What Do 5Th Grade Boys Like??

Hi J.
I teach fifth grade and, if you were looking for a book as a gift my kids have gone crazy over the "diary of a Wimpy Kid" books (I know someone else mentioned them also) and "City of Ember" (there is NOTHING inappropriate in it - a risk in some "big kid" books). If you do a book maybe some hot chocolate and popcorn for reading on a winter evening.

I know that the skate board things that have been mentioned are popular (I for get the name) and Bakugan (prob. spelled that wrong) balls. They look like a little ball and then they open up when placed on metal.

I think that gift cards are also great. THey do like having choices and feel very rch to go to the sotre with their own money.

Good luck!

Hi J.,
I have a 5th grade son and he likes the book series "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" he also liked the book "The Kid Who Ran for President" and I believe those books were all in the $5-$10 range. If this boy is a reading buddy he probably enjoys reading so I suggest get him a book or a gift card to the local book store.---M.

My 5th grader loves bionicles and legos. Both help with the imagination an involve building things. My son also has the free subscription to the lego magazine and eagerly awaits it every two months. Hope this helps.

L.

This is not B. it is her 5th grade son. I have 2 ideas of a present for the reading buddy: Tech Decks, witch are these little mini skateboards that you skate on with your fingers. they are very much fun I enjoy and collect them. The other idea I had was Fishing supplies (if he likes fishing) tech decks are about 2 or 3 bucks for one and to get a pack of 4 tech decks it's about 10 bucks. you can also get little tech deck skate parks. I have one it's a lot of fun. fishing stuff can be anywhere from 50 cents to 200 dollers!
Doug

Hi J.! I have a son in 5th grade and what he likes right now are the Tech Deck skateboards. They are matchbox size skateboards that you work with your fingers. You can buy ramps for them, etc. Some come in a little set with extra wheels you can change on the board. It seems like its the big thing right now. You can find them at Target and probably at Meijer too. He still likes matchbox size cars/trucks yet too, especially his snowmobile right now. Gift cards always work too!!:) Hope this helps! Hope you have a great week and a wonderful Christmas!

Blessings, B. Hooyer
Usana Health Sciences
bhooyer.usana.com

I didn't read anybody's responses except for the first one I came across, Gina. I think her idea is perfect. It's a reading buddy...so go with the gift card to a book store.

I agree with Linda, I raised boys and they all have different likes and dislikes but they all have some hobby or interest. My boys at that age loved lego sets, just an idea. Sometimes a few pointed questions can help you find out where his heart is.

S.

My husband works with 5th grade boys and they love anything to do with video games and sports at this age. Practical joke items are also a big fan like zapping pens or guns. They get a big kick out of that! As long as it's safe of course. :)

What about 'reading type things'...such as a bag full of small things...a reading light/clip, cool boys bookmark, GC to a bookstore, some candy/crackers to munch on while reading...

~L.

Anything Star Wars Clone Wars

My son is in 5th grade and for his bday one of his friends bought him a "movie pack" it was a gift bag, in it was some microwave popcorn, some candy, and a ten dollar gift card to Family Video! He loved it, and I thought it was a great idea!!

Good Luck!

Shelly

For Reading Buddies, I have always gotten them Border's gift cards...

Art sets are always nice. Transformers are the big rage right now, tooo!

I would recommend doing a gift card to a toy store or a place like Meijer's or Target. That way it is small enough not to draw a lot of attention when it is given and the reading buddy can get what he would like. I know my daughters Charter School does reading buddies, where all the older kids have to buddy up with a child in a younger grade (I think it's 5 & 6 grade paired up with K & 1 grade) - regardless of if they like to read or not. You may also want to check with the school to see if there are any rules regarding giving gifts to other students. I know that we can't hand out birthday party invitations at school unless we're inviting the entire class.

If he is a reading buddy why not buy him a gift card for Borders?? Or a magazine subscription?
Barb

It would be helpful to ask your son what he knows about this boy. If it's a typical dynamic, your son is probably fascinated by the lad and probably knows a great deal about him which will lead you more effectively toward a gift that would matter to this particularly boy rather than some generic 'normal' 5th grade boy.

