Ideas for a nearly 9 year old girl

[OohMrDarcy]

She is into:
Penguins
Butterflies
in fact - most animals and insects... she is a real animal lover. We have 2 guinea pigs and she has stick insects

She enjoys reading (though has phases and dips in and out)
She wants to 'design clothes for her teddies' so I'm going to get her a sewing kit I think and maybe some fabric

She's is getting into clothes etc, and starting to grow up - which I'm keen to encourage whilst keeping it age appropriate - so for me that means no makeup, though some of her friends have it

I was going to suggest a sewing machine but see you've already thought of that :)

How about getting her room done up? (wrapped pressies could be duvet set and curtains etc)

Shopping vouchers/lunch vouchers for a day out in the sales?

How about a nice camera if she doesn't have and you are not getting her a mobile phone? Subscription to a magazine maybe?

Maybe a "designer" back for school? e.g Superdry backpack.

Magazine subscription is great at that age. We have The Phoenix, which comes weekly. My DDs have loved it from age 7, oldest one is 13 and still enjoys it. There is also a good one called I think Discovery Box, which might suit your dd as animal lover.

We moved house last year and I gave her a more 'grown up' room then

and - when she turned 8 in feb she had a day shopping with my sister (much better at clothes and stuff than me) And I got her a camera!

Magazine subscription is a good idea... I got her the national geographic kids one when she was 7... will hunt out what is out there!

Does she like art/craft? Some lovely animal inspired craft sets from Djeco and Aquarellum like this and like this.

Have a look at Klutz Paper Fashions on Amazon - it's a cool book of patterned papers and stencils with stick on gems etc to design and make 2D outfits. It comes with mini hangers to hang them on.

Does she like writing, how about a type writer

I'm thinking about an iPod so dd (9 in nov) can play music in her room.

Their is also a fashion maneqquin you can make clothes for, for the life of me I cannot remember the name.

I also have a 7yo and the Nikon cool pix camera has been enormously popular. Waterproof and lots of editing features.

dd1 would like:
Terry Pratchett books - the Nomes ones, and dodger
A better music system - whether a new CD player to replace her £20 Tesco jobby, or MP3 with speakers
theatre tickets or cinema vouchers
Anything from Paperchase
Nice toiletries - she got a bag full of little freebies in the Molton Brown shop and was thrilled with this (although if I'm paying I'm thinking more Bodyshop than Molton Borwn)

imip - Harumika is the mannequin you're thinking of.

DD had one and loved it, only you can't "keep" each creation you make unless you photograph them.

DD would love those butterfly sets.. she does love art and craft stuff - but I try not to get much as its what she gets off most others and gets a bit overloaded for a while!

She has Harumika I think thats what you are talking about imip?
She has a little ipod shuffle and a camera already - she loves both.

Might get her some nice paperchase type stationary actually - am sure she'd like that, she's always writing notes and things

She sounds similar to my 9yo dd

Would she like the butterfly kit from insect lore? link

My dd has a subscription to the RSPB monthly magazine which she really enjoys, also the David Walliams books have been a huge hit this year.

Also lego is always popular, she likes the lego creation type kits.

This Christmas I am debating getting her some sort of iPad/tablet type thing

What about this?:

www.brightminds.co.uk/native-american-bead-loom/p245

or this:

www.brightminds.co.uk/glitter-dresses-glitter-boards/p1476

or this:

www.interplayuk.com/fablab/invent-a-scent-perfume

DD1 is 9 straight after christmas and this is her list so far :

Horrible sciences Chemical chaos
HK Nail polish set
Bird Cage jerwellery holder
minion nail polish set
Disney Infinity 3.0
aladin figure
The last apprentice book set
Sew cool sewing machine
inkoo
smens pencils

My DD will be 9 before Christmas. She hasn't started thinking about Christmas yet, but for her birthday has asked for hair accessories to do her nice. She particularly wants some gadget that will braid her hair for her.

She also loves nail polishes, stationery (paper chase, blott shop and smiggle are all hits!), and 'trendy clothes'.

I find 9 to be a difficult age - she doesn't play with toys much any more, (having an older sister doesn't help!) but too young for many of the older things. She does want make up, but as I don't let her older sister wear much, there's not much chance of that!

Other than that, I will include the usual - book, DVD, latest now type album...