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stefoodie
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| Posted: Dec 17 2009 at 3:53am | IP Logged
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Help! It's the 17th and we don't know what to give our 11-yo. He writes, draws, plays basketball, and is a Webelos scout. He enjoys science and history. He plays with words all the time. He's still also into playing pretend, so on his wish list is a bunch of toys (expensive ones, so he's not getting those LOL -- but maybe we'll let him buy one for himself with his Christmas money) and a Nerf sword.
We've already given him journals in the past, an artist kit, basketball "wear", and scouting paraphernalia. I'm looking for something a bit out of the ordinary but I'm out of ideas.
If we don't think of anything we'll probably get him the sword and another journal plus a nice pen... so suggestions please?
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stef
mom to five
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St. Ann
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| Posted: Dec 17 2009 at 5:11am | IP Logged
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I assume he already has a pocketknife? There is a good book on whittling by Chris Lubbkeman
http://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Whittling-Passing-Trail/dp /1565232747/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261047902&sr=8-2
(sorry for the unlink! i just can't do it on firefox)
What about a detective kit a' la Sherlock Holmes... to solve historical crimes..mwwwaaaaaahaha. Plus a cape and pipe to play the part.
Take all this with a grain of salt. I am the mother of females pure.
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Stephanie
Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03
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KackyK
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| Posted: Dec 17 2009 at 7:07am | IP Logged
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This may sound crazy...but my soon to be 13yold ds (on Saturday!) is going to get two really varied items...a woodcarving kit and a Dippin'Dots Maker. The DD maker is in the section of the toy store with the easy bake oven and items like that. Several years ago, my now 11yold, asked for (I think when he was 9) for the cotton candy maker. They had a lot of fun with that.
This older ds had actually asked for the sour candy maker kit, however I read on Amazon some not so good reviews about it. So hopefully he'll like this one! We'll see?!
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KackyK
Mom to 8 - 3 dd, 5ds & 4 babes in heaven
Beginning With the Assumption
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anitamarie
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| Posted: Dec 17 2009 at 7:30am | IP Logged
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What about a wood-burning kit?
If he likes to play with words - a word game like Plext or Red Letteror Pick Two might be fun.
Good luck. We were almost right there with you!!
Anita
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cvbmom
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| Posted: Dec 17 2009 at 8:54am | IP Logged
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Anything from Steve Spangler Science www.SteveSpanglerScience.com is a hit here. We're getting a few of the fun looking "Spangler Created" kits (on the left side bar somewhat far down the page in the "by collection" section) for our family Epiphany gift.
God bless,
Christine
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Jamberry77
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| Posted: Dec 17 2009 at 11:24am | IP Logged
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Our son's wishes included Nerf guns, Redwall books, and Lego sets (and subscriptions to Popular Mechanics and Popular Science). Birthday presents will include a few of the Ralph Moody books. OH, your son likes history, too? We've all really enjoyed the magazine Military History.
Other ideas include a new daypack for Scouts, a pair of waterproof hiking boots, wool socks, extra Scout socks, a headlamp for setting up tents in the dark, really good rainwear that is totally waterproof and not sweaty, good warm waterproof gloves, handwarmers, warmer sleeping bag - adult size, neck gaiter or balaclava (the face mask thing).
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Kelly, mom to 9th and 5th graders
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 17 2009 at 11:26am | IP Logged
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I'm getting my 11 yr old Webelo a couple of books on scout stuff.. The Scouts Outdoor Cookbook and Camping's Top Secrets, 2nd: A Lexicon of Camping Tips Only the Experts Know
And a little hand held knife sharpener. My son has a pocket knife but I noticed when he gets a list for doing things with the *Boy Scouts* that they specify a *sharp* pocket knife. So I figured a sharpener that he could use now would be best.. so I finally found one of the ones you just draw down the blade at Cabelas rather than the stones that will take more learning. The point being to give him a way to always have his knife sharp (I'm a big believer in a sharp knife is a safe knife).
And then because he just wants one so much.. a webkinz stuffed toy.. I think I found him the little polar bear. The kids are allowed on webkinz.. and they all get a turn a couple of times a week usually. I've been very happy with the security of letting them play on webkinz.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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hylabrook1
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Does he have The American Boys Handy Book? Loads of great adventuresome and fun ideas in there! Real hand tools?(not power tools) That and some scrap wood would keep my ds busy for hours at that age.
