Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Holiday gift suggestion thread

Yeah, I didn't realize how expensive Mindstorms is! That's certainly a no for us for now. Technics looks like it could be fun, though. Can someone explain a bit more about Snap Circuits? Do you make recognizable "things" or is it more exploratory of effects?

He has this and REALLY likes it. I wonder if I should get some more of this stuff. http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Gears-Oogly-Googly/dp/B00000IVN7

Small digital cameras with manual settings tend to be more expensive than normal point and shoot cameras, where it might make more sense to just buy a cheap SLR anyway (unless one wants to trade higher expense and lesser functionality for smaller size, of course). Smaller fixed-lens cameras with some manual settings typically don't offer as much photographic capability as even the most basic SLR, even aside from the lack of interchangeable lenses-- in terms of settings, image quality, depth of field control, major ergonomics differences including the viewfinder and grip, etc., differences which you may already have thought about.

But if you're looking for just a rugged little fixed-lens camera, you might like this search engine at dpreview.com, where I found plenty of rugged cameras. You might also have luck finding a great deal by including discontinued models in your search, which I didn't do at DPReview. This refurbished Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 seems to offer a lot of toughness for a decent price, though-- I found that one by googling for reviews of tough cameras. You might also consider buying a cheap digital camera on a really great sale (closeouts can go quite low these days if you troll the deal sites such as FatWallet) and seeing if you can find a protective skin for it.

The spouse and I gave an older Canon DSLR, a 30D, to DS7 and he has greatly enjoyed using it. You can sometimes find like-new or even new DSLR bodies for under $200, which of course is still a lot of money for a camera that will need accessories, relative to cheaper point and shoot cameras anyway. His first lens was a cheapo 50mm prime, total value of everything well under $300. I was worried at first that he wouldn't take good care of it, but he's been very careful. He's also learned a lot more about photography than with his old point and shoot.

Well, I think her image quality is going to be plenty good enough without an SLR. Getty bought a bunch of my pictures off Flickr recently, and I don't have an SLR. (I have a Canon S90, which is a nice digicam, I'll grant you.) I just don't see her lugging around an SLR--or ME lugging around it around, more accurately! Anyway, I think she has plenty to learn on the presets before going to manual, if she ever does.

That Olympus looks pretty good--that's the sort of thing I was thinking about, or a protective skin of some kind, like you mentioned. Ken Rockwell recommends the Canon D10 for kids--shockproof and waterproof: http://www.adorama.com/ICAD10.html?...m_campaign=Other&utm_source=rflAID021866

but it's more than I'd prefer to spend.

ultramarina - the SnapCircuits are like over-sized circuit boards with various pieces of you snap in - battery units, on-off switches wires, lights, sound detectors, sound machines, little fans that spin off, etc. The kid builds out a working circuit to make a fan fly up, or a light turn on, or music play, that sort of thing.

Our DS has loved his snap circuits set that he got two years ago.

We're working on birthday stuff still right now (later this month). Right now he is wanting a camera (we will just be doing a cheap point and shoot digital). We are also planning to give him the last part of the money he's been trying to save for a used laptop. He doesn't know that I've already gotten the laptop. He'll get a couple of games for his DS and a box of art supplies among a few other things. The list isn't finalized yet.

DD7 has been obsessed with HP for more than a year now, with no signs of abating soon. If you're looking for suggestions, here are some itmes from that theme that we've gotten some good mileage out of:

- Costume. She was Hermione for Halloween last year, and with just some minor adjustments (new shirt, new skirt, wig) she was Ginny this year. She's already decided that next year she'll be Luna, which would require a little more work. She also puts on the robe at various other times during the year, to play in. If you're interested, I could check with DW to see where she got this one, because most costume robes are either awful quality or outrageously expensive (or both). This one was not very expensive, and as you can see by how much use it has survived, decent quality. Apart from the robe and the tie, the costume is pretty easy to put together from resources found at your favorite clothing store.

- The Hermione light-up wand: It's a wand, it's a light, it looks just like the kids in the movie using the Lumos spell, they can use it to read under the covers just like Harry did, etc. We bought another one for DD's friend's birthday, and they both loved it. Unintentional benefit, it also makes an awesome Halloween safety light (though DD initially protested that it turned her into Gin-ione this year).

- Lego Harry Potter video games: DD and I have been playing these together almost daily for a while now. They roughly follow the movies, with an interesting sense of humor about them.

I was thinking about a wand. She's been playing with an old wooden one we have around here, but a cool new one could be fun. Dress-up stuff as well, but yeah, I was figuring it would probably be that horrible cheap polyester stuff-gah. Do you know which wand you got?

DD's other obsession, of course, is the Warriors book series, though AFAIK there are no toys or licensed materials. She already has little plastic cats that she uses to make clans. I'll get her some more of these books, although it's horrible to try to keep up with what she's read.

http://www.buycostumes.com/Harry-Po...e-Child-Costume/17137/ProductDetail.aspx

That's the Harry Potter/Hermione robe I bought my kids a couple of years ago for halloween and both robes are still in pretty good condition. My son wore his to school for halloween (he went as ron, since he's got red hair, and we'd lost the glasses, lol.)

Here's the wand we got: linky.

Disregard what it says about porcelain. This one is plastic.