bobble-head or lunchbox, or T-shirts with a D&D theme. There are so many great options for the the Gamer Dad!

Crafts: Father's Day Necktie Card

My son, daughter, and I made a very simple Father's Day Card for my husband this weekend. I love being able to create crafts from materials that I have on hand in the house.

Materials 

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• Construction paper
• Markers (or crayons)
• Scissors and kids scissors 
• Glue Sticks 
• Tissue paper 

Steps 

1. Gather all your materials. 

2. After selecting what color construction paper your children want to use for their cards, fold the paper in half to make a card. 

3. Draw or trace the shape of a necktie on the inside of the card (or the front of the card if you wish).

4. Tear or cut up pieces of tissue paper to glue inside the necktie design. 

5. Write Happy Father's Day on the front of the card and sign the inside. Don't forget to include the date so Daddy will remember when he received the homemade card from his children. 

Crafts: Mother's Day "I love you to pieces" Card

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Are you looking for a quick card that your children can make for a mother, grandmother, or aunt in their lives? My daughter and I made this cute card for her two grandmothers for Mother's Day.

Materials 

• Construction paper
• Markers 
• Tissue Paper 
• Glue Stick 

Steps 

1. Gather all your materials. 

2. Cut a piece of construction paper (lengthwise) in half and fold into thirds. 

3. Write out your phrase on the front and inside. We wrote the name of the person we were giving the card to on the front, and "I love you" in the middle, and "to pieces" on the last panel. 

4. I drew a heart on the last panel for my daughter to use as a guide for the pieces of tissue paper. 

5. After tearing some pieces of tissue paper, glue them into the heart. 

6. After your card's glue is dry, present it to the special Mom on Mother's Day. 

References 

You can similar cards on many sites including:

Teach With Me's "I Love You to Pieces!" Craftivity

The Best Ideas for Kids' I Love You to Pieces Craft 

Learning and Exploring Through Play's Love you to Pieces Suncatcher Card 

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