My 9 year old daughter wants a surprise from Santa

Boggy Turf

My 9 year old daughter wants a Surprise from Santa. She is not interested in tablets or other devices or gaming machines (yet!) and I would like to leave it that way.

Budget = €50 to €150

Any ideas?

vicwatson

Has to be Lego !

Boggy Turf

vicwatson wrote: »

Has to be Lego !

Yeah she has a lot of lego and got some big Lego hotel last year. I don't think she'll be too impressed with Santa's originality of he brings more lego.

allthedoyles

A hatchimal - €80 in Smyths

_Brian

Our 8yo is getting a v type scooter and a set of famous five books.

Both girls only ever get surprises from santa, might be something they've been talking about but not always, Santa knows best !!

orthsquel

Boggy Turf wrote: »

Yeah she has a lot of lego and got some big Lego hotel last year. I don't think she'll be too impressed with Santa's originality of he brings more lego.

What else other than Lego does she like? Has she any particular interests/hobbies that you could invest in i.e. a real version rather than a toy version? Has she mentioned anything that her friends have/got for birthdays that she'd like? Is there something you can add to what she already has or widen her interest in that particular area?
Is she getting anything else or just a surprise from Santa? If the former, you could perhaps have the Santa gift be something that she could keep and use for years to come. If she is not looking for anything in particular, maybe pick up a few items that will inspire her, or be creative, or be cute or fun for her to have, or can enhance her life in the future.

Boggy Turf

orthsquel wrote: »

What else other than Lego does she like? Has she any particular interests/hobbies that you could invest in i.e. a real version rather than a toy version? Has she mentioned anything that her friends have/got for birthdays that she'd like? Is there something you can add to what she already has or widen her interest in that particular area?
Is she getting anything else or just a surprise from Santa? If the former, you could perhaps have the Santa gift be something that she could keep and use for years to come. If she is not looking for anything in particular, maybe pick up a few items that will inspire her, or be creative, or be cute or fun for her to have, or can enhance her life in the future.

She likes "shopkins" and "beanie boos" but she has loads of them. She likes dolls and teddy bears too but again has loads. She has a decent bicycle too. She's a bright spark but I don't want to expose her to screens/apps/games just yet. Her friends are going for devices or surprises too it seems.

I think Santa needs to being something "big" but we'll also include a few smaller items in the stocking.

Makapakka

Boggy Turf wrote: »

She likes "shopkins" and "beanie boos" but she has loads of them. She likes dolls and teddy bears too but again has loads. She has a decent bicycle too. She's a bright spark but I don't want to expose her to screens/apps/games just yet. Her friends are going for devices or surprises too it seems.

I think Santa needs to being something "big" but we'll also include a few smaller items in the stocking.

What about jigsaws?

Boggy Turf

Makapakka wrote: »

What about jigsaws?

Yeah I don't think she's done a jigsaw for years. Not a bad idea.

Pixied

Sylvanian Families.

Smyths have a lovely set half price at €99 at the mo. It has a tree house and log house.

A lot of the 9 year olds around me, have suddenly gotten into them. I thought the children would be a little old at 9 but no. They love them, and also love the Beanie Boos, Shopkins etc..

Lisha

My daughter's surprise is usually make n do stuff, coloured paper, glue, glitter, stickers, pretty boxes to put it in. Loads of stuff like that. Fancy paper if I can find it.

enviro

Highly recommend this.

http://www.smythstoys.com/ie/en-ie/outdoor/c-655/scooters/p-14864/space-scooter-pink/

Chuchote

A bicycle?

https://eurocycles.com/kids-bikes/girls-bikes/?search_query=&page=1&limit=21&sort=featured&My%20Childs%20Age=9%20Years&My%20Childs%20Age=10%20Years&category=1678&is_category_page=1

Roller blades?

