How do you keep Christmas magic alive for teenage boys?

[notagiraffe]

Hi

DSs have asked for money this year, and I'm happy with that, as they are saving up for things which they really want that cost the earth.

But I'd love to give them some thing small but that makes them go wow on the day. Budget for a handful of things is around £50 per child.

They have a stocking (included in the above budget!) filled with a tee-shirt, DVD, book, sweets, bath stuff, fireworks and stuff related to their hobbies.

But what might make their eyes light up? Either an activity or a fun present. I don't want the day to be flat because they've outgrown toys. And I want it to be something festive - just out of ideas right now.

Last year we went to the ice sculptures, circus and giant ferris wheel at Hyde Park Wonderland on Christmas Eve and they loved it, but they've outgrown that too.
What do you do to keep the magic alive for teens?

My 12 year old ds still loves making the gingerbread house on Xmas eve with his younger siblings
gingerbread house

Thanks for the Lynx tips - those are the ones he's had before so probably a safe bet.

Any ideas about aftershaves?

I have looked at the slushy mugs and will probably get one of those.

Am wondering about 'an experience day' for birthday or Christmas, either a driving one or visit to his favourite football team's stadium???

I try not to give him money because he just saves it - doesn't do shopping at all - his answer is that we should order everything on line!

Brilliant thread - thanks OP. I've got a DS - 14 and a DD - 16 and have been struggling to think of things to get for Crimbo. They have pretty much all the gadgets going and have both asked for money this year. One wants a new laptop and the other an iPhone so they can put the dosh towards that. I don't have a big budget this year, so will be giving them £50 cash each, a couple of smaller gifts from each other and the cat (!) and doing the stocking thing, but putting some of the suggestions in this thread in it. Great idea for Lynx and hair stuff - I always try to go for useless quirky stuff which gets looked at on Xmas morning and then left on the bedroom floor for weeks. At least they'll use that type of stuff. The food ideas are great too. DD loves a hot chocolate, so a mug with a luxury sachet of hot choc and marshmallows is a great suggestion.

For "young" aftershaves....Ralph Lauren does a Polo range that is quite light and aimed at teenagers. Three or four different fragrances.

Thanks Private - I will have a look at that range.

Can't believe that I am thinking of aftershave for my ''baby''!!

My boys are 13 and 15 and are really into the food aspect of Christmas. So they put in food requests. The 15 year old wants a cake from m&s and the 13 year old has asked if we could have gammon from the local butcher. I've just accepted the present side of things is less unless it's big jars of sweets but now we focus on other things.

weird - I just posted a reply to way2serious but it hasn't shown up.

Way2 - DS1 has asked for the Hollister men's cologne. I tried it out and it's lovely - really light and fresh, not overpowering. £15.

(Also, if it's still on, Hollister had a sale last weekend. Fantastic hoodies for only £10 - so soft. Makes them all cuddly again.)

Thanks for the tip Notagiraffe will check that out.

Really helpful thread. Thanks everyone for your ideas.

Ds(14) loved the Holister Jake aftershave he got last year. A small bottle costs £24

This year he is getting the Xbox one as a joint present with his brother (11) so there won't be much else. His hobby is the cadets so I tent to look for stocking fillers around that. Up to now he has, a paracord bracelet, a reuseable match, a little credit card shaped thing which acts like a swiss army knife, those gloves you can use your phone with.

I'm also thinking of doing all dcs a food hamper as an extra present to open. It will be things we would get in for Christmas anyway, but they will enjoy having their own stash. Things like favorite cereal, nutella, 40p noodles, Pringles, nuts, chocolate and Coke.

I shall change devices in a moment and give links to the survival bits incase anybody is interested.

-Ice Skating?

-Indoor skiing or tubing (chillfactore, snowdome etc)

-trip to a night safari at a zoo (they have it all dark with fairy lights and you can watch the animals at night) - south lakes wild animal park do it.

-a concert- ie- jingleball and the like

-trip to the christmas markets to get their christmas shopping done and to get some festive beer or baileys hot chocolate?

