Present for the little girl whose sister who has everything

[RedToothBrush]

My niece will be 11 months old at Christmas. If that wasn't hard enough her parents are loaded and her older sister has everything already (and I do mean everything) so I am very reluctant to buy more toys tat as I think its a) not needed b) won't be appreciated. I found last Christmas pretty gross as the elder sister just had piles and piles of presents she just opened and stuffed to one side with no real interest or appreciation. Her parent's have already said they intend to 'regift' items from the elder daughter to the younger one.

Her elder sister is going through a phase of feeling threatened by her little sister too and is being exceptionally grabby and snatchy. Unfortunately this is being somewhat indulged by her parents so it also can't be something that's going to cause too much jealously for a 3 year old as the younger one will end up with no present otherwise.

I also don't really want to get anything along the lines of 'my 1st christmas' as I think that will tread on the toes of certain other relatives. I have considered a money box, but I think she may already have one.

So far pretty much the only thing that I can think of to get her is a nice personalised book.

I want her to have something that's definitely 'hers' but isn't just bought for the sake of buying a present. Its also further complicated by the fact that I have a birthday to buy for so quickly after Christmas.

I'm really stuck with it. Help!

If there is one item I would steer well clear of - its money boxes! I got three for first child and a friend got 12!!

What a mess, the younger one should be able to have something without it being taken and deserves more than hand me downs.

I'd go with clothes as they can't be taken, just buy the next size up if you're worried they will get too many.

Having two children under four I can understand it IS difficult to know what to get for the younger which the older one doesn't already have, and which won't really be played with by the older sibling mostly.

Few ideas:
Frugi do some absolutely gorgeous clothes
If there are outdoorsy, PoP do great outdoor wear?
Have they got much duplo? You can never have enough and with a birthday close to Christmas too she will need things to tide her over all year; my 17 month old has been playing with duplo for a few months now.
A charm bracelet? We got this for dd's first birthday from my mum. You could then add a charm each year and solve this problem for a long time!
A lovely music box? We bought dd one for her first birthday and she loves it - the wooden animal ones in John Lewis.

An annual pass for a local farm park/soft play type place? A gift you can get for both kids without seeming like you've not thought about them individually, since it would be something they would both enjoy.

Some great ideas here.
daizeymay.co.uk

The little girl I look after got for her 1st birthday/christmas last year - a dolls pram and baby, scuttlebug, leapfrog scout, pull along duck, click clack car track and still plays with all these things a year on.

What about Scout - you can personalise it with the littleones name

oh and the fisher price tea set is a hit too :)

What about hooded towels? My youngest DD (DC4) got a peppa pig one when she was 1 and loved it. You could also get a different one for the older girl.

Or swimming costumes and goggles.

Each of my 4 have a cushion in their room with their name on it.

The small wooden stools that you can personalise are lovely too.

Bath toys are always needing replaced.

Or can you get things for the garden. 3 of mine have birthdays within 4 weeks of xmas?? We have got slides, wheel barrows, sand pits etc to save for summer months.

Wheely bugs mentioned by a PP are great. Ours has had lots of use.

Or we got DC4 her own small doll and buggy for her birthday.

Get a family pass to the zoo, or family membership to the National Trust, or something similar. It's expensive enough to feel like you haven't been a skinflint by buying a joint gift, it's not a 'thing' which can be argued over, and they might actually all go out and enjoy it!

Do you have a pottery painting place near by? Ours does lovely vouchers, you could get one for both girls and they could do it together (obviously the patent leading the little one!).