On 6 October 2010 10:35, Michael Lush <mjl...@ebi.ac.uk> wrote: > > Christmas is coming (not to mention birthday) and I've got to come up with > main presents to get my boy (will be 12 we've already done the usual > suspects Wii, DS, phone, camera, LEGO Mindstorm and he has enough LEGO! ) > > Rather idealistically I'm looking for somthing that will not be used for an > hour or two then gather dust for the next 10 years.
FWIW one of my favourite presents as a child slightly younger than your son (but which I continued to enjoy at least until his age) was a Merit electronics kit. Consisted of a sheet of laminated cardboard with components and spring terminals, a bundle of colourful wires and a very good book of clues. I believe the modern ones have all sorts of digital goodness - mine ended up set up semi-permanently as an FM radio with the addition of a few more components bought from Gee's in Mill Road (doubtless familiar to Cambridge geeks). S