Hi everyone, Im new to this site and really need some help. I do not have any children of my own just yet but my niece will be 10 in just a matter of weeks and i am at a lost of what to get her! She loves all things that most girls her age do, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Webkinz and she is very artsy...loves to draw, dance and sing. Seems like this should be easy right but here's the problem...she has like every Hannah Montana toy available, same with High School Musical, and what seems like every Webkinz there is! So if anyone has any unique gift ideas or something maybe more personalized and special i would love to hear them!
HI,
My kids also love art. One of their favorite gifts is a gift card to Jerry's Artarama. They have so many great art supplies and the kids have fun choosing.
Also, a charm bracelet from James Avery would be fun. They have a cute artist's pallet charm. You could start her with a charm and maybe her parents could buy the bracelet.
If you can, a great gift is to take her someplace just you and her. Someplace where you can do "crafts" together for a a day. My Nieces love to go "paint ceramics". Depending upon what you/she choose to paint, it costs about $10 and up per person.
If you live in the Austin area, there is a place in downtown Pflugerville - ceramics and more, that is really nice. Small, but clean and the owner is a really nice lady who will help you a lot. There is also a place in Round Rock who's name slips my mind, but if you go to yellowpages and type ceramics in Round rock, TX, it should come up.
another good thing is a gift card to someplace like target where she can get anything (clothes, toys, make-up) or a day of shopping with Aunt D..
Good Luck!
Get her gift card to the movie theatre. The Jonas Brothers are coming out with movie soon. She will love that!
I don't know how close in proximity you are with your niece but I think she would love it if you gave her some craft projects and offered to do them with her. My daughters loved doing things with their Aunts.
How about a day at Libby Lu's or the movies or someplace special with her favorite Aunt?
What about a small sewing machine...she can start designing her own clothes and cool stuff for her room. I think I saw a sewing set for kids at Wal-Mart. Good luck!
My daughter just turned 11, and her favorite gift was a nice set of drawing/ sketching pencils, a drawing tablet, and a book on how to draw. Believe it or not, she also loved the skateboard she got. She prefers hobby items over "themed" items like HSM and Hanna Montana. My daughter is also horse-crazy, so I agree that riding lessons would be a hit so long as she doesn't have to give up her addiction to horses once the gift certificate runs out.
Most girls love horses, I give riding lessons to several girls her age and they love it. Check out my site www.breezyoaksfarms.com. We have gift certificates available. Hope this helps.
B.
You could get her a hard back sketch book. Sold at most craft/hobby stores. You could also get her different grades of pencils( 4b, 6b, 3b,)majic rub eraser, pincle sharpner, blending stumps, extra sketch pads, oil pastels, the list goes on. If you get her paint brushes be sure to get ones with natural or real hair. She will be in 6th grade soon and if she takes art she will have a bit of a jump on the other kids. There are also books that you can learn to draw. You could also get her a journal, jewerly box, or jewerly, even cash is always fun. Fill up a glass coke bottle with skittles and dollar bills so she has to shake the candy out and then get the dollars out. Or the big box to small box wraped with in eachother with money in the smallest box is fun. Best of luck.
You can buy her a locket at Target for 14.99
This is great age to start a charm bracelet. James Avery is the best! Then you'll always have a gift in the future - a new charm!
She is old enough to start a photo album or scrapbook. You can get a small on with a pen, adhesive, and some paper/stickers . I have seen Hannah M supplies at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. I know that Creative Memories also had a HM kit last year. You can order from CM online. This will encourage her to begin a life-long hobby!
You say she is artsy. Check into art classes for girls her age. If she lives in/near a big city, there should be any number of classes you might find. Get her some art/craft supplies at Hobby Lobby. Girls love to scrapbook. Get her an inexpensive camera (if she doesn't already have one) and some scrapbooking supplies.
I say Hobby Lobby because that is what we have in our area. I know they have great sales every week on different items. They also offer different classes, art, cake decorating, etc.
If you are close enough together, maybe it is something that you could do together.
I recently found some great craft sets at Target. They were in an aisle near the school/office supplies. There were all kids of sets from creating your own personalized messenger bag to making bracelets. We bought the messenger bag kit for a friend of my daughter's and she loved it.
Good luck!
D.
http://www.4myhappyhealthyfamily.com
if she likes art then get her some good quality pencils and paper or paint, what she likes. go to hobby lobby and look around. if she does not like it now, she can grow into it. who needs another toy, is my motto. we just had a b'day party for a 4yo and i got him office supplies. my kids (3 and 5) love that stuff!! sheis a grown up already... get her some good, quality stuff.
Maybe she would like a overnight bag with her name on it- or something girly like that- She probably is at the age where she is spending the night with friends- and she probably would like something like that- Or you could get her a nice diary- I know I used to love to write in my diary :) get her a really cute pen set with all the fun colors and stickers....or you could get her this one- this is too cute! http://www.amazon.com/Radica-N7118-Password-Journal/dp/B0...
A charm bracelet is the PERFECT idea!!!
She can build on it and it will have a lot of sentimental value for her someday. Also, you can give her a special charm each year....solves your gift giving worries for a long time :)
Silver is great...gold, even better.
A gift card with an "IOU" to take her shopping. You can't go wrong. You can even "wrap it" in a purse or a wallet... I know I stopped picking out gifts for my girls (15 and 11) a couple of years back and they seem a lot HAPPIER - especially when we follow through and actually GO SHOPPING!
GOOD LUCK!
