How do you pick out gifts for 12 year old boys?
These boys are on the verge of adolescence, and their tastes and likings can be so erratic and unpredictable that it makes you want to tear your hair out. They’re no longer little kids but at the same time, they’re not quite fully teenagers either. It’s a difficult age in general but you still want to pick out a suitable gift for them that they will like and appreciate. Especially during the holiday season and birthdays, when expectations are high (as well as demands!), it can be crucial to select the right gifts for 12 year old boys, and this is what I aim to do in this article.
One way to figure out what gifts for 12 year old boys to shop for is to ask him. But there are a few disadvantages with this approach. For one, the surprise element is completely gone when you ask them to compile a list, and that is one of the greatest benefits to getting someone a gift in the first place. If your 12 year old boy is a typical one, he might just give a half-hearted shrug, or grunt as he busies himself with slaying monsters on his Xbox 360 – not very helpful in deciding on what to get.
Here are some general categories of gifts that a 12 year old boy is sure to like:
Electronic Gifts
Electronic items are definitely great ones to get because tons of boys of this age are very gadget-savvy and techie. Most already carry around the latest iPhone 4S or are busy texting and chatting with their friends on their Smartphones. If your 12 year old boy isn’t in this crowd, he may feel left out, and getting him that phone might be just what he needs to make his day.
MP3 Players also make great gifts for 12 year old boys. Having an iPad, iPod touch or another one of these Apple brands is seen as a status symbol among the kids and definitely the ONLY brand to consider (I don’t work for Apple, I swear!). The price difference isn’t that great between them and an off-brand, and Apple is known for very intuitive, high-quality products which makes it a win win!
More likely than not however, video games and video game consoles are the surefire way to buy those gifts for 12 year old boys. Every chance they get, these boys are turning on their Xbox 360s, PS3s, Wiis, and Nintendo DS’s. Schools and camps have had to work hard to ban the DS’s from invading the territory because they are super popular and best of all – multiplayer. Who says that you can’t socialize and make friends through video games?
In terms of the top video game currently, this fluctuates a lot, but it tends to generally be shooting games that are rated “M” for Mature. Don’t let that video game rating scare you however, these video games are rarely as bad as rated R films, but the parent should use discretion and research whether these video games would be suitable gifts for 12 year old boys.
>> CLICK HERE to see the Top Video Games for this age category AS OF THIS MOMENT on Amazon <<
Sports Gifts
Gifts for 12 year old boys in this category are usually a hit if your boy is athletic. Boys in general tend to be all into action, sports, and physical activities, so it’s hard to go wrong with these gifts.
The nice added bonus of sports presents is that they are less costly than their electronic counterparts. There are also a large number of options to pick from.
Skateboards, scooters and roller blades make great gifts for those that like to hang out at the skate parks. Sports equipment is probably a better fit for those boys that are part of a sports team. These include basketball hoops and soccer goals, all types of balls, bats, mitts, hockey sticks and pucks, etc.
Last, you can always go for sportswear such as brand-name clothing (Adidas, Nike, Under Armor, etc.) or running shoes and hoodies. There is also always the classical option of taking your kid to a basketball or hockey game. There are many viable sports gifts for 12 year old boys.
>> CLICK HERE for the UP-TO-MINUTE Top Sports Gifts on Amazon
Miscellaneous Gifts
If all else fails, you can always fall back on the low-risk gifts for 12 year old boys – gift cards. This pretty much works for every age group and so is a choice of last resort, but actually works surprisingly well for 12 year olds as they are beginning to know how to shop and are starting to gain autonomy and want to be able to make these choices for themselves.
My personal recommendation would be gifts cards for huge superstores like Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Old Navy or Amazon. Besides the gift card options, there are many miscellaneous gifts for 12 year old boys that vary from season to season. For 2011-2012, R/C Helicopters are all the rage. The Ultra Stomp Rocket is also a remarkable bestseller (who doesn’t like rockets and fireworks?) as well as the LEGO Creator Kits. The Apples to Apples Party Box is also a brilliant award-winning game that is selling like hotcakes and very educational as well. Gifts for 12 year old boys should now be a breeze to purchase after this guide.
>> CLICK to see the latest Bestselling Gifts on Amazon
In conclusion, there are many diverse gifts for 12 year old boys that will make their Christmas, Hannukah, or whatever. Happy shopping, and make sure to bookmark this guide and check out Amazon for the absolute latest and best gifts for 12 year old boys, not to mention the lowest prices on the market.
