Boys and girls, get ready to put on your party hats and blow up your balloons, because we have a great birthday party ahead! Today we celebrate the ninth year of a young party animal who charms us all with boundless energy and uncontainable enthusiasm. This kid is a year older and a year wiser, and we are confident that this year will be even better than the last! Before the party really gets started, it’s time to open presents. What have you bought for him?
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Developmental Phase of a 9-Year-Old Boy
Hopefully the party hasn’t really started yet, and you still have time to get a fantastic gift for the child. Because we want to make sure you buy a gift that suits his age, we’ll first tell you a bit about the developmental phase of a 9-year-old boy. Curious? Read on!
Girls? Yuck! At least, if the rest of the boys in the class think so too. That’s how it goes at that age. Boys and girls are starting to drift apart, but they secretly find each other interesting. Before you know it, he’s in love and has his first girlfriend. A girlfriend who is surrounded by her giggling friends when he walks by. The logic of a 9-year-old is not always present, but it does create fun situations. What also creates fun situations for outsiders is the physical growth the boy goes through. Many boys of this age grow in height and weight but gradually fall behind the girls of their age. In any case, it could be that certain hormones start to work, and the boy shows some signs of puberty.
Cognitively, there will also be a lot of changes. Interests change and skills improve. School is interesting but also actually quite tiring and usually boring. Because why should you do math when you can just ‘mess around’ outside all day? Well, try explaining that to him, because it’s harder than you think. A 9-year-old boy finds himself extremely independent and doesn’t really need to listen to what his parents have to say. However, when it comes down to it, they are still the ones who need to help him. Parents are often the ‘victim’ of countless questions about the world. Such a boy gradually discovers what is happening in the world and can feel quite threatened by it. So, some (unsolicited) advice: as parents, be patient, consistent, empathetic, authoritative, loving, and provide protection.
Dont’s (Types of Gifts Not to Buy for a 9-Year-Old Boy)
It’s absolutely not advisable to give a 9-year-old something that is not suitable for his age, such as violent video games, explicit content, or dangerous items. A 9-year-old boy might come across as very wise, but he certainly is not. He is a child with many naive traits and is sometimes unaware of the danger in some things. At the same time, you shouldn’t keep him away from danger either. So, let’s say your child loves cooking. You can teach him to cut with a sharp, large knife, but also make it clear that he should not do this without adult supervision and should not walk around with it. In other words, immerse yourself in the world of a 9-year-old while keeping your adult perspective ready to assess certain gifts.
What Is a Suitable Budget for This Age?
Based on the following budgets, you can get an idea of what gifts you can buy for this 9-year-old boy. Read it carefully, determine if the budget suits your wallet, and purchase the gift soon.
- Parents/ caregivers: £50.00 to …
Maybe it’s time for a new bike, perhaps his bedroom needs an upgrade, or you can make him happy with a shirt from his favorite football club. You decide what makes him happy these days! - Immediate family members (uncles, aunts, grandparents): £10.00 to £25.00
Average amounts for a boy of average age. - Neighbors/ acquaintances: £10.00
Life may be expensive, but for ten pounds, you can still buy many gifts that a 9-year-old boy will be very happy with. - Friends: £5.00
Maybe your 9-year-old boy is still willing to have a party for boys and girls, maybe not. Either way, he can expect enough gifts worth about five pounds.
Further Tips
Finally, we’d like to give a few more tips for buying gifts for the 9-year-old ball of energy. The first tip is to show interest in his world. Fortnite or ‘famous YouTubers’ might not interest you, but they do interest him. If you secretly pay attention and buy a related gift, his jaw will drop in amazement. Because, ‘how do you know what he likes so much?’ It’s not like you sit next to him on the couch every day watching a vlog from his YouTuber on his tablet with headphones on, right?
1. Football
You still see him standing there with his football in his hands when he had just turned four years old. The ball was actually way too big then, and he could barely hit it properly with his foot. Meanwhile, the boy has grown a lot and is almost 9 years old. Is it time for a new football? We think so, right? Buy a football from his favorite football club or take him to the store to choose the ball himself. He can ‘feel’ and try it out right away, because that will undoubtedly be part of it in his head (we don’t understand football at all). Anyway, he undoubtedly knows what he is looking for, what he wants, and why. Maybe buy a football pump as well, so he can ‘maintain’ the ball when needed. A guaranteed success (if the boy likes football, of course).
