Gift Ideas for Preteen Boys

Shopping for preteen boys can be quite difficult. Quite often preteen boys are referred to as tween boys and they encompass the ages 8-13. If you are looking for gifts for preteen boys, here are some tips to help:

One of the hottest selling items for all age groups is the Ripstik. Razor USA says Ripstik is made for ages 7 to 83.25. Basically the Ripstik is taking place of traditional skate boards, it is simply a two-wheeled, foot-gripping board that is similar to a skateboard but it has all of the movements and uses of a snowboard. The Ripstik is one of the hottest selling toys of 2008 and only costs $80. The best part about the Ripstik is that as you advance your skills, you can purchase the next level of difficult board.

Preteen boys are in that awkward stage when an action figure just doesn't cut it as a gift, but giving them a grown-up gift is a bad idea. Many people choose to give preteen boys gift baskets because they are easy and include candy and other treats that are sure to make them smile.

GiftBasketsDeluxe.com has a wide variety of gift baskets for all occasions. One particular gift basket that would work for preteen boys is the Leather Suitcases gift basket. This gift basket is a cute reminder of the old movies when the hero gets off the train holding his leather suitcase. There are 2 suitcases included with the gift basket set and they are all handcrafted and adorned with gorgeous leather and costs $329.97 This gift basket includes:

• Truffles
• Ghirardelli squares
• Fruit hard candies
• Chocolate raisins
• Lindor bar
• Droste chocolate drops

Preteen boys love to play video games and you can't loose when you give them a video game like Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Universe or Dance Dance Revolution. The popular Guitar Hero games for 2008 include Guitar Hero Aerosmith and Guitar Hero On Tour. The complete Guitar Hero package (software and guitar) cost about $99 on the Xbox 360. There are several Dance Dance games available including Dance Dance Revolution, Dance Dance Universe, Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova. This game is a great way to get exercise and play with your friends or by yourself. It challenges the user on several skill levels and costs $60 - $175.

Hand Held Game System are another great gift for a preteen boy. If he already has a hand held game system, you can purchase him a game of his choice. The Sony Playstation portable console is a popular hand help video game system that costs $150 up. Nintendo also has a portable video game system called the Nintendo DS. This system costs $126 up. There are other hand held video game systems you can purchase for a preteen boy that include games like Catch Phrase, Simon Trickster, Yahtzee, Tetris, UNO, and Brain Games. All these hand held video game systems can be purchased for $9.99 up.

Another great gift basket idea is to purchase the All Star gift basket. This basket costs $54.97 from GiftBasketsFromYou.com. This is a great gift basket if your preteen boy likes sports. The All Star gift basket is geared for baseball, football, basketball, tennis and soccer and has all sorts of great tasty treats.

For $89.97, you can purchase the Hidden Clock Gift Basket. This is a unique gift basket that has a practical purpose as well. It has a metal container with curved legs and a clock with a lid that opens the can. This gift basket is packed with gourmet chocolate and it is perfect for a preteen boy.

Due to the popularity of the hit movie, Transformers, several toys and games have been released that are geared toward preteen boys. Star Wars Transformers are great for the younger range of preteen boys. Each toy transforms from a Star Wars vehicle into a Star Wars character. The available characters include Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, General Grievous, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Star Wars Transformers can be purchased for $15.99 up.

K'Nex has also made a large comeback. K'Nex are known as the most creative construction toy and is made up of various sized and colored rods, joints, and wheels as well as gears and motors. Depending upon the style you select, the prices range from $10 up. You can purchase a set that intended to build things or you can buy combo packs that are full of various pieces. K'Nex are a wonderful gift for a preteen boy.

Another great gift for a preteen boy is to give him his own laptop computer. Of course, be sure you set it up with safety precautions to help him avoid getting into bad situations. Owing his own laptop will help him raise his grades by doing his homework in his room or any location in the house. Depending upon the brand and style of laptop computer you purchase, they can range from $799 up.

A digital camera is another great gift for a preteen boy. You can find a nice digital camera for $50 or more. If your preteen boy likes photography, consider purchasing a digital camera that includes several features like zoom, night vision, and other features.

An iPod is another gift for a preteen boy that is sure to make him smile. The new iPod Nano now includes video capability as well as music. If your preteen already owns an iPod, consider giving him a gift certificate to iTunes where he can download music.

Gifts-911.com also has great ideas for preteen boy gifts. They provide gift ideas for birthdays, holidays and other special occasions and can help you select the right gift for a preteen boy. If you select to give a preteen boy a gift certificate, choose one that they can use to spend on DVDs, music, or games. Best Buy is a great store for a gift certificate to give a preteen boy. Wal-Mart and Target also have great gift certificate options as they sell DVDs, CDs, and sporting items.

Preteen boys would appreciate a nice gaming chair that they can sit in while they play their video games. Media chairs range in prices from $79 up. Some media chairs allow them to hook the video game up to it directly to the chair so they can have surround sound while they play.

Comic books are another great gift for preteen boys. With the recent influx of comic book movies like Spider-Man, Batman, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man. Most boys today like to be familiar with the comic book characters. Comic books are also a great way to get them into reading and expand their imagination. There are several volumes of comic books that allow you to collect multiple volumes.

Many preteen boys include a series of fictional books written by Max Elliot Anderson and published as the Tweener Press Adventure Series. Max Elliot Anderson wrote these books to encourage reluctant readers to enjoy reading as his books are filled with action, adventure, and mystery. By this age, most of the preteen boys have outgrown the Harry Potter books, so focus on books that are geared toward. Carol Deuker has written several books that are perfect for preteen boys including: Heart of a Champion, On the Devil's Court, and many others. Most of these books can be ordered from Amazon.com for $10 or more.

Athletic items are also a great gift for a preteen boy. Many boys like basketball, football and baseball. A nice baseball glove, bat and ball is a great gift for a preteen boy. If you can, give him 2 gloves so he has a spare one to play with his friends. You can pick up a complete baseball package for $50 or more. A basketball and football can be purchased for $20 or more and are a great way for preteen boys to get some exercise.

A magazine subscription is also a great gift for a preteen boy. A magazine subscription to Sports Illustrated, PC Gamer, or Boys Life are all great gifts to help them keep up to date with their favorite sports teams and video games. The great benefit of a sports subscription is that it last all year long.

Fact or Crap is fun board game for preteen boys. It is similar to Trivial Pursuit with true-or-false answers. The players basically decide whether statements are fact or crap. It can be purchased off Amazon.com for $21.99.

A cell phone is another great gift for a preteen boy. It gives them a sense of independence and you can reach them if they are out past their curfew. A preteen boy will appreciate a cell phone because it makes him feel trusted and it is a great way to keep your phone line open for other calls. Depending upon where you purchase the cell phone from, you can get a nice phone for $50 up and a decent cell phone plan from several providers.