I've known 5th grade boys who love reading, who hate reading, who love computers, who are bored by computers, who are fascinated by dinosaurs and who think they're dull. They're as individual as we are...

When you know something about him, you can take a look around for interesting things related to him, personally. For example, if he loves his Wii, and has lots of games, a Wii game travel or storage case would be inexpensive. If he likes movies, a gift certificate with enough for a snack at the same time would be about $15. If he's interested in food, one of the better children's cookbooks might fit the budget (try to avoid the ones using hotdogs in a whole section, they're never really about cooking, just assembly)... if he's a Scout, perhaps something about survival camping, or some funky piece of camp equipment (a small hand-pumped water purifier, or a small safety light on a zipper clip...

Really, the better you know him, the more unique and 'him' the gift can be.

Well, since they are reading buddies, maybe a gift card for a book store....

dana

I have a 9 year old who is asking for the Guiness Book 2009. He loves to look at all the pictures and fun facts. He actually reads an older version every night before bed. He got this one at the Library at school and I am sure it is past due by now. You can get a nice hard cover copy at Sams Club for a good price.

Is he sports-oriented? a basketball, soccer ball or g.c. to MC Sports would work.
Is he video game oriented? a g.c. to blockbuster would work.
My son is in 7th grade and these ideas worked for him.
Good luck,
Yo

Any of the "chiller" books. Hand held gadgets, video games, hacky sack, candy, magazine (kids sports illustrated), movie pass/rentals, hat (baseball) or how about gift card to barnes and nobles. Good luck!

Since he is a reading buddy a magazine subscription (Sports Illustrated for Kids, or Field and Stream) depending on his interest would be an idea. Lego sets are always a hit. Food is always a way to a boys heart to fill in with as well!!

I am a mom to a 5th grade boy and I know what he likes now is the ability to make his own choices with his money. Therefore, I would suggest getting this boy a gift card to maybe, Target or GameStop, or somewhere similar. I know it seems kind of impersonal but my son got a few for his 10th birthday in October and he loves to be able to go shopping with his own money. $15 is still a lot of money to a 10-year old! Good luck!

J.,
I have 5 boys, one of whom is a 5th grader this year. For Christmas we got them all a flashlight that you crank up to give it the power to light up. It takes no batteries. They were about $10.00.

It has been my experience that most all boys love gadgets and also flashlights. It is also something novel yet practical. The ones we bought we found in the hunting/camping/sporting goods section at the store. Good luck and I hope this helped.

J. ~
Since the boy is his reading buddy, why not a book or a gift card to a book store?
D.

Hi J. - My son is 10 and here are a few things on his Christmas list to give you an idea: books (the Michigan Chiller series books he loves), games for his DS (some of which you can find around $15), movies (he likes Indiana Jones series and other exciting movies similar to that), sports jerseys of his favorite players, board games like Pictionary Man, Clue.
Find out what other interests he has (besides reading of course) and see what you can find - maybe he likes to draw, so a sketch book and some charcoal pencils would be around $10. Books would be a great idea or a gift certificate to a nearby book store.
Good Luck!
P.

I know it's not personal, but how about a visa or mastercard gift card..OR a gift card to game stop (or some other type of gaming store)? (Assuming they enjoy video games)

They have a variety of interests that tend to circle around video games. Those, however, are expensive!

I would suggest a great book (reading buddy)! We loved the Kingdom Series. They parable the old testament in midevil times. (excuse my spelling ~ it is early)

The Narnia books are also great.

If you want to stay away from Christian themes, maybe Lemony Snickett?

Have fun!

S.

PS: if you shop thru www.marketamerica.com/thevoiceoftruth you can earn points towards free stuff (no charge) and you can compare prices easily!

I'd suggest a gift certificate to a bookstore. Certainly fits with the reading he's doing w/your son.