I know it may be early to post a Christmas gift suggestion thread, but the following gift suggestion is so coll I wanted to mention it before I might forget it.
Bigshot Camera Kit.
There was a Science Friday broadcast about this on November 1.
Seems like a cool gift for techno-geek type kids from 8 to 80. I've already bought four, including one for myself. No I have no affiliation to it, I just think its cool.