The Best Christmas Gift Ideas of 2011

Have you ever struggled with what to buy for people? This article is dedicated to bring you the ultimate Christmas gift ideas in terms of what's hot on the market. This is possible by gathering items on the best selling lists from around the internet, sorting it by ratings, and finally adding it to this list. Why do a lot of searching, when it's all listed for you right here?

Don't forget to check out the Christmas specials on Amazon! You can save a lot of money this way, such as even 50% on select items or more! On a more personal note, I've been putting away some money specifically for this time, since you can get double the stuff with spending the same amount of money. Why settle for five items, when you can get ten, and that is without spending any more money than you normally would?

If you need even more ideas, check out Christmas Gifts 2011: The Ultimate Guide for Gifts.

Quick Jump: Family-Sized Gifts | Gifts for Teen Boys | Gifts for Teen Girls | Stocking Stuffers | Gifts for Kids | Gifts for College | Video Game Gifts | Gaming Accessories | Gifts for Artists | Sci-Fi Gifts | Gifts for Geeks

If you are looking for some great Christmas gift ideas, consider getting gifts for the entire family, which are a great bang for the buck, so to speak, and these can range from board games, video games, a new television, and much more.

One of the best and most affordable gifts like this are simple board games, which are usually quite low costing in comparison to their console counterparts, yet they still can provide a great amount of old-fashioned fun!

Another great family gift is a video gaming console, such as the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, or the Playstation 3 (PS3). Although, they are a bit more expensive than a traditional board game, they have proven to be very enjoyable for groups of people.

Out of the three video game consoles, at least in terms of having a "family appeal", I would recommend the Nintendo Wii due to cost savings since it's relatively low in price, especially around the holidays. It has great cooperative games to choose from, and a lot of them would appeal to people of all ages. The Playstation 3 would be another one to get, especially with the Move controllers and games, it has a great selection to choose from as well, but you'll be spending a bit more on it than you would with the Nintendo Wii.

Another popular gift for the entire family, is getting a brand new television. There are a lot of wonderful deals during the holidays, so if you are even thinking about getting one anyways, this would be a good time to do it. Otherwise, ever thought about having a movie projector? It's great for watching movies, sports games, and more!

If you want to get something that teen boy's would like for Christmas, get him something trendy that all the boys of that age want, and you'll be good to go. What types of things are hip and trendy these days? Cell phones, video games, car stereos, clothing, and more.

Cell phones are a popular item for teenagers, but just don't get him a basic type of cell phone, remember it has to be cool. If he doesn't have a cell phone yet, consider getting one for a gift! These days the touchscreens or pop-out keyboard phones are the biggest trend on the market, so I would suggest checking out those first.

Video games are another big hit with teenage boys, they just love their games! Thing is, you need to get him one that he doesn't have yet, and it needs to be considered cool by his standards. One of the best ways to find a good video game is to go to online websites that have reviews, such as Amazon, and read what people say about it. I'll list some of the big titles, perhaps he doesn't have one of these yet! Remember, some of these games are for multiple gaming systems (ie, a game may be available for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3), so if you don't see it for the gaming console of choice on the right, you can simply click on it and change platforms if need be.

Car stereos are usually pretty popular with teen boys, since it's a part of which makes them cool, at least regarding their own self-image. There are many good brands of car stereos, just be sure to get a brand that is considered popular, since if one of his friends asks him "Hey, what system you got?" you don't want him to hold his head in shame with some knockoff brand. Teenage boys want to be cool in this phase of their life, so get a cool system.

There are some brands of clothing that would be considered cool, and others that would be considered tacky. This is a very hard thing to buy sometimes, since you'll want to give him something that he'll actually wear. My advice, get him a neutral color shirt, such as black, white, or gray, so this way it will go with any other color that he may be wearing. Aside from that, get him something that is considered hip and trendy, such as Burton or Nautica.

