Nerdy Kids Gift Guide

I have one child who is into all things science and technology. He has always been such a blast to shop for when it comes to birthdays and Christmas because he adores everything and would be happy with nothing but an encyclopedia! Over the years, we've had some pretty serious hits with him that I thought I'd share with you in case you've got a little nerd to shop for as well - these gifts are guaranteed to provide you with HOURS of quiet play time!



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Snap Circuits - We've had our set since July, when John Paul turned 6, and I'm pretty sure he's played with them every single day. Some days for multiple hours. Many days his reward for finishing his school work is that he gets to play with snap circuits! I love them because he's SO into technology but I've found I have to limit any computer or TV time because it makes him go a little crazy, and this really keeps him busy and satisfies that need. I have friends with girls who love Snap Circuits as well! Mine just aren't quite old enough to appreciate them yet.



No-Stress Chess - A fellow homeschooling mom recommended this set to me when John Paul was dying to learn how to play chess as a 5-year-old, but I didn't know how to teach him. You can play traditional chess with the set, OR you can draw cards that tell you which piece to move and how you're allowed to move it. Works great for teaching the rules of chess!



Roman Numerals Book - A friend got this book for us years ago and it was 2-year-old John Paul's absolute favorite book for a really long time! He would count in Roman numerals, draw Roman numerals with chalk (a LOT easier than Arabic numerals when it comes to formation, after all!), and figure out ages in Roman numerals.  It was hilarious and adorable and totally weird, but if you've got a tiny nerd this book would be PERFECT!



Excavation Kit - Dusty, so definitely an outdoor activity. But hours of chiseling, sawing, brushing, and construction of the skeleton - so fun!



Hand Drill - Another outdoor toy, solely because you probably don't want holes drilled in your floors... Get some wood scraps and be prepared for your kids to spend hours drilling random holes in them! My 3-year-old girls, 4-year-old girl, and 6-year-old boy are ALL obsessed with this, and since they have to manually turn the crank I'm not worried about them drilling holes in their own bodies...



Blokus - This is the one thing on this guide that we don't own, but it's going on the wish list right now - like Tetris but in real life! Gets great reviews on Amazon, too.



Geography Puzzles - These puzzles are all really sturdy and a great quality, plus I love that they use the actual outlines of the countries - makes the actual borders and surrounding nations stick a little better, since you're not just putting them together like a regular puzzle.



Razor Scooter - Because sometimes your little nerd HAS to get out of the house and get some sunshine! We picked one up at a consignment sale this summer and John Paul is out in the driveway, rain or shine, zooming around on that thing nonstop!

More suggestions if your particular nerd is anything like mine? A road atlas, graph paper, Life of Fred math books, a paper airplane book, and really any reference book that exists. Gosh, it's fun to shop for nerds! Anything your little nerds can't live without? I'd love to hear about it!