11 year old boy - £30

[FerminRomeroDeTorres]

I need to buy a gift for an 11 year old boy (yr7) which is around £30, however I know absolutely nothing about the child.

When he was younger he was quite into lego, not really sporty, not a reader. Board/card games are out because father has a pathological hatred of them so they wouldn’t get played in the family.

Absolutely no clue what he’s into now though - haven’t seen him in about 6 years and have very little contact with the family. We have asked his parents what he’s into and been ignored.

No option not to buy. I feel like he’s a little too young for a voucher (and I wouldn’t have a clue what voucher to buy), help! What is a generic gift for a boy of this age?

Ooh I like pp's suggestion of an oodie, they always go down well!

Many boys this age like non fiction books with lots of pictures and statistics, like the Guinness Book of Records. Or an annual.

A 2025 wall calendar of national football team (or the team he follows, if you know it.)

Joke book / book of logic riddles (like move one match stick)

Sweets

Nerf guns

Oh that's so sad for him, that his parents are not willing to make the effort for him. I'd agree with other posters that whatever you send giftwise a funny card with happy friendly messages from all your family would be a great accompaniment. So he knows he has a wider family that loves him, despite the geographical distance between you.

Ah didn't realise it had to be posted! I think a small gift and cash is the way to go. You could always order a pair of socks with his face on it as a silly present or what about a wallet of his favourite team/lego/film with cash inside. Grandparents can give you generic response to that surely!

Ooh I like the idea of a wallet with cash or a voucher inside - esp if I could get a wee bargain on the wallet. My DC all started carrying a proper wallet/purse at that age as that’s when they all got bank cards

JD sports voucher in a nice card with your email address in so he can get in touch if he wants to

Would you know what football team/local county team he’d likely be a supporter of?
Or look on his schools facebook page, see there are any clues there.
Is getting a hoodie with a gift certificate an option, use a bigger international shop? Probably not, I don’t know how these things work.
Or a box of retro sweets/chocolates.
That age are very into smellies/sprays.
A Carhartt or North Face Beanie
A wallet or back pack
A generic Nike black hoodie or Oodie

My 11 year old would love a nerf gun
An oodie
A book (I know you said not a reader but I'd second the Guinness book of records or something similar)
A card game such as uno, taco goat cheese pizza
Top trumps
Sweets

My 11yo would like nothing more than cash and sweets/chocolates. Or an Amazon voucher. You are being lovely and thoughtful

My 12 year old for example would appreciate -
Guinness book of records and some chocolate (Reece's is quite 'cool' for chocolate!)
S'mores kit
Soft dart board (Smyths do a good one)
Still quite likes RC cars - the airhogs ones that drive on walls / ceilings would be quite fun/novelty!
Anything Nike - hat, gloves, water bottle,
Rubik's cube / infinity cube

Remote control car? One that does fancy tricks maybe.

Vouchers are great for that age I think. As you are spending £30 you could get two £15 ones or even 3 £10 - that shows a bit of thought and would be fun for him to receive. My ideas would be:

Amazon
McDonalds (unless his family are strict about healthy eating - does you partner know that?)
Cinema (Google which cinema chain they have in their local town).
CEX which is a gaming shop - almost all kids that age will have a console.
JB Sports

If you did want to include a token gift, either unusual candy as you suggest, or a fidget toy of some sort? I work with kids that age and pretty much everyone likes a fidget toy.....

Yeah I was thinking the same. Or maybe lots of cute little gifts? Chocolates, socks, small drone or electric car, some things from your country - sweets - socks with your country’s flag on it- money etc

Also it did tickle me about the pathological hatred of board games. I wonder if that was due to being forced to play then as a child or competitiveness ….never heard that one before.

Could you buy a hoodie from somewhere international like Uniqlo so he can exchange it easily?

I second (third?) an oodie or a Nike sweatshirt/hoodie. My 11 year old likes anything Nike. He would also like any Lego, a football (but I know maybe all 11 year olds may not) a voucher, a cook book (not baking). I am planning to get him a North Face/Nike wallet this year as he's beginning to need to walk around with money.

I work with children and they are ecstatic when they get Amazon vouchers. It makes them feel grown up to be able to order something they want. I think especially for boys.

Wireless Sony headphones

Don't buy clothes

You’ve hit the nail on the head - forced playing for hours days when he was a child/teen. The rest of the family still
enjoy a good game (albeit not for 12 hours straight) but he cannot abide them and (always used to) excuse himself when there were family get togethers. Having witnessed that for many years I have always avoided buying games for the DC as I feel they just wouldn’t get played. (And which I totally understand!)

https://www.wickeduncle.co.uk/presents/boys/age-13/attaxe
Have it gift wrapped and posted directly.

My semi tame 11 year old would say Amazon voucher or cash, and sweets

He would hate an oodie(too hot!)

He is massively into fishing but then only the specific fishing things will "do" so far better that he can get them himself

As others have said, a message along with the card should/could/would be appreciated and remembered

Two sons age 11 and 14
Nike crew socks
Manbag (nike or under armour)
Wallet
Lego still liked by older Ds but only certain range
Cash and american sweets (or different country depending on where they live)
Taco cat goat cheese pizza game

Magnetic dart board? My boy has one on the back of his door and all his friends play when he comes round. They are also all drawn to the Brio pinball but I think it’s more than £30.