• cinema trip - the hobbit or the hunger games

• football museum (manchester football museum do christmas stuff and teenage boys love it there)

-the main london eye and if they are into it then a musical (some boys who enjoy drama like musicals)

-harry potter studios london or the doctor who experience cardiff who both do christmas stuff

-alton towers (the rides don't open in winter but the AMAZING water park does) and its decorated all christmassy

I find it funny that they outgrew winter wonderland, the one direction boys went and thousands of other teenagers and adults flock there for the rides and food every year :p

-christmassy cruise on river (an adult only one) its really posh

-madame tussauds for the celeb waxworks

the last thing I will mention is not really magical lol but the london dungeons do a satins grotto which is really gory and macarbe and tons of teens that I know love it there. its included in the dungeon entry

for the gift side of thing what about a beanbag - whats more fun!

pharmacies bracelet 80p free shipping

credit card survival tool 99p delivered

This Draper multi function pocket knife is a fantastic price. I bought ds a Swiss army knife a couple of years back when he first started cadets and it was a great success. He loved looking at all the different tools and carried it round for days. I just gave him firm rules that he wasn't allowed to take it out the house when he opened it.

Paracord bracelet

great ideas...

www.firebox.com is great for ideas...pricey, but can get the imagination going!

I love www.wackysox.com for fun sporty socks...gain, check prices...they have loads on ebay.

new novelty phone cover?

keyring for front door key?

asda have fab boxers at the mo...mens xsmall look pretty ok for my big 12 yo. they have mrs browns boys ones!

its so much harder as they get older isn't it?
bloody miserable things!!!

meant to say too about primark tshirts...had loads last year...vintage ones...pacman, ghostbusters, goonies etc.. about £5 each.

ooh good thread i am.stuck for ideas for ds1(14) this yr. he wants to.build himself a pc so will get money towards that i think.

he always needs new socks and i might get him an xmas hair band/bobbles as he has really long hair.

he sounds like 70's son totally not.into clothes or labels at all but i may check.out hollister sale as ge could do with some new jumpers/hoodys.

he also needs to start shaving so razors, shaving foam etc.

he likes minecraft and i have seen some books and t-shirts and a minecraft book (look on amazon or ebay).

food is always good.

he

My parents had another baby when I was a teenager, that made Christmases special again! Watching someone else have that magic.

catch mine range in age from 14 down to 2 urs old ands the elder ones def e joy watching the younger ones enjoy the magic and they are very good at not letting on etc.

Not sure the op wants another baby tho!

Having a baby may be a tad drastic, think I'll stick to ordering the M&S snowman cake!

Great thread. I have a 12 year old. He is into brands but I have just had to take him shopping as has grown out of everything. He wants an iPhone for Xmas so that is under discussion.

He still likes the Guinness book of records.

He loves chocolate cake so I got him a mug from Lakeland that you make a chocolate cake in the microwave. I know you can just do that without a special mug but I got it anyway!

iTunes or Spotify voucher.

It's hard to keep the magical aspect going though I agree. Mine is an only and tends to spend a lot of time alone. I try to instigate traditions like going out for lunch or a walk or cinema and neither he nor DH are interested. Drives me mad.

Board/card games are the way to go for my teenage DSCs. They like getting all competitive! :o

(This is not a good idea if they take things too seriously though...)

I'm also considering getting my DSS and his GF a Segway driving experience if that helps?

Some absolutely brilliant ideas here.

LOL at deciding on the M&S snowman cake over a new baby Creamy. No new babies here either, thanks. I love sleep.

DS1 is a survival nut and already has lots of stuff like the paracord bracelet, but he'll love that credit card survival tool.

Have found playing cards with guitar chords on the back for DS2.

So stocking of: T shirt, silly socks/pants, calendar, Lynx, DVD, CD, book, sweets and food, survival kit bits (DS1) music bits (DS2.)
That's quite a lot isn't it?

Then an outing: musical/comedy/boxing day races or going down a ski slope in those tubey things (quite fancy that myself). We have loads of skating rinks nearby - really beautiful ones but DS2 and I are dyspraxic. We just can't! Might look out for night times at the zoo, though or one of those lit up walks through parks, or a night boat/duck ride in London.

And lots of food, films, comedy DVDs, board games, chances to Skype and chat to their cousins and friends.

Hope it'll be special enough. I just really want some surprises lined up for them to make them go Wow.

Took nephew out this afo.

He bought himself a yo yo...

I'm buying my ds a 'hacky sac' little football skills thingie (eBay)

One tradition that we have, that is very popular with our teens is 'mean Christmas' ( inspired by the American office). I buy a load of small presents - things that some of the kids would like and others would hate, and also some real crapola from the pound shop. The presents are wrapped and we all take it in turns to throw a dice. Throw a 1 and you get a gift, throw a 6 and you can steal someone else's. It's great fun, and we usually do it on Xmas day evening when there is a bit of a lull. We make it very mean - the occasional heavily coveted gift is usually in there, which everyone takes great delight in stealing from its coveter.