Since I'm a guy who is writing this article, I'll have to rely a bit on my female friends out there for Christmas gift ideas for girls. Some of the things my friends mentioned were clothing, lotions, cell phones, Nintendo Wii, and romantic movies. They could be a bit biased since that is what they wanted, but I'll go with the flow. On another note, my sister seemed to like some of these as well, so perhaps there is a trend going here.

For clothing they recommended a hooded sweatshirt. I asked them why, and they said it's valuable during cold days of the Spring, Fall, and Winter months. So as well as proving fashionable, it's also useful in the sense of keeping warm. Just to note, they did handpick the hooded sweatshirt to the right!

There are a lot of lotions on the market, and they didn't give specifics as to what types, so instead I'll use the bestselling list on Amazon to dictate what good lotions would be due to rating and popularity.

Cell phones are popular among girls at this age, since they love gossiping and keeping up with their friends. Since I mentioned cell phones earlier for guys (which is also popular for them as well), I'll list a couple different types that I haven't previously mentioned.

As for the Nintendo Wii, since that too is mentioned (must be popular, huh?), I'll note some of the video games for that system that my friends (the girls) mentioned. They seemed to absolutely love Mario Kart and Mario Galaxy. They must be Mario fans, but on that note I did look at the reviews are those are some of the highest rated games for the Wii, so either way it's a good choice.

For romantic movies they mentioned that the following were must haves, such as 13 Going on 30, Avatar, and 10 Things I Hate About You They said that even though Avatar isn't really a romantic movie, there is still love in there!

Do you need help with some stocking stuffer ideas? There are a lot of things to choose from, such as candy of various types, handheld gaming systems such as the Nintendo DS and Playstation Portable (PSP), gift cards, movies, and much more. Don't just put anything in a stocking, make each gift count!

If you know they are a video gamer, and they don't have a handheld video gaming system yet, then this is the perfect opportunity to get one. If you are getting a Nintendo DSi, I do recommend getting the "XL" model, since it has a larger screen and I have no doubt they'll appreciate it more. The "Slim" version is pretty small, and sometimes it's hard to make out detail. As for the PlayStation Portable, the PSP Go is a good model, but even the older PSP models are pretty solid. If you ask me which one you should get, that would be a tough call since they both are solid systems and they are both about the same price. But, since you asked me to pick (well, let's say you did), I would say go for the Nintendo DSi XL.

If you are buying snacks and candy for their stockings, it's a very good idea to buy it in bulk, since you'll be saving a lot of money in the long run. Perhaps a mixture of candy types to give them a good variety would be a good idea.

Another great stocking stuffer is something really simple, a gift card. It fits easily into a stocking, and it lets the person buy whatever they want. This is one of my favorite parts of the stocking, since I'm free to get movies, music, magazines, video games, and anything else I can think of. My best advice that I can give, is to give a gift card for a store that has a lot of different items in it, therefore it gives them the opportunity to get many different types of things.

Also, don't forget the gag gifts that are sometimes fun to get. As you probably know, these shouldn't be the main gifts!

Children love Christmas, that is no secret. This is the time of the year that they get a horde of toys and other goodies, which should satisfy them for a couple months at least!

Since I'm no longer a kid (sometimes I wish I was), I'm relying on the top 10 list on Amazon to figure out which toys are popular these days. I grew up with GJ Joe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I have no idea if those are even still popular these days.

I pretty much knew that Lego was going to be on the list at some point, but I didn't expect it to be in the first two top places on the list. The great thing about Legos is that you can do anything you want with them, you don't even have to follow the instructions. If you are looking to keep a child entertained for a long time, this would be an option to consider!

I knew Barbie was going to be on the list, and I'm pretty sure you did as well. It's currently (at the time of writing this article) at the number three spot.

The next on the list is the MindFlex game, which is quite creative. It features a headset that reads your brain waves and a levitating foam ball around the game console and through a mind-bending obstacle course.

