Ideas please for a "young" DD aged 9 who wants pink plastic 5-min wonders

[TrickOrNinks]

I'm pleased that I don't have a DD asking for designer clothes or labelled anything or an iPod or a mobile phone which is better than her twenty quid "functional" model but it drives me mad that she sees things in shops and will say she'd like them for Christmas.

Example: We were buying a TV in Argos and she saw a thing on offer with a baby doll, bottle, (I am still BF DS aged 2.5 ), dummy, bib and said she would put it on her list. She has had countless baby dolls and accessories. All lost or damaged or thrown out in toy culls un-noticed.

We got her a DS Lite in June for her birthday and she uses it every day. Would really like to get her something along those lines, not necessarily a console but something she will actually use.

Failing that, books, DVDs, games, creative and science things but I'm worried by how she seems to want to play with age inappropriate stuff. Should I just get her a load of breakable shite from Pound-Stretcher which seems to be her preference, or, as the adult, try to extend her interests? It's getting a bit stressful knowing what to do tbh.

[Hulababy]

What about things like Sylvanian Family?

[PlumBumMum]

My dd will 9 in March we got her the I love Ponies stables last year as a surprise, she absolutely loves it and asking for the rest af the stuff this year which isn't much either

[morningpaper]

I would go for the age-inappropriate stuff - it's all good for their imagination and I secretly played with dolls until I was 35 14

Rosie's world from ELC

This doll is really nice

[ATortoiseisBetterThanABlackCat]

I find it a shame that 9 is classed as too old for dolls now a days. (Although i understand why you don't want to get one if others went unused)

[iheartdusty]

There are lots of kinds of dolls around - last year DD asked for baby Anabelle - barely played with her - but then asked for and loves an inexpensive porcelain headed doll. It was a question of getting the right one for her.

I looked at this one for ages but it's way out of budget!

and to go with it, you could introduce something that might have more staying power such as a camera?

[TrickOrNinks]

Thanks all, I wonder if she needs props though. I was told off for standing on her Literacy Group earlier

DH and I can't understand why she wants to go back to the toys she had when she was very small but then there are seven years between DS and DD. Maybe that's why?

[bumpybecky]

does she have the imagine baby or imagine teacher games for her ds?

[KristinaM]

i have a 9yo DD who loves dolls and plays with them all the time

her favourite is Rosie and the two similar ones, Robbie and Roxanne

our house is awash with dolls buggies, clothes, high chairs, car seats etc

[Fennel]

I don't think dolls are at all age-inappropriate for a 9yo, I used to play with them at that age, my 9yo dd1 has never played much with dolls but plays a lot with toys like Animal Hospital, Sylvanian Families, Playmobil. (she also likes marbles, conkers, geomag and anything bug-related, and has no interest in clothes or make-up or things other 9yo girls care about).

Have you tried things like Sylvanian Families? I know teenage girls who still collect/play with these so they seem to last beyond the age of playing into the age of collecting things.

[TrickOrNinks]

bumpybecky yes she does but isn't interested.

It's hard for her because my DS aged 2.5 is always raiding her room and bringing his booty downstairs. That's why I'm loathe to get more pet society silly figurines which he'll steal and choke on

[frazzled74]

you are lucky that she still enjoys being a child, indulge her!Next year she will prob be asking for GHDs and an epilator.

[colditz]

www.brightminds.co.uk/default.asp?part=B5235

[frazzled74]

sorry just read your last post, perhaps buy her a few poundland pink plastic bits and then some more grown up stuff, camera, photo album, ds game, clothes.

[TrickOrNinks]

colditz she had that for her birthday in June and it was a huge success! Might get her another one and look more closely at the sciencey stuff in general

That's very true about the GHDs and epilator frazzled, they do grow up very quickly and I should enjoy it.

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

You can get Bath Bomb making kits in the Science range, would she like that if she enjoyed the Perfume one?

Maybe you could get her baking set and her own personalised Apron to get her into some cooking?

My niece is 9 and she likes Fashion designing things teeny meez? these were a big hit with her, its not to grown up!

[TrickOrNinks]

Yep she loves fashion, we got a few things like that last year, that's a good one and the Bath Bomb kit is ace too, thank you!

[Fennel]

Or what about those sew your own doll kits, my 9 and 8 year old dds aren't into dolls but they do really like sewing (and all craft).

[BertieBotts]

How about some of the original (ie tiny) Polly Pockets? You can buy them on ebay still. I used to love them.

[TrickOrNinks]

Blimey, the Christmas list is writing itself, I'll delete the notepad file

Thank you very much.

[TrickOrNinks]

Oh and in case anyone else is watching this thread I'm considering Rosebud House. She's had various fairy / Barbie castles and room sets in the past and loved them, so why not have a last hurrah to childhood?

And DS will love it while she's at school and I'll be able to shower and blow-dry my hair if such a toy is upstairs

[PlumBumMum]

TricksOrNicks does she like horses, I was really surprised how much my dd enjoyed this and still does, she got a ds last year but played with this all christmas

My dd has also taken to kniting and loves all crafty thing

Glad I was watching this thread as it reminded me I found a note book in her room with sketches of clothes she was designing so I must add fashion wheel to list of ideas

although I have a funny feeling its an ipod this year

[JustGettingByMum]

How about some "girly"lego? My 8yo is quite young for her age, we bought her the "sponge bob" burger bar and she loved it! Have ordered the lego beach house for xmas (saw on another thread).

[TrickOrNinks]

Great ideas, thank you