Present ideas for 8 year old who doesn’t “do” toys?

[Originalfoogirl]

We have an 8 year old who isn’t really in to toys. It seems her friends are all getting bikes, scooters, heelies etc. Our girl has a disability so these are no use.

She loves crafts and books, but over the years has had most of the craft sets which are doing the rounds and she has a gazillion books. She has a Nintendo DS so a game might be an idea, but i’m wondering what else folks would get their 8 year old?

We have three children who are getting some less mainstream presents I think!

Old Guinness world record books
Long iPad charging lead
Magnetic fidget balls
Campfire roasting fork for marshmallows over the fire pit that we are going to buy
Desk organiser
Long balloons
Specific cool bits of Lego, taps, ladder etc

Previously the Melissa and Doug magic kit went down well.

We are buying portable CD players and some books on cd for our dc.

Kindle paperwhite and a voucher for some books
Money
Indoor skydiving experience
Childrens cookery course (Rick Stein does one as do others)
Theme park trip with fastpasses so no queues

Sewing machine
Knitting kit

We have the Melissa and Doug magic set and it went down really well. Other popular items from this weekends 9th Birthday:

Fidget dodecagon
Big book of Why
Anything Harry Potter
Pottery painting voucher
Nerf gun & target
Articulate game

Something musical maybe - keyboard, karioke machine, CD player and CDs.

I got mine a digital camera

A ukulele. Not too expensive to buy and fairly simple to learn.

A microscope
Pair of binoculars
A crystal growing kit

Camera
Board game
Lego
Special item of clothing (if she is interested in clothes/shoes)
Something for her bedroom e.g. fairy lights, cushion, throw, beanbag chair etc.
Stationary (Smiggle or whatever the current fashion is at her school)

^^Microscope is a great idea.

My dd(8) is similar - she is getting

• Smiggle stationery
• Slime making kit
• Wreck this Journal
• Guinness Book of Records
• Wimpy Kid book
• hoodie for fav sports team
• cinema vouchers
• cake pop maker
• exploding kittens card game

VTech Kidi Superstar?

DD1 (6) loves hers. It can also be adjusted and used whilst sitting.

Magic set
Balloon molding
Any type of puzzle - like fitting bricks together
Simon Air game or Monopoly Empire
DVDs
Socks

I'm giving our niece this light up tracing pad.

My 9 year old is always using my glue gun (a small one from hobbyctaft)

Any recommendations on sewing machine and how much supervision would an 8 year old girl need to use one?

Just got dd a little video camera (65 quid) for her bday. She loves it x

DD is 8 and Harry Potter mad, shes read my old versions of the first 3 but brought the illustrated version of Prisoner of Azkaban with her birthday money. It is truly beautiful so I am buying her the other 2 for christmas. I picked up some HP tshirts in Asda earlier in the year which shell get to and the audio books 1-3 (the book people) to listen to mostly in the car but she likes audiobooks at bedtime.

The book people also have the chronicles of Narnia CDs unfortunately my DD isnt a big fan of those.

I managed to get the nintendo switch and a game yesterday. Its just DD and I and we arent really a gaming home but Im doing an OU degree and Im hoping she can entertain herself with it while I study.

We got our 9 year old a Kindle Fire for his birthday and downloaded the BorrowBox app onto it so he can borrow ebooks from the library. And audiobooks. He loves it and has now set up a file for his 6 year old brother who also loves reading on it which is brill as he's never been that keen on reading.

When ours was that age she had a music player with docking station and board games. Labyrinth is excellent.

Cooking stuff - funky measuring cups, her own rolling pin, apron.

A Kindle sort of thing with paperlike display (rather than illuminated). Mine always need books.

Microwaveable wheat pack / hot water bottle equivalent

Non toy ideas - science kits, books fiction and non fiction, stationery, personalised towels for mine this year, bath stuff, socks, pants, umbrella, cookery stuff if interested, dito sewing kits, initial mugs

Oh and I got my 8 year old snap circuits as his Main present.

Bean bag
Ds games
Ds case and accessories - etsy is good for quirky or personalised stuff
I got iPad bean bag stands for my 2 last year...get used a lot
Magazine yearly subscription if she likes reading/crafts
Wind up torch
Crystal growing kit
Fancy toothbrush...mine are getting light up lightsaber ones!
Bath bombs?
Slime making kit

Well, I can promise you are all coming up with great suggestions, because she actually has quite a few of these, so you’re all thinking along the right lines. Some great suggestions for stuff she doesn’t have too, thanks so much.

Someone suggested the iPad osmo, anyone tried this. I like snap circuits idea, she definitely will love that.

- exploding kittens card game

We bought this for Mr Foo last year. We played it the first time, confused, wondering why it was supposed to be fun. Then we really got it. Hands down, best card game ever!