Scrabble has always been a popular game, and it still remains so even today. This is a different version of Scrabble than your typical Scrabble game. It's worth checking out.

Sitting on the number nine spot is a mechanized stuffed animal. I think this would be more for the younger crowd than anything!

The pre-school learning laptop would definitely be something that I would have had when I was of that age. Unfortunately, they didn't have laptops during that era! If you want to introduce a child to the technological world, this could be very useful, as well as fun!

College students love Christmas time, it's their time to replenish their most needed supplies, and at the same time have a fun and enjoyable experience doing it. If you are looking for Christmas ideas for college students, consider getting them something that they can use at school, as well as use at home for enjoyment purposes.

With that said, I recommend getting them a new laptop, after all you can get them pretty cheap these days, and they could use it for their homework, typing up reports, researching information online, and much more. At the same time, during their off hours of course, they can use it to play their favorite PC games. I'm currently in college myself, and I've used my laptop for many different purposes, and it's proven itself time and time again to be a very useful as well as enjoyable tool.

If they already have a computer, then consider getting them an Apple iPad. Those are very handy devices due to their low weight, slender construction, and the ease of sliding it into your backpack. You can research and study with them, and do a lot of the same things that you could with a computer, yet these are much more manageable. I highly recommend checking these out, they are very well received. If it's a bit too expensive, check out the Apple iPod, which is a similar type of computing device, but it's smaller in scale, but still quite powerful in it's own right.

Another little device, and it's rather inexpensive, is a USB flash drive. It's a portable memory device that can plug into your computer, which you then can transfer information, pictures, and all types of files to and from it. This is very handy for digital homework!

If you want a nice Christmas gift idea, get them a video game. It's relatively cheap, and you know that they'll have some enjoyment out of it. I've discussed video games already in some detail, but, this portion of this article is actually dedicated to the best of the bunch. You see, parents and relatives usually want to get gifts which are practical, yet the video gaming enthusiasts, no matter the age, want video games. Video gamers are of all ages these days, ranging from anywhere from preteen and all the way to retirees.

There is a huge demand for video games, and I believe it's a good idea to get the right information out to people who don't play games, yet want to buy a game for someone who does. After all, you don't want to have them open the gift and just toss it aside, you want them to actually be happy with it!

Depending on the age of the person you are buying a video game for you may want to check out the game rating so you can be sure you don't buy a violent video game for a person that shouldn't be playing one. If you look at the games on the right, you can click on them and it will say what the ratings are on the Amazon site.

To make this simple, I'll post the top 3 games for each of the main video gaming consoles, such as the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo Wii. Therefore you don't have to do a bunch of searching, and instead you can rely on the top 3 bestselling video games per gaming system. This information is based on Amazon's bestselling lists, so you know that you'll be getting something pretty decent!

If you are eager for even more options, check out the best RPG's for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, and the Nintendo DS.

Need some gift ideas for a hardcore gamer? What I mean by that, is someone who really loves their video games! There are a lot of options, you just need to figure out which one they would like the most!

Do they play PC games on the computer the most? If so, consider getting them a gaming chair, gaming keyboard, nice headphones, or even a nice gaming mouse! I do recommend the Logitech brand, it's solid and gamers live by it. I've used a Logitech gaming keyboard and mouse for a long time, and recently just upgraded to a better headset. I'll tell you what, if you like gaming on a computer, these are a must have. If they play video games on a computer, you may want to consider this option as a gift!

If they play on a console, such as the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, or the PlayStation 3, you may want to consider getting them an upgrade, such as the PlayStation 3 Move controller, the Wii MotionPlus, or the Xbox 360 Kinect. All of them are solid devices! To be more specific, the PlayStation Move is a very high quality motion controller, and the same can be said about the Wii MotionPlus. The Xbox 360 went a different direction, it's a hands-free controller, which is great for the younger audience (so they don't accidentally throw it).