Peace,
Nancy
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stefoodie
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| Posted: Dec 17 2009 at 1:36pm | IP Logged
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The 13-yo is getting a wood carving kit, and the 11-yo already has lots of knives. The book might be helpful though. Thanks!
Wow, Dippin' Dots! I'm SURE they'd love THAT! Checking it out...
oh.... except he has dairy allergies, so maybeeee....
oooh, haven't heard of those, Anita, taking a look now...
He already has Redwall books and they just went shopping for scouting stuff so those might not work right now...
Goodness! What in the world are Webkinz? I'm getting an education here. 
We've borrowed the cookbook thing from the library and they found a couple of things, maybe I'll get them their own copy. Or maybe I'll get that for dh (scoutmaster!).
Amen on the sharp knife. Gotta look for a small sharpener.... hm. wonder if they have that at the scout shop too.
I was looking at that Nancy, and then nixed it. Maybe I'll take another look. Today he was making some fun stuff as a Christmas gift for Dad so that might work. (I never noticed before that he liked doing these, so maybe he's growing into it.)
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!
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stef
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JodieLyn
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Webkinz are stuffed animals that come with a code. You go to the webpage and can register your animal and then you have an animal to play with online. The online animal is good for 1 year.. if you buy a second and put it on the same account as the first, you keep using both until the end of the second animal's 1 year.. the years aren't cumulative but rather the most recent animal's year is the one that is used. But they have houses that they can decorate and yards and they can put in gardens and things.. they earn kinzcash in various ways and there's games and quizzes (think trivial puruit type questions) and "jobs" that are sorta like games
If your kids have computer time for playing, not just school.. these are fun.. and tehre's no objectional material that I've found.. and communication between kids is very limited.. they can send gifts or notes to friends but they are scripted.. so you can choose among options, not write your own.. so you can't get "off" comments through them. Overall I've been happy with it.. and my kids love the toys too.. those are played with as much as the computer.. I think with them on the computer they seem more real to the kids.. they're spoken of by their first names (yes I have a whole "herd" I need to remember ) I recently bought a frog without a code from ebay to replace a lost stuffed animal.. my almost 7 yr old was so very sad that Tye was lost.. so I "found" him. 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Dec 17 2009 at 3:47pm | IP Logged
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OK Stef here goes...I have twin 10yod ds - the good thing about twins is that they can get a single gift between them which is higher priced. Let me give you some ideas - though I am not sure of your budget:
- Dangerous book for boys if you do not have it. If you do there are some cool science kits that go with it
- Physics Workshop (search amazon) has a couple of kits which are really cool and 10-12 yods can do them on their own
- multifuntion Swiss Army knife/pockettool - hot item in our house
- coin sorting jar
- small safe/lockbox for treasures
- communicator watches - THE BIG ITEM which is greatly desired by my sons (they got their idea from the Jonathon Park seriesO
- high powered long distance walkie talkies - similar to the cw - I saw a set at Costco which looked kind of cool
- many items from the Vision Forum boyhood collection. We really like the Jonathon Park series - it is very young earth focused but nothing anti-Catholic (that I have heard so far) - lots of science info that my guys like and opened family discussions for us on evolution/creation etc
- re words - have you considered an electronic thesaurus - I looked for one for my guys - but could not find a decently priced one which got good reviews
- re words - do you have the book Eats Shoots and Leaves - very cool and better on cd
- does he like music - maybe a guitar and teach yourself cd?
Good luck finding something!
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Marilyn
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MichelleW
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I finally bought something for my son who turned 12 2 weeks ago. He sounds a lot like your ds. I ordered him an army surplus ammo belt from Vision Forum. I don't like to order from them, but dh and I thought that the ammo belt looked like the perfect thing to carry art supplies in, sort like an artist field kit. Then I ordered him some lyra skin tone colored pencils, watercolor pencils, and a niji brush.
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Michelle
Mom to 3 (dd 14, ds 15, and ds 16)
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Gifts for 11-yo ds?
