What to buy a v difficult to buy for 8 year old girl

[lavendersun]

I can't think of anything to buy, nothing at all so far! She doesn't like Hello Kitty, Moshi monsters (sp), One Direction, Loom Bands, etc., etc..

Likes - reading, we probably buy 15 books a month, Lego, she has more than enough, Shleich Fantasy - has enough, new watch recently, art - has enough supplies, sewing - has a sewing box/kit I put together for her last birthday, music (v musical)- has a piano and recorder am reluctant to introduce another instrument/anything else musical. V outdoorsy still uses her swing/climbing frame with tent on it. Has a bike, scooter, pony. We have a family iPad which she is allowed to use and she has our old iPod with a docking station in her room for books on tape.

Any ideas, I am lost, she never asks for anything, has tons of £ in her pocket money tin and never spends it - what on earth can I buy for Xmas?

Thanks, this has been so helpful - probably a stupid question re pogo sticks, we only have gravel and grass here, no hard surface at all - is that a problem?

If she likes sewing and making try this shop, loads of great stuff there.

www.brightonwhirligig.com/

She sounds quite crafty - does she knit? It seems like quite a popular hobby among the young now - lessons/materials for this?
A really nice ornament/picture for her room? (I remember being obsessed with ornaments at this age, and wanting to collect things related to certain animals I really liked. Most of my collection was, in retrospect, hideous, but there are certain nice pieces I still have today).
Nice, age appropriate, piece of jewellery which again might be something she might keep into adulthood?
Is there an item of furniture for her room she might like?
Lovely vintage dolls' house?
For small gifts, as she loves music, any CDs she doesn't have and might like? (my dd's most used possession is her CD of Swan Lake, but she is only two - I guess they are more accessible items, and therefore less desirable, as dc get older).

pogo stick would b fine on grass as long as it was dry otherwise would be too slippy - also, whilst you want to get good quality be careful in terms of how good a one you get as the springs can be really strong so unless she has a bit of weight it can be difficult to jump.

was going to say what Augusta said - room makeover?

Re pogo stick, don't get a really cheap one as it won't allow her to bounce properly. Weight (or lack of) shouldn't be an issue. DS has had his since he was a very skinny and slight 7 year-old, but he managed to get going on it very quickly. Gravel might be tricky but grass if not too wet should be OK...

More suggestions! Have tons of science stuff and she often lights up her lego creations and puts buzzers on the doors but would be interested in any special looking kits (even though we prob have all the parts anyway!).

Have metronome, netball hoop, have tried knitting, had special jewellery made, collects (naff) fairy things for her dressing table, room refurbished this year. Have lovely dolls house, wooden castle (that are never used) from GPs, honestly she prefers a cardboard box. Gave her our old iPod touch.

She prefers to make her own things up rather than me buy sewing kits, have learnt that lesson.

I do have a much better list though, Biscuits there is a pogo stick on Amazon

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008D2GZHE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3VESJUHBR3YTY&coliid=I30JJ67O3LGZ57

is that the sort of thing I need? Will have to weigh her as have no idea how much she weighs.

Thanks, you are all fab.

Sorry Lavender- we don't have it yet; I'm about to order the imaginaires studio for my DD (8 also) for Christmas, but I think she's going to love it.
I'm a bit stuck other than that (our 8yos sound v similar!) in that she has lots of things already (that she likes and appreciates) and doesn't need anything. She hasn't asked for anything either- she's the kind of child that asks for a packet of crayons for Christmas (I know, only on MN!).
I think I may look for a CD player for her bedroom, as she adores music, but her CD player is v flaky (i.e. often won't play CDs, particularly those made on a computer, eg for her music lessons).
Someone recommended Stew Magazine to me too, so I may get her a subscription- good idea if you're remote, as it will come through the post.
I'll get lots of books for her too, always do. Atm she's just devoured the entire How To Train Your Dragon Series (rather different from the film plots! But excellent nonetheless), I want her too read the Ruby Redfort books next, as I've heard good things about them, and I'd really like her to try some classics, such as Little Women, Little House on the Prairie, Robinson Crusoe etc next.

if she likes arty crafty things in general then do you have a scrap store near you?

They usually cost a token amount to join - our local one is £10 per annum but then you get to buy all sorts of weird and wonderful crafty bits and bobs to make things from.

DS1 (9) has plenty of toys and doesn't really need any more and I'm seriously thinking of giving him a large box for christmas with a voucher for him to buy whatever bits and bobs he wants. a tenner would buy piles of stuff - far more than you'd get from a craft store, plus he would be in seventh heaven deciding what to get. I was thinking I might then be able to use a trip there as bribery a reward at the end of term for doing well rather than smaller rewards throughout...

how about a small microscope to look at things - or a camera (or web cam) that is really magnifying? Or a kit to make animations? A real stethoscope - you can get them pretty cheaply on ebay.

I know you're not keen on anything musical but lots of schools are doing ukeleles with primary age kids - would be a completely different sort of instrument and if you didn't force her to do lessons but let her watch some dvds or you tube videos she might enjoy picking it up herself.

They do sound a bit similar Nerf - definitely doesn't need anything, really takes care of everything she has and is happy with a cardboard box most of the time - illustrated one beautifully last week and turned it into a bed in her summerhouse.

I have added the Imaginaires studio to my wish list which is looking much healthier.

