Birthday Gift Ideas for Boys: Ages 7 to 12

Stumped on what to get your neighbor's 7-year-old-boy for his birthday? Kids these days are into comic books, cartoons, books, video games, sports, and rough housing. The following birthday gift ideas should be right up his alley.

Books

A book that challenges the young man to think about real life issues while also being immensely exciting is a great gift idea for a birthday boy aged 7 to 12. The sci-fi series that starts with the book Ender's Game is the start of an excellent series of books that will reel in both boys and girls. In Ender's Game, the best and the brightest children are recruited by an international fleet to help save the world from the alien invaders, the Buggers. The kids are sent into space where they spend the next few months preparing for battle against the Buggers. The story introduces some complex concepts that young men and women need to be considering. The series by Orson Scott Card, which won the Nebula award and Hugo award, is a must-read for all children. Another excellent series for young boys that deals with complex and important real-life issues is the Avatar series. It was also a Nickelodeon show. Another idea is to purchase the popular television series.

Game Informer Magazine Subscription

What 7-year-old doesn't love video games? For that matter, what 3-year-old doesn't? A video game subscription such as Game Informer magazine is an inexpensive birthday gift idea that will keep your boy in-the-know on the latest upcoming video games and industry news. Plus, kids love getting stuff in the mail.

Action Figures

If you know some of the films, comic books, or video games he's into, action figures are a safe and easy gift birthday idea for boys aged 7 to 12. Find cheap and rare figures at used video game, movie, or comic book stores.

Used Video Games

If you know the young man has had his eye on a particular game, a used video game is an excellent birthday gift idea. If, however, you are unsure, don't guess. Simply get him a $25 gift card to a video game store that sells a good selection of used games.

Video Game Membership

For this birthday gift idea, be sure to clear it with the parents first. While kids love playing video games, not all parents want them to. A video game membership to GameFly is a great gift idea for both parents and boys aged 7 to 12, as it will save them both a ton of money in video game rentals. GameFly works like Netflix. For less than $16 per month, the young man can rent a number of the latest video games.

Kendo Practice Swords

If he loves the Lord of the Rings trilogy, one birthday gift idea that will blow him away is a pair of Kendo practice swords that he and his buddies can use to recreate scenes from their favorite battles. Again, clear this one with the parents, as Kendo sticks can hurt and may be best for boys aged 10 and up. The sticks are best used with kitchen mitts to protect the hands.