Present for 9 year old boy?

A puppy! Just kidding..

GS is 8 and loves the lego sets that make vehicles or spaceships. He's surprisingly adept at assembling them unaided.

Your DGS and everyone around will have great fun with

Stretch Armstrong

DGS has the larger one, around 10 inches tall but there is a small one that's about the size of the He-man figures.

Well that is definitely frivolous!!!

A build your own robot kit. There are lots on Amazon.

You can’t go wrong with Lego, Starwars Lego or Ninjago Lego ( I love making it too!)
Transformers are making a comeback also.

Yup, I was just going to suggest Lego myself- I just bought a Lego Darth Vader model to put away for when GS is older. I think it originally retailed at £14.99 and I got it half price - the box said age 7-14 years.

Do you think he might like K'Nex? It's a building system, but different to Lego or Meccano. GS is ten and he seems to like it, though I have to admit his first love is Lego. I said to him the other day "I like your new Lego bedroom carpet!" He said "I haven't got a new bedroom carpet". "Ah, I see", said I. "It's just loads of bits of Lego on the old carpet!" He didn't seem to think it was as funny as I did ?.

If he is a bit of a boffin he might enjoy making his own slime, you can google the ingredients which are very simple and not too horrendously expensive.

Greyduster we have two big boxes of K'Nex in the loft my two loved it when young. Sadly I can't see GC having it now.

I have a similar problem, finding a Christmas present forr a 9 year old boy, my youngest grandchild. He isn`t interested in the usual toys and games, isn`t a reader, his only real interest is his Playstation. Trouble is, I only have a certain amount to spend, and those games come in quite small packages, to a child it doesn`t seem very much. My son always says get him a game when I ask. He gets lots of toys every year, then a few months later they`re on Ebay, unopened.

I would give him a promise of a day at an amusement park - to be redeemed, say, in the Easter holidays, when the weather gets better. Something for him to look forward to. If he can't wait, then some indoor activity like go-karting or indoor climbing (on ropes, walls, boulders, etc). These should be well supervised, so you don't have to be an expert yourself. Incorporated with a picnic with fun food à la Famous Five, or Hogwarts.

Lots of great ideas - thanks. I went for the Stretch Armstrong - suitable silly!

None of my GC play with lego - I wonder why not?

Lucky I'm so pleased with your decision, was about to offer to pay for Stretch to prove how much fun he is!

I was with DGS in Peter Jones and he insisted on buying this thing - a big heavy blob of gel-filled wrestler (my sister is amazed that I'd never heard of him). When we got home I've never laughed so much as DGS and I stretched and contorted him, particularly as he has these painted on skimpy speedos!

I am looking forward to lots of good clean fun! I am hoping it will be an antidote to his intellectual pursuits!

cinema tickets for two so he can go see a favourite film with a friend.

My 11yr old GS is still obsessed with anything remote controlled car/boat/off road, and has been for the last few years. He loves lego, airplanes and his Xbox.

callgirl, I would go for a treat - a day out doing something with you, or with one of his parents

Lisalou, it wouldn`t work, firstly, I`m not capable of taking him out anywhere, wish I could, and secondly his parents aren`t tuned in to anything that`s remotely the sort of thing children do. He`s an only child, born after they`d been together for 20 years, and they actively encourage him to play on computers or his PS4, then they don`t have to amuse him themselves. It saddens me. He only comes into contact with other children at school.

At what age can you start giving them money to choose their own presents? I have a grandson who will be nine next birthday, and it seems to me he already has everything. His parents don’t spoil him, but he has a lot of relations so gets a lot of presents. He’s been everywhere as well, and in any case like callgirl1 I”m not capable of taking him anywhere. It’s impossible, a real problem.

As a rule of thumb, I might give children money for the first time when they are 11. This tends to be the time in their lives when I start to struggle with knowing what to buy for them.

My 9 yr old GS chose a garage from Hot Rods. He and his younger sister p,aged with it all summer. I also bought him the board game Labyrinth which has become a firm family favourite, suitable for ages 5-95.
As a frivolous gift I once bought him a pickled snake in a jar and it is a prize possesion

Lucky did your grandson like Stretch Armstrong?

I've just read that it's one of the 'must-haves' this Christmas - could become a collectors item!

A kite, an easy one with the promise of a much more challenging one when he is ready. Lots of boffin stuff about wind speed, wind direction, weather conditions etc and out and about at the same time.