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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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My geeky 15yr DS and the weirdest Christmas list ever

182 replies

FuckingHateRats · 17/12/2022 21:02

My son has asked for: headphones (standard), dried mango, dried banana chips, microfibre cloths to clean his glasses with, and one of those blue BIC pens that have the four coloured nibs to make notes in his classes 🤣🤣🤣 he's also added refills for his pilot BtP pens (a very specific request).

I have bought the usual slippers, a (Primark) oodie, pringles etc.

He has significantly less to open than his younger sisters.

I'm thinking of ordering Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors amzn.eu/d/9NJkl9U THIS BOOK (he loves maths and coding so seems right up his street) but would love any ideas of (hopefully useful) bits and pieces he can open. He's asked for so little and says he is really lucky because he doesn't need anything🤷🏻‍♀️

He does not care about branded clothes, does not care about his hair etc, so things like aftershave and sporty t-shirts/joggers are out.

OP posts:
NoWayRose · 17/12/2022 22:24

Has he read the Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov? I feel these might be up his street.

PutinSmellsPassItOn · 17/12/2022 22:28

Have a look on qwertee for geeky tshirts. It's an absolute treasure trove.

HelloViroids · 17/12/2022 22:31

As per @LimeCheesecake I was coming on to say What If? Books - geeky DH is obsessed!

Sugargliderwombat · 17/12/2022 22:33

How about those airfix models ?

Greatauntdymphna · 17/12/2022 22:35

www.presentindicative.com/products/the-proof-is-in-the-pudding

I think these look great!

APotatoFlewAcrossTheRoomLastNightExcuseTheMess · 17/12/2022 22:36

What a good thread op, some great ideas on here! My PlayStation playing sons would be interested in a few of the suggestions ☺️ I also had a giggle at your comment regarding buying your son a toothbrush etc throughout the year too, I did read it (but understood it! 😉) as it seeming like you only buy hygiene stuff annually 🤣 will be watching the thread for more fab suggestions.

ShowsLikeThese · 17/12/2022 22:42

You have loads of ideas here, but jumping on because I adore books about maths and computing.

Fabulous, accessible books for anyone with interest in maths and computing are two of Simon Singh's: Fermat's Last Theorem and The Code Book.

www.bookdepository.com/Fermats-Last-Theorem-Simon-Singh/9781841157917

www.bookdepository.com/Code-Book-Simon-Singh/9781857028898?ref=pd_detail_1_sims_b_p2p_1

I adored this book by Sarah Flannery about her discoveries around internet cryptography at age 16. Bit expensive, so maybe one to look out for second hand: www.bookdepository.com/Code-Sarah-Flannery/9781565123779?ref=grid-view&qid=1671316450481&sr=1-1

One last one. I heard a fabulous interview with the author of this book on research work that uses AI to decode non-human language.
www.bookdepository.com/Sounds-Life-Karen-Bakker/9780691206288

drspouse · 17/12/2022 22:42

LubaLuca · 17/12/2022 21:21

A subscription to Computer Active magazine might be useful. It's light enough for youngsters.

I was going to suggest a magazine for his stocking, they are good for bulk. Or warm socks?

missymousey · 17/12/2022 22:42

Just bought my geeky 15yo DN a microbit 2 (alternative to raspberry pi) and the GCHQ puzzle book. Recent birthday presents were a subscription to Geographical magazine and a slackline. Good luck OP

StAlphonzospancakebreakfast · 17/12/2022 22:42

I have a similar 12yr old, but he’s also really into Dice, so a cool dice set? He plays D&D but even if you don’t they are fun so i’m told

LemonsAndCherries · 17/12/2022 22:49

He sounds amazing.

Definitely voting for the raspberry pi too.

piedbeauty · 17/12/2022 22:52

Suduko book
Maths book, like you say
A game like Rush Hour, which is all about logic
The GCHQ puzzle book...

