Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Look at Scientific Explorer kits, fun and educational.
Have her pick out an angel tree tag & fullfilled it.
Inline skates, heellys....anything that gets them up & moving
Have her pick out all the toys she -used- to play with, and don't anymore because she's a big girl now, and bring her to the donation center where she can put the toys in the bin.
We did that when the girls were that age. They had outgrown Barbie, so I said Hallelujah and got out all the dresses and accessories and such, and made five neat piles. Then I bought five brand-new Barbies and made up five boxes with a doll and a bag of dresses and little things in each and took them to the Mission shelter and asked them to give them out for Christmas gifts. The girls really had fun with thinking up themes around the bags and chose the best new Barbie to go with each.
Oh yeah, and I meant to say that girls that age really like the sound of their own voices and there must be some kind of recording machine that also plays karaoke, though my girls just liked playing with a cassette recorder and then playing it back. This could also play into the helping other people theme b/c they could record themselves reading a story and give that to a child or older person.
thanks- great suggestions. they both have their own computers and share a work desk in our family room. they love working side by side.
we have already cleaned their room and given away tons of under used or appreciated toys to the PTA thrift shop in our town. We always make them do that every year before christmas and birthdays even tho they don't get a bunch of stuff either time.
as a family we put more emphasis on experience than tangible things.
I'll check with nearby planetarium and science and art museums to see what they might offer during the school break.
still looking for ideas and appreciate the suggestions.
My dad would buy gift cards then wrap them in enormous boxes with bricks inside!
With all the sales going on right now, you can probably get a normally $100+ camera for pretty cheap. Almost any digital camera is probably going to be fine for a 9 year old. I assume they will want the ability to take pictures of animals, friends, and maybe cool places they visit and practically any camera can take care of that just fine. Just look for something with a bit of zoom, a decent amount of megapixels, and something not too flimsy.
It's also a good opportunity to teach them the purpose of Christmas but I wouldn't do that as a part of present opening on actual Christmas. Otherwise I think the meaning is lost among all the excitement of present opening. Before Christmas have your children go through their toys and clothes so they can donate a few of them. You could also go shopping with them for a toy to donate to one of those angel trees where children write down a wish, and explain about the importance of giving to people with fewer resources.
Ideas for experiences: horseback riding, rock climbing at an indoor gym, a trip to the zoo
Do you have a Justice for Girls store near you? They have so much more than just clothes. I use to always find some nice gifts there plus some great stocking stuffers. Also, Bath & Body Works has a nice line of products for girls as does American Girl.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
