DD10 wants a surprise from Santa

[IndieRo]

My DD is 10 and is getting a hover board and a PlayStation 4 to share with her sister who is 12. I have bought her pyjamas, a McDonald's voucher and hot chocolate set as little surprises but I got the impression today she was looking for a bigger surprise. We have been up to our eyes doing a house renovation and are staying in my Grandmothers the last 4 weeks. Normally we probably would have picked up other bits and pieces but the PlayStation was 350 euro and hover board was 170. Any suggestions for a surprise. She's a tomboy, loves football.

Suggestion is to not expect Santa to visit given you have spent over 500 euros so far. I'd think a ten year old believing in FC could get her vulnerable to comments at school.

If she follows Arsenal, a map showing where all the Championship teams are, which may be needed next season!

She's getting plenty!

Surprise is Santa isn’t real?? Do you think she’s testing you?

Why have you told her what she is getting already?

Does she know what's coming?

She’s totally trying to figure out if he’s real or not and has written him a letter and if it doesn’t come true he’s not real I am dreading that age!

@snookercue,i haven't told her, she asked for those gifts... Which is normal.

@nosswith, I'm not actively encouraging her to still believe in Santa but I haven't told her he's not real. She's not going to school saying she believes in Santa. Definatey
not an Arsenal fan

She is without doubt testing me alright. We will have to tell her the truth after Christmas.

to the comments about your DD still believing in Santa. What kind of awful human being tells their kid Santa doesn't exist in a pandemic?

A surprise doesn't need to be expensive, but I like to go for the wow factor. I got DS a generic AirPod equivalent last year, only cost £15 but wowed him!

Nutella with her name on it. Always goes down well here!
Some posh hot chocolate.

I think you’ve spent enough personally, anything else, especially from Santa should be under €10

,i haven't told her, she asked for those gifts... Which is normal.

Ah, ok. My mistake.

@nosswith

Best comment of the year!

Agree a surprise is an amazing gift that they love. No need for great expense. Mine fave gift is pringles and dip. That's true.

Special but cheap ideas for a 10 yr old...
A 10p with her initial on it (they released A-Z a year or so ago).
A fossil.
Polished stones.
Rare 50p.
A crystal.
I would package any of the above in a lovely box that would cost more than the gift itself.

A cushion (footy team?) which she can sit on when she's playing Playstation.

A surprise... some coal/sticks

FIFA 21, For the PS4. Or FIFA 20 for quarter of the price. They're basically the same game.

I don’t really understand why Mumsnet seems to have an age limit on believing in Santa!

Wrap all the doors up.
Grow your own chilli set.
Try to pull it back a bit in future years unless or even if you are very wealthy, its a bad message to get so much high value items.

Thank you for the lovely suggestions, definately a lot of good ideas. To all the bah humbugs Merry Christmas @20:17ScrapThatThen, seriously... I'd hardly think a PlayStation to share with her sister and a hover board is extravagant. Christmas is once a year and my children only get gifts on their birthday and Christmas. @20:08MrsWhites, its crazy isn't it, anybody over the age of 2 should be told there's no Santa and if they still believe well your are effectively setting them up to be bullied in school. I would imagine the people saying that it's crazy for a 10 year old to believe in Santa are actually the parents of the children in school who ruin it by saying Santa doesn't exist. Let children be children. @20:05DigitalGhost, fifa 20 comes with it @19:12 Summerhouse, she absolutely adores savoury food so definately going to pick her up some lovely crisps and my Mam gave her a little bag if crystals a few years ago and she loves them so will look for a nice little set, thank you.

If she likes crystals, how about a set to grow her own? Or a proper chemistry set?
What sort of things is she interested in?
My goddaughter wanted a magic trick set at that age.

@LutinDeSapin,i didn't know you could grow your own. Where would I get that do you know. She's a tomboy, plays football, very outdoorsy but she actually loves her baby doll and pram (waiting for the comments that she's too old for that) I'm actually thinking about a pair of rollerskates.

I don’t get why you have to sit down and make a big thing of Santa not being real. Isn’t it fun just to play along?! Most kids figure it out for themselves but continue to play along and keep the magic alive. Both mine seem to like fidget toys, DD has a poppet fidget toy in her stocking, other ideas, maybe a travel mug or stationary with her favourite football team on or a casual t.shirt/beanie hat with the team logo on (they are a lot cheaper than the match shirts).

Pair of heeleys? Can be picked up in sports direct for about £20.

@Groundhogdayzz,very true, they do play along and that's ok. We told our dd12 before she started secondary school. My children are quite innocent as they should be. Cannot stand children who are grown up before they should be. She has been asking me for a thermos so she can bring soup to school so a travel mug thermos is a great idea. @ThatBitch,she has Healys, but thank you for the suggestion.

www.amazon.co.uk/4M-Crystal-Growing-Experimental-Kit/dp/B00ISQKHTM/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Crystal+growing+kit&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1608248556&sr=8-5

www.amazon.co.uk/4M-Kidz-Labs-Crystal-Science/dp/B00XCK9LNC/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Crystal+growing+kit&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1608248556&sr=8-8

www.amazon.co.uk/National-Geographic-Crystal-Growing-Kit/dp/B07XZRMD51/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=Crystal+growing+kit&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1608248556&sr=8-9

Roller skates and skateboards around our way. Archery kit.

It’s a bit tricky given COVID, but as she’s outdoorsy, could you look into geocaching near you & see if Santa could leave her some instructions on how to get started with that for a surprise? Does also mean an adult going to mind her, obviously, but Santa let you in on a global treasure hunt is definitely a surprise?

As PPs have said, a surprise doesn’t have to be expensive, just thoughtful. I’ve a name that you can’t ever get pencils/keyrings/assorted-desirable-to-children-tat etc of & I’ve STILL the mug Santa brought me with my name on it when I was wee. I may or may not [have] be[en] “a little monster” as the mug also states... If your DD’s with me on the “custom items only” bench (I’d a puzzle of my own name as a toddler) she might like something if you’ve yet time to get it made. (You can get stuff so cheaply & quickly now it might be doable...)

Would she enjoy something like Top Trumps cards? You can get all kinds of football ones of those - & of course they’d be a non-screen thing if you find yourselves stuck in.

It’s really not that unusual for 10yos to believe in Santa either btw OP. Lots of it depends on their peer group & demographics - & how those children who don’t believe are encouraged to behave around those who still do. Unsurprisingly, if they’re generally in environments where their peers who no longer believe are expected to help maintain the illusion for children who still do rather than go about shattering it, it’s more likely they’ll believe for longer. I never understand why people are surprised by children believing - “what credulous fools, trusting the people they rely on for everything not to have randomly made up this elaborate story that big businesses, politicians & government bodies also support...”