Try www.ettasbookclub.com. They offer really cute book packages at great prices that include a chapter book (perfect for that age) plus a craft that correlates with the book. The packaging is great too. My daughter loves them. They usually ship pretty quickly too.
Girls this age are also just starting to get so they want some makeup, etc. Some jewelry is also something that they like. A gift card to have her hair done. Think back to when you were that age and what were your favorite things to do and get as gifts.
I always like to give books. It's something kids rarely buy for themselves, and most people don't give them as gifts anymore. Check Amazon.com for award winning books in her age range. Or go to a local bookstore and ask for the manager of the YA section to recommend best books for 10 year olds.
Here is something that was a hit with our 9-year-old granddaughter. I used a striped beach-type bag as the "wrapper" and added a fancy water bottle in the little pocket that was already on the bag. I put several small gifts inside the bag. I don't remember what all of them where, but I think a coin purse and a necklace with three charms. I gave her two more matching charms for Christmas.
She likes to read so I may have included a book in the bag. None of these items were costly and most were bought on sale. Her mom said she loved the gift. I wrapped each of the gifts inside the bag so that part of the excitement was opening the little packages. Best wishes.
Why does the gift have to be "unusual"? Why can't it just be something that she'll enjoy? Call her mother and ask what she would enjoy, what are her hobbies? You said she loves to draw, what wrong with art supplies? Most girls her are like charm bracelets. Are her ears pierced? Cute earrings are always appreciated. Valentine's Day and Easter are coming up and theme earrings are always fun to wear. A scrapbook is alway fun to put together. Movie passes to the local movie theater are fun to receive.
Hello,
How about a manicure and/or pedicure? My girls are eight and 11 and they LOVE getting pampered. You could go to your local salon or, better yet, a Libby Lu. That is a make-over place for girls. Very glittery! They love it. There is also a similar place called Sweet Sassy (or something very similar). I like that one better. There is one in the new Sugarland square area.
Kids these days have too much "stuff". Take your niece to the park for a picnic and then a pampering. Trust me...she'll remember the time spent with you more than anything!!!
My favorite aunt and I used to cut out "dolls" from the JC Penny catalogs and make up stories. I loved those times.
Your niece may like a scrapbooking kit. If she is artsy, I'll bet she could make a beautiful scrabbook. You can buy kits that have everything that she will need.
I just got an email from my daughter, she reminded me that "Prisma Colors" are the big thing in the art community right now. They are the markers that "Graphic Artist" use and the better art classes use. You can get them at craft stores or at Art stores.
How about a digital camera? With the software for her computer?
My daughter always wanted books, but she owned so many, she would ask for Gift Cards to her favorite Book Stores so she could pick them out herself. That is all she wanted for this Christmas and she is 18!
My daughter is an artist and she had a ton of art supplies, she loved that we kept them in a special storage container. She kept her bottles of paints in a special tool box with all of her paint brushes. She had a special roll around drawer that she kept her pencils, pastels, scissors, glues, beads, all other things together. She would roll it into a corner when she was not using it.
We also gave her a drafting table one year. She loved it cause she could use it as a work table or as an easel. That led to the clip on light, the stool to sit on....
Since you are planning on having kids of your own sometime and you will be getting gifts from this same family, you might want to start a different view of gifting.
You said she has everything she possibly could - why not pay for something she is in? Dance class, tumble class, etc. These places always make the parents and kids become salemen to stay in them. Or take her to a play-San Antonio has lots of kid theaters. As a parent want to be, I would suggest you check into consumable items instead of just one more toy to outgrow!!
I posted a question a few days ago about not bringing toys because my daughter has too much. If you click on my name, it will take you to that thread.
What about taking her to get her nails done with you. My daughter loved this. She will feel grown up!!
What about one of those computer software programs? I know they have ones that you can create your own fashions or go shopping (pretend) thru a virtual shopping mall. I would think at age 10 she is computer saavy and loves clothes & fashion.
Hope that helps.
My mother in law was wanting to get my daughter something but she has soooo much stuff. So instead she took her to Libby Lu. She got a little makeover and her nails done! It was so cute, and they got to hang out all day too. If that seems too much then I am always a fan of consumables. Bath stuff, nail polish, lip gloss. You could buy a cute little purse and put it all in side. Very girly. You could also burn her a CD. I did this with my daughter and she loves it. Listens to it all the time!
Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc. have awesome art sets. They range in price from $20 on up. It depends on the size. They have colored pencils, watercolor crayons, all kinds of cool things. Add a good sketch pad and it is hours of fun. I would just go in the store and wander around. Something will strike your fancy. I think it is better to be unique. She will still enjoy a gift like this long after Hannah Montana and High School are blurbs in "where are they Now?" show. Good luck with your own adventure in parenting! CB
My sister always takes the kids somewhere - something of their choice - instead of buying something: iceskating, movies, build-a-bear, token game places, sailing, bowling, etc. For the older ones: hot air balloons, sky diving, camping, sight seeing, etc.
Anything personalized would be cool: sleeping bag, robe, towels, jewelry box, scrap-booking, etc.
Does she have an IPOD Shuffle or MP# player? If not, you can buy one for $49. If she does, you could buy her an Itunes gift card (or = for MP#?).
A doll for an older child? Like the really nice ones, china or something, that only an older child could have. Their not too cheap, but I know many a girl (and woman) that would like those. There's a place off of NW Military that would have very nice ones. But I'm sure you could fine nice ones cheaper somewhere else.