Lalliella · 17/12/2022 22:54

Following. I feel your pain. The least materialistic ever geek of a DS, and the most materialistic shopping obsessed DD. She’s got loads more presents then him I need some ideas for levelling out.

Ramble0n · 17/12/2022 22:57

Brrrrrrrrrrrr · 17/12/2022 21:29

He sounds like a well adjusted intelligent kid- Be grateful he’s not one of those horrors demanding a PlayStation and a Gucci man bag.

Kids who want Playstations are not horrors.

Talipesmum · 17/12/2022 23:01

LimeCheesecake · 17/12/2022 22:15

The What if? Book and what if? 2.

a power bank for phone charging on go.

warm but tech friendly gloves (ds has warm gloves or tech friendly, now has both!).

I got geeky ds a schrodinger cat t shirt.

Yup, was scrolling through to see if anyone had recommended the What If books! They’re totally wonderful. Geeky sciencey, accurate and v funny. www.amazon.co.uk/What-If-Scientific-Hypothetical-Questions/dp/1848549563/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=18aff7c8-cd17-46b0-b1b7-b78624e91a43

ErrolTheDragon · 17/12/2022 23:02

snowinthesticks · 17/12/2022 21:39

I'd guess that book might be a bit young for him? Maybe something by Feynman or perhaps A Brief History of time?

The book she mentions in the OP should be fine - we got it (when we saw the show!) for our DD who was an engineering student at the time and she enjoyed it.

Dreamsoffreedomjoyandpeace · 17/12/2022 23:04

I tend to type ‘popular maths’ into Amazon and then for every book I click on I look at all the recommendations underneath. You’ll probably notice that some books say they’ve won some sort of award. You can then go to the website for that award and look at books from previous years.

My son is 18 now and I can’t remember all the books I’ve bought but that’s how I found them. This year I also bought him Life Skills for Young Adults.

I’d also recommend Nicola Morgan’s books which are about teenage related stuff like managing stress and making friends.

My son only asks for books chocolate and the odd video game….it’s challenging!

spiderlight · 17/12/2022 23:08

Mine got a Geiger counter last year and loved it.

beautifulyoungmind · 17/12/2022 23:13

Have a look at the Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities books & also Simon Singh 'Fermat's Last Theorem' (which I couldn't put down despite not being mathematical!)

Yarnosaura · 17/12/2022 23:16

I bought my ds, a maths/comp sci undergrad, the Humble Pi book last Christmas and he loved it.

He gets a topical giant microbe every year too (2020 was a coronavirus and 2021 an antibody, this year it's a Christmas set).

Yarnosaura · 17/12/2022 23:16

And Lego, always Lego.

Poppiesway1 · 17/12/2022 23:19

My ds asked for a bible… we’re not religious but he is doing Alevel RE and is loving the subject.. he wants to have his own bible to read..
I felt weird going into Waterstones to buy him one!

cobden28 · 17/12/2022 23:23

Does he have an Amazon wish list?

ouch44 · 17/12/2022 23:23

My geeky DS16 is quite hard to buy for but asked for money for Xbox games as his mainly and a useless machine. Might be up your DSs street? It's a machine that has a switch with a thing that comes out and switches itself off! I got one DS can solder himself.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/122065683/

Andy Weir had a new book out in Sept if he hasn't already got it.

Other things for his stocking that might be good are noodles, keyboard cleaning gel, magnetic fidget toy, Collins 2023 guide to the sky book (link below). He also loves Brian Cox so he's getting his book about black holes.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/2023-Guide-Night-month-month/dp/0008393540/ref=ascdff0008393540nodl?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570519535670&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6735523200887312836&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046616&hvtargid=pla-1652607397858&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&dplnkId=5618c5ae-9c2f-41b2-b8b8-898c857b8bdb

beautifulyoungmind · 17/12/2022 23:24

My maths mad daughter loves the Smart Eggs Red, Blue & Black Dragon 2 level puzzles. They look pretty cool on display too