Christmas present ideas for older boys please.

I have resorted in the past to food items, guiness book of records, warhammer, anything remote controlled, dvds, cds, something for pets, posters, maps, anything useful for Duke of Edinburgh, things linked to tv shows that they like, tennis balls and more tennis balls.

I always give that sort of age group an amazon voucher.

Have given ski gloves and ski socks in the past. You can't go wrong with Minecraft products - wallet, tee shirt or hoodie (available from Amazon); some euros to spend on skiing holiday. As stocking fillers, I've bought bundles of styluses (styli?) for use with their tablets. Batteries are also useful as stocking fillers as they are sure to need them for something or other.

Further thought: even boys who don't do much reading just love joke books which you may come to hate before Christmas is over!

Forgot the joke books!

Amazon vouchers for me as well. They often have an Amazon wish list so I just send the vouchers and let them sort it out for themselves.

I have never thought of an Amazon voucher .It would make a nice change from a cheque for my great nephews whom I rarely see. How do you get them?

Go on the Amazon website and click on gift vouchers, Greenfinch. All you then need is the e-mail address of the person you wish to send it to. If it's a child it will be the parents' address. You then enter the amount you wish to send and write a message to go with it......Simples!

I think you can also have them sent through the post but I've never done that.

PS. If you haven't used Amazon before you will need to open an account but that's easy.

Thanks "merlotgran". That doesn't sound too difficult. I will certainly try it.

Boys always need more balls! Tennis, cricket footballs etc. also shin pads and goalie gloves always go down well.

[stern] emoticon.
Two is the normal allocation for boys !

That's right Galen they spend enough time playing with just two !!

I got an Amazon gift card for a bride and groom who had been living together for 9yrs. It came in a little box with a ribbon bow. You can choose your packaging at no extra cost.

You gransnetters are a ruder lot than I was expecting! <stern look emotion>

I do Amazon vouchers too but print them off so I can give them to the recipients with a nice card for birthday/Christmas. Much easier and they enjoy choosing something they really want. I also get one or two small gifts so they have a parcel to open. My DGC are 13,12, 9 and 9.

I would always choose Bank of England tokens, accepted everywhere and do not expire.
If you search Ebay for "Money Gift Cards Designed to Hold Cash" you will find some suitable cards. Our village card shop has them.
You never know, they might use some of these tokens to buy their Mum some flowers. (Another pig flies past)

Thanks for your replies. I give money for the main presents, it is cheapish items to open on the day that I need. The balls idea suggested shuttlecocks to me (they do play badminton)!

this might go down well

Grandson was glad of this when on school holiday in Belgium. Used the 10 euros I had put inside to buy a fish and chip supper.

capsule

6 capsules bought! Thanks Jingl, I shall put a fiver in each. I found some non-scouting ones on eBay for £1.72 each. An alternative suggested use is for Viagra!!! Puts a new slant on 'be prepared'!

That is so funny!

LOL, in my youth, be prepared would have been a condom, now I need the viarga. Both would fit.

Those capsules look excellent, perfect for DS's weekends under canvas. I shall probably get him one of those torches too, he gets a new one every year because he most year he loses or lends one out and never gets it back. The most popular one though was the head torch

www.amazon.co.uk/Red-LED-Multiposition-Adjustable-Lightweight/dp/B00AYXG3E0

as it has red light for night vision when he is camping with the other reservists and they have to sneak up on each other in the dark.

Bank of England tokens...oh dear took me a while to get that one!