Ten Great Gifts for Boys Ages 8 to 12 Under $50

Gifts for boys ages 8 through 12 for $50 and Under are probably some of the most popular this holiday season. $50 is the approximate amount that most retailers price new game releases, and it is also the price of some of the top toys this season. When shopping for a young boy between the ages of eight and twelve, you are dealing with an individual who is no longer a little kid, but not quite a teenager. The most popular toys for boys this age are videogames, electronics, and ride-ons. Here are ten great gifts for boys age eight to twelve for under $50.

Giga Ball by Kids Kraze comes in two variations the four foot size retails for around $49. This amusing toy holds up to 150 lbs, and looks like a honeycomb or a dog toy. You inflate this round contraption and kids can climb around in it, play on it, and literally expend lots of energy being rowdy with it. (If you have a heavy wallet or lots of room in your yard, the Mega Giga Ball is about $180 and is six foot in diameter.) If you're going to buy the Giga Ball, be sure to pick up an air pump too unless you want to pass out from inflating giant beach ball.

Tekno the Robotic Puppy is a dog that hit the store shelves in 2000, but he's gone through an upgrade. No longer is he silver and silly. Well, you can buy them silver or white or black, but now instead of difficult programmed learning, Tekno can now express himself better, and he's got a sleek new design to boot. Tekno uses a remote control and requires two types of batteries.

Lazer Tag came to us in the 1980's, and few can forget the black rifles and pistols with red stripes. Nowadays, Lazer tag has gone through a lot of changes. Guns are much more futuristic and lasers are quite a deal more accurate. The Lazer tag Team Ops Deluxe 2-Player System is wireless, and comes with two pair of Heads Up Display unit goggles where you can see gameplay feedback. The set has enough equipment for two players and requires a dozen "AA" batteries.

Zizzle iZ Interactive Animatronic Music Maker is a weird musical toy that you can plug into a music source like an iPod or Mp3 player. He talks in both English and some kind of garbled language. Zizzle iZ does weird things while you listen to tunes like bouncing his eyes and chatting. He takes 4 "AA" batteries and is a little under 11" tall.

Geomag or Supermag are both magnet and rod building toys, which vary in price from the $20 to $50 range. Supermag is also a rod and magnet set. These sets are a little more creative than Geomag because they include bent bars of varying lengths, varying sphere sizes, and add-ons like wheels.

Gear Building Sets like TechnoGears, M-Gears, or Gears! Gears! Gears! are all based on the engineering principle of using gears to create mazes, towers, and mechanical toys. M-Gears has a motorized set for about $43 that comes with 350 pieces including a motor. You can build a tank, robot, or car and actually watch it go. Gears! Gears! Gears! is a $20 - $30 srp 82-piece set of building toys that connect with each other to make towers of stackable gears. They are not exactly to create moving toys. Techno Gears Marble Mania is a wonderful maze-creation set that requires one "AA" battery. Its 215 pieces include channels, mills, a pendulum, plenty of gears, a motor, a funnel, and tons of support pieces. It retails around $32.

Line Chaserz is the name of a popular toy advertised on television. For $8 - $30 you can buy sets or accessories for these interactive autos. Line Chaserz require the use of a special erasable marker to follow a line drawn on the included mat. Props and removable interchangeable car Chassis sets make Line Chaserz even more fun.

Lego Sets are classic toys in a variety of themes and styles. From pirate themes to Star Wars, Lego building blocks are timeless toys that offer endless opportunities for fun. The price range for Lego can vary from around $6 to over $100. Most sets retail for around $50.

The Disney Chrome MP3 player is literally flying off shelves. At $40-$60, Disney's Chrome MP3 player is sleek, stylish, and simple with room for about 100 songs. You can also buy a memory upgrade. It has earbuds and a USB connector as well as easy to understand software for easy loading.

Solaro Solar Powered Model kits run about $50. With the kit, your child can make seven different types of vehicles that run on solar power. With its 32 page manual, your child will learn through assembling the models and trying out the different methods of using the solar power.

Eight to twelve year olds enjoy hands-on toys like building sets and electronics. If you're still stumped, consider buying a gift certificate or gift card to a toy store. Happy Holidays!