Something lovely from the Make Shop in Lincoln Place, part of the Science Gallery - https://dublin.sciencegallery.com/shop but they have much more and lovelier things in there

A Wayang-style paper puppet theatre? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kikkerland-Shadow-Puppet-Theater-Set/dp/B01BU5AMHO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479928213&sr=8-1&keywords=paper+puppet+theatre

hairyprincess

Heeleys or a go kart

KingBrian2

Get her roller blades.

boobar

allthedoyles wrote: »

A hatchimal - €80 in Smyths

Very hard to get them...I queued up today, there was about 100 people in the queue, 50 hatchimals arrived, gone in minutes.

Posy

boobar wrote: »

Very hard to get them...I queued up today, there was about 100 people in the queue, 50 hatchimals arrived, gone in minutes.

I hope you got one!!

orthsquel

Boggy Turf wrote: »

She likes "shopkins" and "beanie boos" but she has loads of them. She likes dolls and teddy bears too but again has loads. She has a decent bicycle too. She's a bright spark but I don't want to expose her to screens/apps/games just yet. Her friends are going for devices or surprises too it seems.

I think Santa needs to being something "big" but we'll also include a few smaller items in the stocking.

If she had a craft interest like pottery, clay moulding, knitting, making stuff with a sewing machine, you could either get the toy version or the real thing. Same with instruments - Lidl have offers this week of various instruments if she had the interest from drums to clarinet, trumpet, harmonica... but you can always look at various music instruments outlets (like Walton's in Dublin). Same too with general arts and crafts stuff, you could nearly get the proper stuff rather than the toy version. Although you can get her toy version of craft things that could get her into the real thing.

Outdoor stuff could be great - I like the suggestions of the roller blades and the scooter, it can be something she can do with her friends, or with family and a change from cycling.

Puzzles and jigsaws are always good, it's good down time and you can get a huge variety from character ones or scenery and can get harder with larger ones and smaller pieces to 3D ones.

Would she or her friends be into imaginary play or dressing up? There might be an idea in that.

What about furniture for her bedroom? Even small things, like a cute chest to keep all her toys and stuff organised, there's loads of different things sold for toy storage at a variety of retailers, incl gift shops and some with character or interesting coverings. If she had a particular e.g. Disney character she liked you could get curtains or bed spreads and pillows or cushions from some department stores. A beanbag or those large bean bag sized cushions to sit on might be an idea too. Or comfy rugs... anything to make her bedroom like her own.

Boggy Turf

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I should point out that we live in rural county Galway. We live on a quiet road but I still need be careful with the roller blades, gokarts, scooters etc

Chuchote

Boggy Turf wrote: »

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I should point out that we live in rural county Galway. We live on a quiet road but I still need be careful with the roller blades, gokarts, scooters etc

Trampoline?

Boggy Turf

Chuchote wrote: »

Trampoline?

We have one, it's full of leaves...

boobar

Posy wrote: »

I hope you got one!!

Sadly no. The last person to get one was about 4 ahead of me in the queue.

Posy

Oh nos.

Milly33

Do she like art and crafts.. You could get her a set. like Candle making or bath bomb making set they were always great fun.

Funky storage containers for all her lefo bits and pieces.
Her own dresser, not one of those plastic one but a proper mini one made up..
salon kit for doing her nails..

Chuchote

Meccano? Does it still exist? Ah, it does! http://www.meccano.com/

It would help if we had a hint about what she likes. If she's like me at nine and her favourite place is 40 feet up a tree firing off a cap gun/ on the bike racing along local roads, that suggests one kind of present; if she's like another in the family and played and played with one of those Indonesian theatres with paper puppets on wires, that suggests another; if she loves reading, or particular kinds of computer games, or handicrafts, another…

now online

A karaoke machine approx €60 in Smyths. A keyboard around the same price but add another €20 fir the stool. An instant camera, my daughter is asking for this. If I think of anymore I'll get back to you!

Jayop

As I said in the other thread for the 12 year old I'd go for a Polaroid camera.

http://www.harveynorman.ie/digital-cameras/fuji-instax-digital-camera.html