My DD's CD player gave up the ghost in the summer so we donated our iPod touch and bought her a dock - she listens to audio books and has the Hobbit and HP film tracks on it (which she constantly plays on the piano).

Yes to reading HTTYD (although we don't have a TV so haven't seen them yet). She has read Little Women and adored it, her English teacher suggested National Velvet for her this week which is a nice book I had forgotten about. Swallows and Amazons is also a fab series of books.

Will look at Ruby Redfort and Stew Magazine too.

My8 year old sounds similar, although she absolutely adores her kindle paper white. Can't recommend it highly enough.

She also loves her slack line, which are great fun if you have 2 suitable trees.

Aquila subscription?

My DDs are getting tickets to the cirque du soleil from grandparents. It's coming to the royal Albert hall in jan for 2 months.

we got this pogo stick for my son - who was a big strapping lad at the time - and it was pretty stiff and he didn't really get going on it till he was a lot heavier than the minimum weight so I wouldn't recommend it.

www.amazon.co.uk/Flybar-2040-Master-Pogo-Stick/dp/B000KDQJL6/ref=sr_1_9?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1410300937&sr=1-9&keywords=pogo+stick

If she loves making things from cardboard boxes then I'd definitely get some makedo - it honestly doesn't look much but the fasteners in it are great for attaching boxes together etc to build big structures. i'd ignore the specific kit ones and just buy a set that has lots of different fasteners in it - its much better than sticky tape and less dangerous that an upholstery stapler speaks from experience

you can get a lot of the classic free on kindle though my son never really took to it - he preferred real books - so he sold it. He has a Nook now as we managed to pick it up cheaply and it was the glowlight version so ideal for him to take camping to save weight in his bag and he can read it in the dark. He still prefers paper books to read at home.

I now have a list, I love the magazines and have ordered subscriptions for both Stew and Aquila ... not for Christmas though - still strongly believes in FC so it is wrapped presents under the tree and I didn't want to wrap a magazine.

Have:

Diablo and stilts (did a circus workshop in the summer and loved it so thanks for that)
Makedo
Proper Meccano
Zoob - love it
Nerf's books and design studio.
Thinking of an Aura chromatic lyre - know she would love it and it is something to play 'casually' rather than something else we need lessons for - really don't want to add another EC lesson as we do so much already.
Books
Djeco
Probably a few ¼m lengths of pretty fabric and ribbons.

Husband thinks no to a pogo stick as he had one growing up and reckons she wouldn't use it much on the lawn (?).

So pleased I asked as I would still be struggling for ideas.

I was going to suggest a subscription to The Phoenix, but I may be too late. My 8yo loves it.

I got dd1 Meccano for her 8th birthday and its been a big hit. I got a kit which makes 25 different models and has a battery motor. Dd is hooked and DH loves it almost as much.

It's the proper metal Meccano though. The mixed buckets are plastic Meccano which is rubbish.

Watching this thread with interest though as a bit stuck for dd's Christmas tbh.

Ditto subscription to The Phoenix comic. My difficult to buy for loves it.

I have ordered this meccano - def proper metal - looks good value I thought

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000A42Z1S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We also love these here .. for anyone else slightly stuck, we enjoy helping!

www.timberkits.com/timberkits-shop_for_timberkits-page1.html#sthash.p9CKEigQ.dpbs

Its great to share ideas - I am thrilled with the magazine subscriptions - have never allowed magazines before apart from National Geo Kids as they always look like they are full of bits of tat.

Noting how I always cave in and buy something musical too.

Excellent thread am jotting down notes for next year

What about a baking set? not one of the children's set but some "proper" stuff that you put together in a basket. My DDs love baking and I am going to suggest MIL gets them this for Christmas (she is always asking for ideas, but will enjoy choosing different bits and pieces and packaging nicely).

Telescope / mini planetarium
Binoculars, compass, new rucksack, torch - "explorer's kit"
Chemistry set
Chess set (indoor or outdoor)
Stylophone

Roller boots /rollerblades
French knitting
Tacking?
Hair crimpers/hair straighteners
Gig tickets
Tickets for a red letter day
Kindle
X stich set

We do bake but she isn't really into it to be honest, apart from licking the bowl! Already have a decent telescope and everything on that list other than a stylophone! Most of it acquired when the Famous Five Survival guide was a massive hit, I managed to find a lovely vintage compass just like the one on the front of the book, new rucksack last Christmas. Have a lovely Alice in Wonderland chess set from GP's (just had a game before bed too).

Think that the stylophone is probably replicated by garage band on the iPad/ipod which we use when travelling.

Will try to compile a list of everything on this thread and post back tomorrow - very useful list!

Lavender I am enjoying this thread almost just because your life and your daughters life sounds so lovely. all the things you do and have done and are going to do.

I am getting mine Sleeping Queens card game and Diamnoique, or similar, a card game from Djeco. A puzzle called Rush hour, and amazeball puzzle.

Not sure what tacking is other than sailing (is that what you mean?), she has done a couple of sailing club cadet RYA courses and loved them - will do more but prob not in Winter!

Don't encourage things like hair styling at 8 here, plenty of time for that later on.

Have thought about french knitting before but think she would get bored, maybe not.

Already does cross stitch (prefers free styling to kits which can be interesting!).

We have lots of adventures so wouldn't do a Red Letter Day really ... and FC brings presents to unwrap and enjoy on the day!