I’m almost done Christmas shopping… for everyone but my kids. Possibly the most important shopping I do. Sam is easy – he’s thrilled with anything Lego, Star Wars, or Super Hero.
Kate, on the other hand, not so much. I am completely stumped! She hasn’t really come up with anything she wants (and, based on that fact, she obviously has everything she needs). She says she wants to do things – go to a movie with her dad, paint pottery with me… and while I am all about giving her experiences rather than more stuff, that doesn’t exactly make for an exciting Christmas morning. The only thing I can think to do is to make certificates for those things, put them in boxes and wrap them up! But is that lame and will she regret that when her brother has tons of fun toys to play with that day?
Any suggestions for a nine-year-old girl?
Mine is pretty girly so I did nail polish stuff. She also loves warm fuzzy PJ bottoms, and all things rainbow loom. She is at the age where her fave gift is giftcards so I just try and wrap them creatively
I say go on Pinterest to get ideas of how to wrap your certificates creatively, and embrace the fact that doing things with you is what she wants! Maybe get her a book so she can read on Christmas while her brother is playing??
Pinterest – of course! Great idea!
Perhaps there is some small item you can wrap with the certificate that she can use for that activity – new mittens for ice skating, nail polish to go to the movies. That way it is still small stuff but has something to open and to look forward to.
I love, love, love this idea. Thanks!
I would make a movie date basket- candy, gift certificates, maybe the book of whatever movie she wants to see (if applicable). Maybe for pottery you can get her a little pottery wheel. I know they have kids ones though I have no idea what kinda cost we’re talking about.
That would be fun. Thanks!
My girl will turn 9 two days before Christmas. Her big thing she asked for this year was a sewing machine. I don’t know the idea came from but she’s excited about it. Mama is half excited and half scared about it.
Other than that she’s getting the Lego Friends high school set that she wanted and a new, age appropriate Bible.
Kate mentioned a sewing machine too, but I farmed out that idea to her grandfather. I am excited that she wants to learn, though – it’s a good life skill to have!
Give her a 2014 calendar and a new journal/diary. SHe can plan the different outings and write the dates on the calendar. After the events, she can write about them in her journal.
Great idea! I love that
You can create a scavenger hunt for the gift cards. The pottery can eventually end up where you keep your dishes, the movie GC can be in her favorite DVD case, … One year my mom attached our Easter basket to a very, very, very long spool of yarn and we had to go up and down the stairs, all over the house, to find the end.
What about jewelry? Something too to very expensive, but something special, only to be worn on special occasions? It’s something very grown-up, and also something she can open.
Yeah, this age is tough. It gets better at 13 when all she will ask for is gift cards so she can go to the mall and go shopping.