Hi there, I read your post yesterday on Lamborghinis and I was wondering if you knew of anything along the same lines but with a Subaru. That is my son’s favourite car and I just know that this is one present he won’t be expecting when he wakes up on his birthday! It’s really important that I find something quite quickly so your soonest response would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Elliot

Dear Elliot,

As far as I can tell, Subaru driving days are extremely popular so you’re in luck! There’s a different experience to suit every budget as well.

There’s a Subaru “thrills experience” which will give your son about an hour of driving fun and will only set you back £69 — a very affordable driving day with one of the world’s leading cars! This is the ideal taster session for anyone who has ever dreamed of getting behind the wheel of a Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

If you want something a bit racier then why not treat him to an off-road rally thrill? He’ll get to drive the Subaru (and another group-N rally car) on a loose gravel stage. This is ideal for fans of rally racing and anyone who has ever wanted to experience how the car really handles when pushed under extreme conditions.

And finally, another option you might consider is a “versus” racing day where your son will get to race the Subaru around a track and then see how it compares with another super car like a Ferrari 360.

I hope this helps you to find the perfect gift!

x Stacey

Hello there. My son is spending a lot of time playing games on his computer and I really want to get him out of the house, please help! I thought that if I bought him a gift ‘experience’ then he might actually go and do something for a change! He has just finished uni (he’s 22) and he hasn’t even gone to look for a job yet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Mabel

Dear Mabel,

A quick scout of the internet reveals that the top three types of games out there are war games, driving games and RPGs or role-playing games. The idea behind these is that you get to ‘live out’ your dreams if you don’t have the opportunity to do so in real life. I think you should take a quick peek into his room and see what kind of games he’s into, that way we can come up with something that will really entice him away from his computer screen!

In the meantime I’ll recommend a real-life activity for each of these gaming genres. Hopefully it will give you a good starting point when you’re looking for inspiration for the perfect gift!

If your son is into war games then he probably enjoys the strategy and shooting aspects of the gaming world. It tests your focus, your marksmanship and your ability to deal with high-pressure situations. I’d recommend treating him to a real-life war shooting experience which will put him in the trenches as he shoots at targets with an air rifle from a bunker. It’ll give him a taste of how it would really feel and I’m certain that his computer game won’t come close!

If he’s interested in driving games then finding the right gift for him just got a whole lot easier! Treat him to a fabulous driving day in his favourite car like the Lamborghini Gallardo (which has got all the guys in my office walking around all hot under the collar!). He’ll have an amazing day experiencing the real thing, and who knows … he might even be the next biggest name in race driving! Perhaps you could show him the following video as a way to entice him:

And finally, if you notice that he’s playing a role-playing game (identifiable by the little character or ‘person’ that seems to be in front of the screen at all times) then perhaps he’d be interested in some real-life role-playing such as that offered by the Spy Games Experience. He’ll be shown how to use all of the interesting gadgets and gizmos used by real-life spies in real situations which should really get him interested in a more hands-on approach to his favourite past-time!

I hope that you manage to find out more and encourage him into sharing his ambitions, ideas and goals with you. I’m certain that he’d love the opportunity to actually do something in real-life that he’s really interested in.

Best,

x Stacey

Hi Stacy. It’s my son’s birthday this weekend and I want to get him something really fun, something he’ll always remember as the best birthday. He’s turning 12. Do you have any ideas? My wife and I are thinking of asking one or two of his friends to come with so it will have to be relatively affordable so we can pay for all of them. Our budget is about £200 for two/three including snacks.

Michael.

Dear Michael,

I think we can definitely come up with something fun here! I’ve worked on three ideas, each for three kids aged 12 with a budget of £150 (to leave some over so that you can provide snacks for them during the activities).

The first one is an amazing Kayaking and Tubing Adventure for kids. This will give the three of them the chance to learn all about kayaking and tubing from first-hand experience! They’ll have such a blast and it’ll definitely be a birthday to remember. Just remember to pack in extra clothes because they will get very wet (which definitely means extra fun!).

The second idea is a Kids Driving Thrill Experience. This allows kids aged 12 – 16 to get to grips with the driving basics before trying them out in a Ford RS – the car of champions. The best part about this one is that each child will actually drive the car (with an expert instructor right beside him, of course!) and they’ll get a head-start on the rest of their friends! This is a definite hit for all car-lovers and adventure-seeking boys.

Finally, my third ieda is a Kids Spy Camp. This is heaps of fun for inventive and imaginative boys as it puts them in their ‘007 shoes’, ready to tackle the trickiest spy gadgets and gizmos! They’ll have to crack a safe, make it through a laser maze, play a game of laser tag, and do loads of other fun spy activities. Imagine how much fun they’ll have!

I hope this helps you!

x Stacey