The best method to get the item of choice, is to go and see what type of video gaming console they have (Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) and buy the one that is appropriate. If they don't have a video gaming console, and you are thinking about getting one of these along with it for an added bonus, I'll give you a little guide. The Nintendo Wii is great for group play, yet has the worst graphics. The Xbox 360 is a mid-range system, and has decent graphics. The PlayStation 3 is the most expensive system with the best graphics, but also the most expensive. On another note, if you know the person you are buying a gift for is also somewhat geeky, they'll most likely get more bang for their buck with the PlayStation 3 due to all of it's options.

If the person you are buying for loves art and drawing, consider getting them some of these excellent Christmas gift ideas!

Consider getting a graphics tablet as a gift, so you can easily draw directly to your computer without the need of a scanner. I've had one of these for the past few years, and I'll never go back to scanning or attempting to draw graphics with a mouse, it just isn't the same. I highly recommend getting one of these, even the less expensive Bamboo models are superb, so it's a great way to get their feet wet and to see if they like it without spending too much.

If they are into drawing manga or anime, you may want to consider getting them either Manga Studio or Anime Studio, those are both some truly great programs. If they want something equally as powerful, yet a bit more broad, consider getting them Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator, both of those are industry standards and are worth the money. I use those all the time, and I wouldn't know what to do without them!

If they prefer to draw the traditional way, with pencil and paper, some good gift ideas would be to get them a drawing set, and perhaps a large sketchbook too! Both of those are pretty cheap, so it wouldn't be too bad on the wallet to pick up both of them.

If you are buying for someone who loves their science fiction, consider these Christmas gift ideas! The World War Z book is about surviving a zombie apocalypse, and it's a cult favorite among a lot of people.

Star Trek, now this is a classic science fiction show, and you can't go wrong with this. I recommend getting a box set, unless they already have a lot of them, which in that case just buy single movies.

The newer Star Wars series which revolves around the Clone Wars is a popular favorite these days, and it's done in CG animation too!

If the person you are buying for loves science fiction as well as models, then a Star Trek model of the Enterprise would be the ultimate gift!

Stargate has been a popular series, with the original series spanning a decade, and it's spawned a couple of other series as well (Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate: Universe). Just as with the Star Trek boxed set, I recommend getting this as a boxed set as well.

The A Song of Ice & Fire books by George R.R. Martin are an excellent series of science fiction books. They take place in the fictional world of Westeros, where powerful rulers wage war for the ultimate goal, to sit on the Iron Throne as King. These are very popular books, and they would make an excellent gift for people who love reading!

If you are looking for Christmas ideas for geeks, then you've come to the right place! Since I'm a geek myself, and proud of it, I know this section really well!

You see, geeks love their gadgets and technological devices, and there are a lot of them out there to choose from. Some of them more expensive than others, and some of them are actually quite affordable.

The Kindle is a good choice for people who love reading, and since geeks are often found knee-deep in their books, this would be a great gift for them! It's also very green because it's paperless.

The Geek's Guide to World Domination is a tongue-in-cheek type of gift, but at the same time it's also very entertaining. It received several good reviews on it, so it should be a fun read.

The Apple iPod Touch is something you see a lot of geeks have, it's very versatile in terms of what it can do, it's basically a mini-computer in your pocket that can prove to be very handy.

The PlayStation 3 is a geeks dream console. Why? It's because you can play blu-ray movies, you can play games for free online, and much more. If you are going to buy a gaming console for a geek, the PlayStation 3 is a good one to consider.

If you know that the person you are buying for loves pen-and-paper (PnP) role-playing games (RPGs), then this is the iconic set to have. Dungeons and Dragons has been around for decades now, and it's both popular and enjoyable. This would make a great gift! Dark Heresy RPG is a popular PnP role-playing game, it takes place in the year 40,000, and it involves a lot of high-tech gadgetry, spaceships, and more. If you know he or she loves space stuff, this would make a great gift.

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