gift ideas  (excerpted from Present Perfect)      

Replace children's sports equipment with the genuine articles. Give regulation sports gear: basketballs and backboards, footballs, baseballs and bats, soccer balls and nets, tennis rackets and balls, volleyballs and nets.

Give craft kits that challenge older children's creative skills. A pottery wheel, weaving loom, papermaking kit, rock-polishing kit, or jewelry-making kit are good choices.

Walkie-talkies are a great way for kids to communicate while playing spy games or hide 'n' seek. For just a few dollars more than the toy walkie-talkies, you can get a simple version of the real thing from Radio Shack.

Computer programs and games are available for a wide range of interests. Encyclopedias and atlases on CDs are so much fun, kids don't even care they are actually learning. For advice on educational software, consult the child's teacher.

Air hockey games and table-tennis tables are popular among nine- to twelve-year-olds.

Arrange for a child to attend a summer camp related to her interest—music, sports, space exploration, or writing to name just a few.

Children love the gift of your time. Fill a container with strips of paper on which you've written fun activities. Then, on a regular basis—weekly, monthly—set aside time to participate in an activity the child selects from the container.

The only playthings our children have consistently requested since they were five years old are Legos, Legos, and Legos. Countless action figures have gone the way of the dinosaur, but their interest in Legos has never waned.

Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion is filled with gift ideas for children and everyone else on your gift list. In addition, you get tips on gifting etiquette, shopping, wrapping, special presentations, and much, much more. To order the book, click here.

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Have any gift ideas for nine- to twelve-year olds you'd like to share?