All They Want

Kids gift guide
Some kids make holiday shopping easy, with detailed, indexed lists of gift ideas.

Others make it harder, leaving parents struggling to explain why, exactly, Santa Claus will not be leaving a pony under the Christmas tree this year.

We've pulled together a few suggestions for shoppers looking for ideas this holiday season — no stables required.

• iPod Touch
  

Cost: $199-$399

Available: Connecting Point on Franklin Avenue in Bend and Apple.com

Teens want iPhones (OK, not just teens. A lot of us want iPhones), but a rep for AT&T said their required service will be available in Central Oregon in the first half of 2010, too late for Christmas.

But there's plenty to like about the iPod Touch 3G. You might still have to carry a separate cell phone, but you'll have a lot of fun. These multimedia devices are loaded with features, including gaming, music, video and podcast functions (though no camera) plus what Cnet.com calls a “first-class mobile Web browser.”

Available in 8 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB models; several online reviews warn that the 8 GB model lacks the processing punch of the 32 GB and 64 GB models.

• Neon accessories

Cost: $3.50 to $5.50, some styles and colors are marked at 50 percent off

Available : Claire's in the Old Mill District and at the Bend Factory Stores

It's true: Nearly everything '80s is back in.

If your young teen or 'tween girl insists that all she wants is gift cards so she can shop for herself, listen to her. There's no point in trying to find her the right pair of skinny jeans. What you can do instead of just handing out an envelope is tuck the card in with some low-cost accessories like this neon jewelry.

Other accessory options: jelly bracelets, leg warmers, colorful fingerless gloves, metallic leggings and purses and punk-inspired belts.

• Hexbugs Micro Robotic Creatures

Cost: $9.99-$14.99

Available: Kids World in Bend, located next to Shopko at 100 N.E. Bend River Mall Ave.

After a two-week campaign including near-daily phone calls and a frantic sprint to Bend's Target, we were unable to get our hands on this year's “it” robotic pet, a toy hamster called a Zhu Zhu pet (we weren't desperate enough to pay jacked-up prices online).

What we did find were Hexbugs, and we think they may actually be cooler. Kids World carries both hand-size Crab Hexbugs and thumb-size Nanos. They include batteries and are programmed with buggy behavior like hiding out in dark areas until loud noises or lights chase them out. The Nano (which looks something akin to a Transformer crossbred with a cockroach) will even flip itself over like a bug. The see-through design of the Crab allows kids to see the circuitry of the robots, and an online component of Hexbug Nanos includes games and, according to the Hexbug Web site, education about “real science.”

• Bento System 2.0 by Laptop Lunches

Cost: $39.99

Available: Stone Soup in Bend

What could possibly make a home-packed lunch fun?

How about an insulated carrier with a kicky print plus compartments for cute portions of fruits, veggies, wee salads and even dip. Staff at Stone Soup said kids love the Bento Systems; it's just a bonus if they help parents get their kids to eat vegetables.

The kit also includes silverware, a drink bottle and a users guide with information on “making wholesome, earth-friendly lunches your kids will love.”

• ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society' series by Trenton Lee Stewart

Cost: $16.99 hardback, $6.99 paperback

Available: Camalli Book Co. in Bend

“Highly recommended” for boys or girls by Tina Davis, mother of two and owner of Camalli Book Co. “The Mysterious Benedict Society” books follow four children who use their special skills to solve mysteries. The books are for readers ages 9 through 12 or younger for family read-aloud books.

The latest book in the series, “The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner's Dilemma,” is available only in hardback, but the first two are now out in paperback.

(By Eleanor Pierce)
Source: click here