Holiday Gift Guide 2014 for Tween Boys

Hi, I’m Anne-Marie O’Neill, the General Manager of mom.me, and these are my 9-year-olds, Milo and Finn. (Yep, they’re actually twins.) The best thing about shopping for these guys is that they’re far less focused on accumulating stuff than in years past. I like to think it’s the demise of materialism. A more likely reason? They have all the broken plastic toys a boy could ever need. Either way, they had no idea what to put on their holiday lists. So we trawled the web together to come up with this list. Now, of course, they want everything on it!

MORE: Don't forget to check out all our editors' gift guides! Maura (pregnancy/newborn), Esther (baby, toddler), Andie (baby, big kid), Laura (toddler, big kid), Cerentha (tween girl and boy), April (big kid boy and girl), Madeline (big kid, tween and teen), Angelica (mom), Olivia (teen girl) and Jen (dad)

My guys haven’t started skateboarding yet, but they want to. So I figured I’d show some street cred by setting them up with this re-issue of a 1986 design by artist and skateboarding legend Mark “Gonz” Gonzalez. And of course, I’ll throw in some padding and a helmet. They’ll be stoked—and I’ll at least feel some comfort that they’re safe.

To buy: (1) Vision GONZ Skateboard, $100; (2) Triple 8 Brainsaver Helmet, $34; (3) Triple 8 Saver Series, $29.

Here’s an idea I can get behind: making something useful out ofthose old broken crayons lying around the house. With Crayola’s Melt-N-Mold Factory,kids can transform their old drawing tools into rings, spinning tops and othershapes. The toy is labeled for age 6 and up, but older kids like mine get anostalgic kick out of crayons, and they’ll also be better at manipulating thewax—and waiting for 10 minutes while it melts. The kit includes two molds butmore can be purchased separately for around $4 each.

To buy: Crayola Melt ‘N Mold Factory, $35.

Not only is this colorful timepiece super-cool, it’s also good for the planet. A solar panel inside the waterproof rim makes batteries unnecessary—reducing toxic landfill. Just one hour of sunlight will keep the watch ticking for three months—something my kids are eager to test. Plus, a portion of the purchase price goes to Table for Two, a non-profit that delivers school meals to children in Africa and Asia.

To buy: Q&Q SmileSolar Watch, $40.

We gave in to iPods at the last birthday. The boys love accessorizing their distract-a-nators with add-ons like this Balloon Speaker by Yuen’to Design. It comes in five colors, plugs into any MP3 player and recharges with a USB connection for four hours of playing time. They also like this cardboard Smartphone Projector because it throws your phone’s image up onto the wall, and you get to build it yourself. But their

hands-down favorite is the Battery Buddy, a cute little power source that can fully recharge a smartphone or MP3 player five times before requiring a charge itself.

To buy: (1) Balloon Speaker, $45; (2) Smartphone Projector, $27; (3) Battery Buddy, $50.

What’s better than a remote-control toy? A remote-control vehicle that you built yourself. My budding engineers (a mom can hope) are looking forward to building 10 different machines—from a bulldozer to a robotic arm—with the three motors and 182 building pieces in this detailed kit. An infrared remote control allows three creations to move at a time. Consider this one for the girls too: The world needs more women engineers!

To buy: Thames & Kosmos Remote Control Machines, $65.

Blame The Hunger Games, is all I can say. Apparently blasting the business out of your pals in the backyard isn’t enough. The latest must-have toy of the season, according to my boys, uses a bow action to spit out those foam Nerf bullets. (Uh, Nerf? Universal Mom Request: Could you please use the same bullets in at least a few of your weapons? The ones I trip over in the basement never seem to be the right fit for the gun at hand. And believe me, we have an arsenal down there.)

To buy: Nerf Mega ThunderBow Blaster, $36.

An addictive literary series really is the gift that keeps on giving. Milo and Finn are almost through the Harry Potter books, so we’re looking for the next big thing. They weren’t always bookworms, but before Harry, it was the Wimpy Kid series that got them hooked (eternally grateful, Jeff Kinney!). I’m banking on one of these sets to keep up the momentum.

To buy: (1) J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set, $22; (2) Percy Jackson, 5-Book Boxed Set, $22; (3) Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set, $31; (4) The 9th Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, $8.

We’re remodeling our house right now, and I’ve discovered that sporty and tasteful don’t always mix. But these stick-on wall decals—which come in a variety of flavors—from football to basketball to skiing—will keep kids happy without ruining your paint job or décor.

To buy: Vinyl Wall Accents, $28 – $59.

Here’s one we came up with for other kids. (You know, the ones that can paint and draw.) Tweens love to feel all grown up. If your child is into painting or drawing, then a gift of professional-grade supplies will go a long way towards making him feel like a true artist. It might also fuel his passion through the awkward years when video games, hanging at the mall, and other kid-anointed “cool” pursuits compete.

To buy: (1) All Media Art Set, $50; (2) French Style Wood Easel, $56.

Without a doubt, the best gift ever introduced to our household was our dog, a rescue pup named Ozzie. Now, all pet adoption charities do warn that the period after the holidays is when most unwanted pets are abandoned. So before committing to a pet, be absolutely sure that your family is ready. Then, go for it! There’s no greater delight than the look on a child’s face when he meets his New Best Friend.

To adopt: Find your nearest adoption resource here</a>; upfront cost, free - $300.

To buy: Kate Spade scarf, $148; Missoni umbrella, $92; Calypso, St. Barth necklace, $225; Sugar Paper Cards, $20 for 6; Urban Decay Naked palette, $54.