Italy- Souvenirs to take home for boys
 

I'll admit it. I have no problem buying gifts in Italy for all the females in my life. But when it comes to my 3 grandsons- I'm lost. :(

Two are pretty much only interested in video games/cartoons/superheroes. They are 11/9/7. (The 7-yr-old also likes books and dinosaurs.)

I'd like to bring them something unique to Italy, but that won't end up on the closet floor. Am I relegated to t-shirts with Italian soccer team names on them? :(

I would so appreciate any other ideas.

thanks!

You'll find some books in English in museum shops. But there's nothing wrong with the T-shirt idea.

Thank goodness you don't see young kids wandering around the place wearing soccer team shirts all the time as if its an acceptable article of clothing. In any case it seems that what matters is not just the team but in particular the name of the player. Many players in Italy would simply not be recognized in the US at the same level as Messi or Ronaldo.

Thinking that young boys love nothing more than getting their hands dirty here are two ideas:
- some sort of pottery starter kit which can certainly be found in a good art shop. Back home they could have their efforts fired at a local art school and this might stimulate an ongoing interest.
- some pre-mixed flour and other ingrediants (say origano) so that they can experiment in making home-made pizza. As well as pizza encourage them to make grissini (using the same mix) which can be flavoured in countless ways.

I'm not sure what nochblad means. Kids in Italy almost all wear T-shirts, with all sorts of things written on them, day in and day out.

I have two grandchildren, one in Italy and one in the US. I can't resist educational things like books from museum shops, science kits, art kits, and the like, but I know very well that many of these high-minded gifts never even get opened. The t-shirts get worn.

One of our grandchildren likes jigsaw puzzles. That might be another idea, depending on the child.

Play swords (vinyl, not wood) and shields. Maybe "armor" if you feel like splurging. Or books on Roman warfare as those are available for all ages. Would the 11 year old be interested in building a model of a piece of siege weaponry?

Or togas.


<i>- some sort of pottery starter kit which can certainly be found in a good art shop.</i>

Why buy that in Italy when you can get the same thing in the U.S. and probably cheaper?

<i>- some pre-mixed flour and other ingrediants (say origano) so that they can experiment in making home-made pizza.</i>

Last I checked, flour and herbs were readily available in any grocery store in one's home country.

I'm sorry but those were two horrible suggestions.

bvlenci - the OP made specific reference to soccer t-shirts

Thank you. Actually, you each had some valid ideas. I had forgotten that two of the boys do like jigsaw puzzles. Something of the Colosseum, etc. would probably be well-accepted.

Additionally, one of them is an artist. He developed his first comic book when he was but 6. Made up all his own superheroes, their powers, and designed them and their costumes. He might like something "artsy".

And, of course, flour and pizza-making things are available here in the US, but they might consider it fun to get food items to create their own pizza (especially if the labels are in Italian), or just some dried pasta in shapes/colors with which they are unfamiliar.

Really, all suggestions have value- because they might "ping" my memory about something else the boys like.

Thanks again. Hopefully, more posters will reply and I'll get even more ideas.

We took the kids to Italy when our son was 5. Two things that he picked out, and still has (he is 22 now) are a small wooden Pinocchio and then a model kit of a vaporetto. He also got a soccer jersey, and wore it until it did not fit, and we bought it quite big!

I notice that both my grandkids wear those cheap little leather bracelets with city names stamped on them. It seems like not much of a gift, but they really like them and wear them.

They also like Italian things with their names on them, because they have Italian names and never see them on US souvenirs.

thanks mms and tuscanlifeedit for the additional ideas!