I had the pleasure of joining my daughter’s girl scouts today at a tea party in our town - twenty-seven 8-year-old girls, a few moms and me. Did I feel out of place? Not at all - it was a lot of fun and the girls were great.
Before tea was served, the troop leader asked each person individually to mention what they would like for Christmas. It was very interesting, so I took notes for all of you (and Santa):
Nintendo Wii. Well, if you haven’t purchased it before Thanksgiving, it’s going to be difficult to find. Almost every child wanted one of these - 89% of them! We just purchased one for a friend (who doesn’t have a computer at home and couldn’t find one in the store) for his son for Christmas. We got it on eBay for $475 - which is $225 more than the list price. I did, however, find a website that will help you find a Wii if it’s on your daughter’s list (and chances are it is) - click here for the secrets!
Apple iPods. Anyone surprised? Actually, I was surprised how many did NOT already have one. 85% of this group wants one. Did anyone mention a Zune or a Creative Zen MP3 player? Nope. All iPods. I was at the Apple Store today at Noon on a Tuesday and I saw about eight mom’s looking at all the cute little iPods for gifts. They are hard to resist! Want to save a little bit? Ask at the store if they have any “refreshed” units - these are simply iPods that were returned unopened and put back on sale at a discount. Or check out Amazon.com for a few dollars off new units.
Cellphones. Yup. 26% of these 8 year olds want a cellphone. Well, we think it’s a little too early for us to get our daughter one, but it’s on their minds. If only cellphones came with free replacements when they lose, drop or break them. But it is the greatest device to stay in touch with our kids when we’re not being a physical helicopter parent.
Webkinz. Just about everyone wants one of these - I think I counted 100%. And let’s not forget, the point of a webkin isn’t the toy necessarily, it’s the social networking that happens online with it! But my daughter tells me the toy is nice too 
Computer laptop. This one surprised me. They don’t just want a computer (in their room of course), they want a laptop. 20% of them specifically mentioned a laptop. How technologically savvy of them! Be sure to check out the post below regarding the Get One. Give One. campaign (that was recently extended through the end of December) if you’re thinking of something unique that is also a gift for someone in need. Biggest issue here for young children and a laptop is probably durability.
Ok, those where by far the top five requests of these girls. A couple of them mentioned trampolines and one mentioned a book. But do you see anything in common with the list above? This is the most wired generation in history. Are you prepared to help them out when they get stuck?
I’ve mentioned before one of my favorite podcasts is from the TWIT (This Week in Technology) crew lead by Leo Laporte called Jumping Monkeys and hosted by Megan Marrone.