Shopping for ten-year-old boys is a feat in itself. However, gift selection can be made easier if one is aware of the interests and developmental milestones specific to this age group.
According to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, there are certain developmental indicators for boys between nine and 10 years. Just entering the preteen years, a ten-year-old boy tends not only to do more abstract thinking and reasoning, but is also becoming more conscious of fairness and may be particularly sensitive to the issues of self-esteem and self-acceptance. Many are in the process of becoming aware of their own failures and mistakes and taking responsibility for them.
Gifts that enhance a ten-year-old boy's brain development through problem solving strategies and creative thinking as well as develop his view of right and wrong can do much to nurture his sense of confidence.
Here is a list of gift ideas in sync with the developmental milestones boys this age.
Story Cubes by Gamewright Promote Creativity and Problem Solving Skills
Winner of several awards, Rory's Story Cubes are simple, portable and inexhaustible in play and opportunities.The process is fairly simple. By rolling the dice, one can use the pictures that surface to build a story. There are nine dice, but thousands upon thousands of of possible stories.
Each dice has an image on six sides, totally 54 different Lmages. With every roll, there are a million different combinations that can be used. The whole activity is challenging in a fun way, promoting problem-solving skills, literacy skills, creative thinking strategies and self-esteem.
The greatest advantage about Rory's Story Cubes is that they are durable and small enough to be portable. They are also available as applications for iPhones and iPod Touch. This means that parents can definitely be part of the play process. What a wonderful way that would be to enhance family time!
Stratego by Hasbro is a Workout for the Brain
Stratego is a classic plan and conquer board game. Two armies confront each other for dominance; the winner is not the one with the most brawn,but the most brain. The rank and file are not simply soldiers, but wizards, beast riders, wolf scouts and other magical and mystical beings that have their own unique powers.
To win, each side must collect sufficient information to determine the opponent's identity, estimate the pattern and size of the enemy's forces and trick the opponent into attacking the wrong target – a lot of brain work that will keep the players excited, creative and in focus.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Questions the Meaning of Right and Wrong When Confronting the Issue of Life and Death
Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, published by Simon and Schuster in 2007, is an engaging story about a teenager named Brian who survived alone for 54 days in the Canadian wilderness. He was on his way to visit his father when the pilot suffered a heart attack in mid-flight and the Cessna plunged into a lake. Brian managed to escape from the wreckage. However, he had to begin from scratch again as he learned the basics of survival – how to make a fire, build a shelter, fish and hunt for food.
He lived through several incidents including attacks from animals in the wild, a tornado, losing his hatchet (his survival tool) in the water and confronting the moral dilemma of telling his father about what he perceived to be his mother's infidelity. By the end of the novel, it is clear to the reader that Brian was no longer the boy he once was, a boy who saw things in terms of black and white. He had grown into a more sensitive and nuanced young man.
The Boy Who Could Fly by James Norcliffe Questions What it Means to be Human
This story is about an orphan named Michael who lived in an orphanage surrounded by a thick wall. All he wanted to do was escape from the confines of his prison. He met the strange, mystical Loblolly boy who taught him how to fly. They exchanged identities and Michael flew out of the orphanage towards what he perceived to be freedom.
Soon, Michael discovered that there were drawbacks to being the Loblolly boy. Not truly human, the Loblolly boy could not eat; he had no sense of warmth or cold and because only certain people could see him, he was trapped in isolation. The novel brings the reader through Michael's journey during which he/she considers what it means to be human and what one needs to sacrifice or give up to remain human.
The Zipfy Miniluge Provides an Intense and Exhilating Physical Workout
For snow-loving ten-year-old boys, the Zipfy Miniluge is a must. It takes snow sledding to a whole new level. Although this miniluge can speed downhill like a demon, the sledder never loses control because his feet and hands are in front ( which is not the case with snow sleds and tobaggons) and he can steer the miniluge with a joystick type of handle.He can feel the speed without being overwhelmed by it. Light and portable, the Zipfy Miniluge is a perfect way for ten-year-old boys to get an intense and exhilarating workout in the snow.
Christmas and birthdays for ten-year-old boys will be much less of a hassle if one has in hand a list of gifts that promote much fun, excitement and brain development.
Mary Desaulniers - I am a retired teacher and grandmother looking forward to the next 30 or more years with great relish and enthusiasm. My passions are ...
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