The Top Three Gifts For Your Teen or Grandson.

By: Todd Mansfield

Here it is, that season again. That wonderful, joyous, shopping-crazed time of year! But…it doesn’t have to be that way, shopping-crazed, I mean. 

We have “gone to the streets” and gathered the top three gifts; appropriate for you and appropriate for the teen set of the male gender. Now why did we focus on the boys? Simple, because we all know what little girls want, but the boys are, for the most part, completely different , so we were aware of that.

The first and for many, many reasons the most popular, is Nintendo’s Wii. Pronounced, “wee”. And it is absolutely fantastic! Nintendo needs to rethink who could use this, because after a season with some of the “wee play, sports”, your blood is moving and I mean really moving. Now, I know the teens will not use this device necessarily as we would, but they will do something that they don’t do now…stand up and move! Yes, the Wii, in addition to the traditional sitdown handheld devices, has handheld devices where the player may use them in a physical manner! Really! Can you beat that?! No, you can’t. 

So, let’s examine this further because the Wii is really a great modern toy. The Wii unit has a 100% cool factor. It’s tall, slender, and sleek, only comes in like silver and white, and has a slim, slanted, upright design. Whoa. It is Internet ready and allows the player to play their games with unknown others, all over the universe. 

Be aware that it “allows the player to play their games with unknown others, all over the universe”…so, if your teen is a not-so-bright and on the “I-dunno” side, just don’t hook-up and log on. But if you do hook-up, Internet responsibly; Nintendo has. There is Wii weather, Wii self (a super-simple-basic virtual self), Wii polls,Wii photos, etc. And remember, remind your teen “don’t use your real name or your real age”…it’s safer that way. 

The Wii recipient, won’t believe that you bought it for them. And for today’s toys, if you bought the Wii and gave it as a “family” gift , you would be the best person in-the-whole-world-ever! Really, everyone loves the Wii. And the Wii isn’t just for boys with only boyesque games, girls raved about this gaming device, also. And the price is most certainly better than its competition. And Nintendo, as a game-maker markets to the more innocent skew, but be aware of the games your kids are playing.

The available physical factor of Wii allows you to game by yourself like no other unit available today. You cannot use the Wii effectively for some of the games without physically becoming involved with the game; such as, sword fighting, playing baseball, tennis and others. 

Read the back of the games such as the more popular sports and Zelda games and it will tell you how many players may enjoy this game at once, what age group may play it, and a little about the game and its goal. Our household’s latest favorite is surgery, as we do not allow senseless blood and violence; but being a surgeon as a career is acceptable.

So, on our Christmas list this season, the Wii for the money, and the wow factor, and the integrated exercise and that men, women, boys and girls recommend it, but most of all it’s one big gifts that equals many little gifts, so less shopping to do, and they're available on-line!

Now, our second most thoughtful gift is a book. I know, but everyone at this age and younger reads. They read at school and have book reports and projects. We found that if they have a book at home, they are much more likely to read it, if they can apply it to a school project; after all, they haven’t much time in their days for leisure.

Now, for the quiet moments which all of us need in order to drift off into other places and times. The quiet moment, filled with being taken away somewhere, without going anywhere. A place filled with newness and experience. 

Fill your teens and preteens quiet moments with a book and let them be taken away and be led by good characters, strong in mind and actions. We found an author who can do just that...this author knows boys. We can’t recommend him enough. The author’s name is Robert Holland and his books are available at www.frosthollowpub.com 

We were so taken with his double digit written series for young boys, that our sister company, Finally! TV, produced a new media broadband production of him reading some of his books.

Mr. Holland is the quintessential writer. He looks comfortable, has a really big lovable dog, has pipes in his billiard room, lives in a warm antique home in the preverbal country; has a pond, a rolling knoll and really does occasionally have a flock of turkeys cross his path. He’s nice and wise and gracious and rugged. And he's one heck of writer.

Now, there are a few museums we recommend, so it depends on your city and your teens age. For instance we suggest the science museum for the way-pre-teen and pre-pre-teen; and we suggest the living museums such as an aquarium or observatory for the way-pre-teen and pre-pre-teen, pre-teens, early teens and teens Then there’s the art museum for all ages and stages of teenism. We recommend the art museum especially if you have a stroller with a wee-one that stays-put, or if you are responsible that if you take one, they all go. The art museum is a great place, because with the little ones, you meander through and are constantly on the move, and with the little older ones, you can stop and ponder. But the best part is that there’s usually always a coffee shop and gift shop for tired bodies and another gift!!! Now, if the art museum is just “not” going to happen, try the auto museum or the airplane museum for children of all ages, but especially for pre-teens, and teens. 

There are about 101 zillion reasons for going to the museum, allowing you to attend “whenever”. And the easiest part about this gift is that you don’t have to go to the venue to purchase the tickets, as all museums sell their tickets on-line and they usually never-ever sell out at the door. This gift is so easy, that you can even make-up your own card-like invitation and deliver it.

So, there you have it, the top 3 gifts for this holiday season. So stop, and shop from home this year while being the best gift-giver ever!

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