Gift ideas

for parents:
If they enjoyed Blokus, your children will like Rumis. It is a game in which you build a pyramid shaped Inca temple with bricks that make me think of tetrix. Another game you might consider is "Tamsk" by Burms. This is a game that uses sand timers as pieces. The indication is 12+ years, for some children I would lower the age limit.
Other games that I like keep my children away from the computer. I found a set of coaching cards, with positive messages on them. Also I found a set of philosophy cards, with dilemma questions. There are some on internet for

puzzle, everything is illuminated is

Still no rejection. I read the first page of "everything is illuminated" by Foer, just before giving it to Y. for his birthday. (and then had to buy a copy for myself) Y. is the son of my friend and is the fastest player of Set I know of. He has a very high IQ, and I try to challenge him. I buy wooden puzzles and the question is how long it will take him to solve it. My sons are younger and follow in his footsteps. They like to do puzzles. I mean, thinking puzzles that you might find at www.denkspellen.nl or games like Tamsk ( by Burms). Abstract games and puzzles. He is very good at abstract games, but foreign language he fears. So I gave him "everything is illuminated" and said every page is a (verbal) puzzle.