2. Lego
When you’re 9, Lego is indeed fun. In fact, even many adults find Lego fun. If you buy the right set, you will see the creation stand for years to come. At some point, the boy will be done ‘playing’, but you can bet that the Star Wars Battleship will have a prominent place in his room for years. Although it is quite a dust magnet in that regard, don’t you really want nothing more than lasting enthusiasm for ‘toys’? Keep the 9-year-old boy young for as long as possible, because before you know it, he will be on the verge of going to college and will move out faster than you think.
3. Tablet
Maybe a personal smartphone is still a bit much at this age, but to let him play along with what other peers do, a tablet is a good alternative. He can download the games his friends play and watch his favorite videos on YouTube every day whenever he wants. At least without needing his parents’ or older siblings’ phone/tablet/computer. You give him a bit of responsibility to handle it carefully, but you need to be clear about the tablet’s use. When and for how long can he use it, what can he look up and download, and is it too much to ask if another family member borrows the tablet for a while? Sharing is caring, also applies to everything electronic.
4. Robots
With a small eye on the future, it might be fun to buy a robot in some form. Who knows what the future will bring? Perhaps the 9-year-old boy will be 50 years old and be driven to work by his robot car. Or his breakfast is ready at exactly 7:30 a.m. because he set the robot that way. He will be glad he got to know these fantastic devices in his youth. At least, if you can still call it a ‘device’. Anyway, keep it simple for now and buy something that is already ready-made. This way, you prevent something from going wrong and almost guarantee some form of immediate playtime fun.
5. Board Games
It sounds old-fashioned, but it’s not at all! How fun is it to play a board game with a few friends or the family? We still remember having a game night every weekend. Not because we had to, but because it was a moment the whole family looked forward to all week. Cozy with a bowl of chips, a soft drink, and some background music drowned out by all the excitement, it seems like a perfect gift for the 9-year-old boy. Because as fun as it is to play games online, nothing beats a round of Monopoly or Ticket to Ride. And yes, there are many more fun board games than the perhaps old-fashioned games you know to be existing.
6. Walkie Talkies
Want to take playing with a friend to the next level? Consider giving a walkie talkie as a gift. These radios allow them to communicate with each other at a distance. One keeps watch to see if another friend is coming. If that other friend is indeed coming, the 9-year-old boy knows to be ready to give him a good scare or pull another fun prank. Ah, the imagination of what they can do with this toy will undoubtedly arise during play. In any case, it’s a good incentive to play differently than usual.
7. Scooter
Instead of having to ride the non-electric bike to school every day (you can’t use an electric one), it might be a fun alternative to ride your electric scooter to school. You can maneuver in a cool way among all the other cyclists because, yes, you have to ride on the road. So, that will indeed be a wish of a 9-year-old boy. However, an electric scooter is quite expensive, and you could agree that he must first show that he will use a ‘normal’ scooter enough. It would be a shame if the electric scooter starts gathering dust in the shed after a month. You give the 9-year-old boy a bit of responsibility, which he probably craves at this age.
8. Magic Set
Hobbies should be supported. Before you know it, the only hobbies the boy has are ‘going to the gym’ and ‘gaming with friends’. At least you can hold on to the time when he was 9 years old and completely enchanted by magic. The magic that you made even more fun for him by buying that new magic set. Anyway, get ready for many moments where you are the audience of his magic show. Card tricks, a rabbit out of the hat, a coin disappearing in his hand, a rose appearing from his sleeve, a cloth that… Hello? Are you still there? You have to pay attention, right (wink)!
9. Remote Control Car
A remote control car as a gift is always a good idea. You give the boy a reason to go outside; it’s not as ‘childish’ as a non-remote control car, and he can proudly show it to all his friends. Of course, remote control cars come in various shapes and sizes, so see if you can find out something about his interests. For example, if he is a huge Formula 1 fan, you naturally want to see Max Verstappen’s or Charles Leclerc’s car zoom down the street in miniature form. Does he have more of an interest in the sporty cars that his favorite YouTubers drive? See if you can buy something like that.
10. Nintendo Switch (Games)
It may be an extra screen, but it’s a screen on which only child-friendly games can be played. Think of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing. If your child already has a Switch, you could just invest in a game. If not, you might consider going for a Switch Lite, as it sometimes comes with a free game. A win-win situation. Don’t feel obligated to buy such a big gift; you could also choose to give this as a gift from both parents and grandparents. The boy probably prefers such a cool expensive gift over a bunch of things he can’t really use. Well, you know this 9-year-old best, so you undoubtedly know if this could be something for him or not.
