With the holidays approaching and stores are enticing shoppers in with a range of goods, gifts for geeks are not usually at the top of the list of goods on show. Here we look at three geeky Christmas hacks that are fun, give you some ideas for a curious child or to a spouse who loves the nostalgia of gaming from the 1980s.
Look the part
Ugly Christmas sweater
Include your geek in the tradition of the ugly Christmas sweater with a Marvel Avengers Thor Christmas sweatshirt, an HO3 (Ho, Ho, Ho) Christmas sweatshirt or a DC Batman Happy Holiday from the Joker. There are designs for every genre, from Star Trek: The Next Generation “Make it so” or consider a PacMan Christmas sweater.
Jewellery
Your wife, girlfriend or mother would surely prefer a gift that is beautiful. When considering a Christmas gift for her, an item of jewellery in her favourite colour and including diamonds will show her how grateful you are to have her in your life. If she does not wear much jewellery, consider a piece of home décor that will warm her heart and her home.
Costumes
Let them dress up as their favourite character. Perhaps a Thanos bathrobe, complete with infinity gauntlet including infinity stones that is an accurate replica of his outfit will help them feel ‘the force’ while wearing it.
Home decor
Look for officially licensed products from their favorite movies. The Star Wars Millennium Falcon has been turned into an elegant anglepoise lamp that would look great in the office and shows that you support their passion for the genre. You could also gift a Stormtrooper decanter.
Inspire
Science kits
Help them construct their own particle accelerator kit and then experiment and compete against others fine-tuning and running experiments. Kits usually need the electronic assembly skills of an adult but have the necessarily printed circuit boards, electronic components, mechanical parts and microcontroller.
Geek conventions
There is no shortage of conventions for geeks, whatever the genre. Gift tickets to the next convention or pay for travel and accommodation if they have tickets already. Conventions are a friendly place to make new connections. Comics and cartoon series are always popular, with some dressing as their favorite characters, but there are also expo’s which offer the chance to network and advance career aims.
Retro gaming
If you want to share your love of gaming in the 1980s, gift an old school arcade to play at home with the next generation. With iconic games like Midway, Defender, Gauntlet, Joust and Rampage, that will play just as you remember and appears to be the same.
Offline coding
Offline, there are several games available for all ages, some introducing coding to young people such as through EL10T or as a game for all ages. Alternatively, try Potato Pirates, a card game that introduces coding through function cards. The silliness of the game makes it great for all ages, and even undergraduates will love it as they shout “All Hail! Potato King” whenever a certain card appears. Another inspirational and offline gift are books, including Code Like a Girl by Miriam Peskowitz.
Geeky subscriptions
Subscription boxes
Geeky subscription boxes are all the rage. Across different companies that fuel the passion of a gamer, a Star Wars fan, or a comic book lover, geeky subscription boxes offer T-shirts to collectable action figures that add to their collection every month, an appreciated piece of mail amongst the bills.
Science kits for children
Chosen by STEM experts, a monthly science kit that encourages learning about science, technology, engineering, and math through playing and the building will hold any child’s attention as play is fun and exciting.
Monthly magazine subscription
From Geek Monthly to Knucklebones, Omni, Paper Wars, Scrye, Casus Belli, Strategy & Tactics and Panzer Digest, search out an annual subscription to a monthly magazine. Another gift that keeps on giving each month.
Private Internet Access VPN
No gift may be more fitting for a nerd who spends their life on the internet than a subscription to a virtual private network (VPN) service. Give them the peace of mind of browsing anonymously and securely with Private Internet Access.
