Toys for Boys

The top 5 must-haves for young men — and the parents shopping for them

Now that the holidays are just weeks away, like me you may be asking yourself, “How did the last 11 months go by so quickly?” Sadly, we can’t stop the passage of time, but we can lend a hand by shedding some light on the top holiday gifts for boys, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2008 Top Toys survey. It won’t turn back the clock—but it might just help you get ready for when the alarm goes off, or when mom, dad, grandpa and Aunt Bea begin their online shopping excursions.

1. Video Games
The days of Pac-Man and Donkey Kong are far behind us, only to be replaced by uplifting titles such as Left 4 Dead and Fallout 3. If you don’t know what those are, don’t worry: your customers and the kids themselves absolutely do. Video games are once again the number one gift for boys, and — who knows? — a few of those boys may even find time for some of their dad’s old favorites.

2. The Nintendo Wii
Still hard to find due to high demand, the Nintendo Wii has proven to be a video gaming system that boys absolutely crave. It’s so popular that it even made the list of must-have toys for girls in 2008, proving that good gaming transcends gender (and probably everything else).

3. Lego
A mainstay of boyhood since the 1950s, Legos are just as popular now as they were when Ike was president. These days, Legos offer an even wider variety of styles, from “Star Wars”-branded play sets to kits that create giant robots, etc. As such, it’s no wonder that boys have enjoyed locking those colorful bricks together for decades now. This holiday season looks to be no exception, with Legos high on most boy’s “must-have” lists.

4. Cars (in general)
Before they turn into men and begin their obsession with the real things, boys have a similar obsession with all things automotive, though on a much smaller scale. Love of toy cars is practically a rite of passage, and so if it vrooms, zips or screeches, boys will probably want it.

5. Transformers
Though the recent live-action film boosted their popularity, Transformers have really remained consistently popular since their debut in the 1980s.

Other popular toys for boys in 2008 include Star Wars toys, the X-Box 360 video game system and remote-controlled vehicles.

So there you have it — the toys that the boys will be clamoring for this holiday season. They may be broken, discarded or ignored by February, but in December of 2008, they’re the ones you want in your ads.

— Noah Belson, Content Quality Analyst

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Brighterworlds.