Both of my sons are now in double digits – 10 and 13. I can hardly believe that my youngest son Sean is 10 and that my oldest son Michael is 13. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was compiling a list of birthday gift ideas for Michael’s tenth birthday. Many of the things that were popular then (video games, books, and technology) are still relevant. Below, you will find Seans’s 2017 ideas for “9 Popular Birthday Gifts for 10-Year-Old Boys”.
Nintendo Birthday Gifts for 10-Year-Old Boys
Sean goes through various “obsessions”. Right now, Nintendo is at the top of his list. That is why it’s not a surprise to me that Nintendo products captured 5 of the 9 spots!
*1. Nintendo Galaxy Style Nintendo New 3DS XL Console: This is Sean’s absolute favorite gaming system at the moment. Seriously – he randomly said, “I love it” and kissed it while riding on the subway. (Weird…but sweet!)
*2. Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS: “It’s a game where you get to create your own Mario levels. There are four level styles – Super Mario Bros., New Super Marios Bros, Super Mario Bros.3, and Super Mario World. It’s a good game and I recommend it if you like building games.” – Sean
3. Nintendo Switch: Sean has wanted this new console since we attended a preview event for it back in January. The biggest difference from the Wii U is that it is portable. It’s like a 3-in-1 gaming system. You can play it on the television or on a tabletop (like the Wii U) but you can also take it with you to play (like a DS). Back in January, I predicted that Nintendo would eventually phase out the Wii U. I hope that they don’t phase out the DS though. (Maybe Sean will get this for Christmas.) Just be aware that Wii and Wii U disks don’t work with this new system.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: This is the latest game in the popular Zelda series. I (almost literally) had to drag Sean away from playing a demo game while we were visiting the Nintendo Store in the Rockefeller Center area. The graphics are excellent and there are a lot of puzzles and challenges sprinkled throughout the game.
5. Older Nintendo Video Games: Sean used some of his own birthday money to buy 3 games – Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, Super Smash Bros, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
Everything Else
Although this year was “All Things Nintendo” for Sean personally, he also shared what the 10-year-old boys at his school want.
6. Fidget Spinners: Kids are going crazy (and driving teachers crazy!) for these toys. For more options, Cool Mom Picks has a great post called 7 of the coolest, most covetable fidget spinners.
7. More video games: Action games (like NBA 2K17) are especially desirable. Sean is thrilled that he can beat his father in this game.
8. Books: “Some kids still like books.” – Sean (Personally, I’m glad that he still does! Be sure to check back later this week when I will be hosting a giveaway of Rick Riordan’s recently released book The Trials of Apollo Book Two The Dark Prophecy.)
9. Miscellaneous Technology: Phones (which my kids don’t get until they turn 13), tablets (iPads and Sean’s “still-favorite” Ellipses), and computers are all on kids “most wanted” lists.
Sean summed up his picks by stating, “We’re a very simple generation.” (Yeah…right!)
{We received complimentary review copies of the items marked with an asterisk “*”.}
