24 little gifts 13 yr old boy and general inspiration needed

[Serenitespring]

Hi first thread on this years but feel like I’ve not left as I’ve followed it all year anyway.
I am hoping for inspiration for a 13 yr old boy.
Any present ideas in general would be so welcome.
I normally have bought loads by now but not this year!
In the run up to Christmas I do a little present a day - I kind of advent calendar but more just a wee tree gift every morning. Girls are definitely easier for this!
In the past I’ve done silly socks, shower/sprays (not a hit) books, superzings, blind bag, small figurines of games he’s into but I’m stuck this year!!!
Has anyone any ideas - it’s just a wee tradition I want to keep going through the teenage years, they’re still so young thought they def don’t think so!
He's into Gaelic sports, plays soccer, loves Leeds United, gaming on PlayStation and X Box, traitors, (lush bath bombs but don’t want their advent calendar or 24 of them )Agatha Christie mysteries and weirdly true crime, chess, travel, he loves new/in things being stylish and ahead of the pack with style and the latest/next ‘big thing’
All ideas please would be so welcome
And board games for this age when they’ve hit so many.
And stocking fillers
Girls definitely don’t need as much thought with hair nails smellies etc
no big ask then - but I know I’ll get loads of ideas in other threads so hoping for the 24 little gift ideas here
🤯😂 I need to get into the Christmas vibe
Fingers crossed

So many individually wrapped chocolates - this is great for advent calendars!

'One thing I did with DC was a jar of compliments - they loved reading them each day.'

That's way too wholesome for us. Your clearly more the Flanders and we're more The Simpsons lol.

My kids would think I lost the plot.

A jar of insults is an amazing idea. I might do that for DH. Shakespearean ones or something.

We have one of those fill your own wall hanging advent calendars for DC as I got fed up of the pre-made ones and the fact 50% of them ended up being shit. So I buy lots of little gifts and use those.

LEGO mini bags, bag charms, the odd Yoto card or Tonie, etc. It’s definitely easier with younger kids for sure.

What about unusual snacks, keyring torch, popsocket for phone, enamel pins, mini smellies, patches for backpack, scratch-off travel map, mini chess set, one of the ‘solve a murder’ cases or an escape room game (EXIT do good ones), football boot charms for laces. All I can think of for now!

🤣

Do any of the video games he plays have extra content/ items you can buy? Lots of games have special outfits etc that are pretty cheap and could make good little gifts. Not great for wrapping but you could print something out.

You could do card games like Flip 7, Uno, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, That's Not A Hat etc.

If he likes travel you could try little travel guides or camping supplies.

For board games, there are lots of good crime-solving/deduction ones, or if he likes Traitors I would definitely recommend some bluffing games. One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Coup, Skull, Chameleon, Cluedo, Secret Hitler, Codenames etc.
A friend of mine recently got a small game called 14ers which I haven't played yet but he really likes and is about hiking in Colorado. Could be good if he likes travel?

@thetinsoldier failed to tag on that spends £400 per child for Christmas so the barbed It’s so money-centred - not the point of Christmas at all! seems a touch hypocritical! 😆

Do a mystery treasure hunt with a clue in each day and a small themed treat to find

Oh the effort that would involve!

@Roosthename, are you all right?

That’s the third time you’ve posted that fact on this thread. 🙄

The two things are totally separate. I can spend £400 on my teen/adult DC - £400 doesn’t go that far when you’re buying for adults - but I don’t worry about buying them 24 themed gifts to open in December, as well as their main gift. I can also think that Christmas is over-commercialised at the same time as buying gifts.

If you don’t have anything better to do than search through my other posts, then you probably need to get a life. Or at least a better hobby.

You could go with the travel theme and have:

Fun luggage tag
Sunglasses
Mini suncream
Nano travel adapter
Travel sized games - mine loved monopoly cards and mini connect 4
Top Trumps wonders of the world
Sweets from other countries
Drinks from other countries
USB C charging bracelet (saw them on Amazon, they look like a braided leather)
Scratch card with holiday/travel theme
Travel sized toiletries

To criticise the Op about spending money on this idea of hers, when you spend a lot but in a different way seems a touch rich tbh

Each to their own I say.

Would I do this 24 gift thing? No.

Would I post twatty crap about it all being so focussed about money (particular if I also spend a lot at Christmas on my children)? Never in a month of Sundays

Thanks everyone, I’m getting some great ideas to think about.
Love the scavenger hunt every day but not sure I’d be that organised, it would be an effort but maybe worth it!!
I remember buying an Easter one. And I did one for their ‘big’ joint present one year, just to get them all involved and it was fantastic.
It’s Weird how the thread has turned into a shame on you for buying gifts/Christmas is too commercial.
The reason. I do this in a way is the advent calendars for older boys are so crap and so expensive, it all goes in the bin. So trying to have fun toys/treats they’d use. It’s odd how it’s so easy for girls and not so much for boys, it’s like buying clothes!!
Any way we’re all here on a Christmas bargain/idea thread so we’re all buying. I’ve been on these threads for years and have had amazing generosity - the true spirit of Christmas - extended to me when I was trying to track down out of stock toys. I always try to give back and this is my first port of call for ideas, it’s a special place on mumsnet
I’ve not quite found a theme yet, lots of brilliant ideas but I like a theme - but I will and I’ll post it on here when I do in case it helps someone else.

Aha, I’m doing this for my DCs and my theme is weird snacks!

I would do a snack theme - gives something to open and then get rid of on the same day. To narrow it down maybe a chocolate theme, maybe to include different hot chocolate sachets and chocolate biscuits.

Wool to make those GAA plait things? My (young adult) children are leaving Mayo ones all round the house (and no, we don’t live in Ireland).

A box of (hideously sugary) cereal?

In recent years, my teenage DS has had this travel-themed mystery advent calendar:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Games-Professor-Charlies-calendar/dp/B09FFKY4S1/ref=mp_s_a_1_8_sspa?crid=2AJ5LTKFNQONB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.p7jSXZ3eZK1dUqs74x0xnKpqKe-9_N--5-Uj8OSvxwfTRGhuuEJIt9TPLr9ZxXwOznqn7R6TjC6UpJzGOau1hsPXUXZ2o67ib3T6KbumLBW2JVQfbrjRbSLzoM3nTazJOw6_WVGWW2yevCM7z0PWk8UyGyp4v4qZeMkMEjaI-MagtJ-PjTr_3gYlE2CfjyDUWewHktuTF5NPfyJDd_LjnA.x1rrJfu3AGMrGQtAOKWBMoujIP9uMNm8AmQCdXF9-gs&dib_tag=se&keywords=exit+advent+calendar&qid=1790615350&sprefix=exit+advemt+%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-8-spons&aref=wXH52CBKMk&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1

plus a couple of the Exit adventure type advent calendars - all have been very popular. He had this Exit Ice Cave one last year which may no longer be available but it looks like they’ve got some new ones to choose from this year. We got ours from our local board game/comic/trading card game shop - and were similar prices to those listed on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thames-Kosmos-Games-693206-EXIT/dp/B09C254YJB/ref=mp_s_a_1_18?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.p7jSXZ3eZK1dUqs74x0xnGUoCjS9tQ5r9GBW-s_hQOUy010-Or0jixA4j9-obYW5Vy11-gB4R7kMv9XTmwye_Yi8K_dxQRJ7O_ZIrJGjTKUzSkuqfP3WhGFQDJXkyNDW23dIIJ6UGtH11h_9IYpyw6Y1VHXFYUx7nSwNOYj0gD5ejDq7k_amGuOVrExDf-_PpfAUzaBoFklpCf0FEImQcA.AXEr7MvPoCNGEFATfQ3W7Tf2kM2oRut1P4P8DNlyqMs&dib_tag=se&keywords=exit+advent+calendar+ice+cave&qid=1790615673&sr=8-18

I would latch on to the mystery/solving idea - maybe mix with the chess.

Is there a chess set that he would like? A really special one.. then you could give him a clue/puzzle each day that he needs to solve, and in doing so he earns a new peice... by the end of the month he has a complete beautiful chess set. so it ends as a actually useful/significant present, just one that is split into 24 parts.

Donate a pound a day to different charities on his behalf

The good thing about chocolate advent calendars is that the treat gets eaten every day rather than the person ending up with a load of small-sized junk. They'd probably rather just have a decent present from the money you spend on 24 items of tiny tat. Be honest with yourself: is this more for him or for you?

This is a lesson to us all not to start a tricky tradition! It's better to do it once in a while so you don't set up expectations. But as he's now a teenager, it's a good time to vary it a bit and make life easier for yourself. Maybe it could be a 24 parts of a photo he'd have to assemble like a puzzle? Or 24 clues to one big present?

Blue & yellow stripey socks
LUFC mug
LUFC beanie
LUFC water bottle etc

But tbh, my teens are delighted with actual chocolates in the advent calendars. I set my Christmas bar very low!

I love your idea of a mystery advent calendar @Kat3L and would appreciate any recommendation you have for primary aged children (I’ve looked but am unsure). TIA

Steam voucher .
how about some promises that he can trade in, in the future … eg I ll take your turn to walk the dog or I’ll order pizza on a night of your choosing

What are you doing for your teens this Christmas @onmylastnerveseriously ?