One more “big” present for 8 year old!!

[3littlemincemeatpies]

Please scroll by if your not into piles, Santa sacks or big Christmas’s as really can’t be doing with the judgey comments

My youngest daughters pile is looking a sparse compared to her sisters and needing something to bulk it out...

In terms of what I have spent she probably has had the most as we have bought her an iPad to open while her sisters open new phones (contracted) and she has the LOL chalet to open/share with my middle DD but because of this I was very wary about what else I spent and now having got it all out and had a look her pile looks very sparse

She will obviously have a stocking and then her Santa sack has...

The James Herriot Treasury
Cross country colours for her and pony
New bedding set
A couple of LOL’s
A water proof jacket with her and pony’s name on
A chilli style water bottle
An owleeze
Riding socks
Maileg Christmas mouse

What can I add and what have I missed?

I don’t want to buy tat and am happy with what I have spent however being 8 and still a big believer in the magic, I’m worried she is going to wonder why her sisters piles are double in size...

I have so far considered a blue tooth microphone (though her big sister is getting a proper one for her January birthday as she has singing lessons and worried it will take away from that)

And the LOL carry case/staff thing which I think could be quite practical for storage as well as fun...

Wondering if anyone has any other ideas that are outside the box, not tat but not overly expensive.

She is an outdoorsy little girl who actually had chickens and a coop and a new shavings fork on her list, 😂 she loves all animals and also has a good imagination and likes making up games with soft toys and little knitted animals my mum makes her.

She also LOVES the dreaded LOL’s but wondering if we have bought her enough of that. I also don’t want to go down the Arts and Crafts route (we have lots) Experience’s or Clothes

Help?!

Again like others, I think she will be thrilled with what she has but a side note / the lol stand/display thing is the biggest pile of shite I’ve ever bought in my life - avoid like the plague!!!!!

Do they sell pony styling heads???? Maybe I should invent one if they don’t?!

Has you seen the Maxima matching fleece rugs and headcollars? My DD has the blue stars they are lovely.

New Pyjamas and a nice dressing gown and slippers?

Fitness tracker?

A microscope.
A magic set.
A chemistry set.
Lego.
Headphones.

My dd got a microscope last year and has thoroughly loved it

OMFG CHICKENS? My 8yo would love chickens! Pity we live in a flat.

How about:
Nature book (trees, birds, hedgerow animals etc)
Women of NASA Lego (cos it's awesome)
Carcassonne boardgame

A beanbag?

Or one of those hooded blankets - my 8 year old loves her unicorn one, with matching slippers?

My DD8 also loves the board game Labyrinth

How about a pogo stick? Outdoorsy, physically large when wrapped but not overly expensive.

What about something like a game. Jenga or somwthing? Operation.? Frustration?

Ps I'm like you and like to buy lots and hate that one has a smaller pile.. Alrho this Yr my ds has but he has a new xbox which has cost more than the nearly 2 Yr old entire stack alone. But still felt I had to bulk it up. :/

Omg Ioved my pogo stick.
What about a basketball hoop?

Do you have a costco card? They have some giant character cushions that are super soft and very pretty. We used them to bulk piles a couple of years ago as toddler stuff comes in huge boxes and DS's pile looked tiny. I think they were £10-15.

This is brilliant and she will get hours of interesting exploration

https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-build-your-own-electronics-set/p4297427?sku=238114930&sppc=2dx92700046625848578&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIntS3m5ay5gIVFuDtCh2yOQP5EAQYASABEgKM6PDD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

“the lol stand/display thing is the biggest pile of shite I’ve ever bought in my life - avoid like the plague!!!!!”

I’m going to disagree (though I bought our long while back when they were £20ish reduced). Our stand got used with more than the doll house. For concerts, apparently. It was also great for tidying up all the dolls.

I think actually adding more undermines what you have bought. It just becomes so much...stuff.

I would get her one of the LOL big box gifts if she's into LOL's and you want a 'big' gift. I got the lala baby surprise for my DD, the box is huge and she will love it (because she's obsessed).

The other thing I'm doing is a themed box of gifts (Harry Potter in this case). Things like pjs, socks, mugs, chocolates, a canvas print, hot water bottle etc. All fairly inexpensive from Primark or poundland but she will love opening. I'll wrap them all in harry potter wrapping and then wrap the box. You could probably do an LOL themed one: home bargains, B&M, poundland and Primark all have inexpensive LOL stuff and you could add on a couple of balls maybe.

Or the new winter lol surprise balls have string like baubles. Perhaps buy a few of those, wrap in crepe paper and decorate with gold stars but leave the string showing and hide a few in the tree with a note from FC doing a treasure hunt. Her pile might not be as big but she would have the fun of searching for her last gifts

How about a window mounted bird feeder - Wicked Uncle do one. A hedgehog house and food. Alternatively a magazine subscription - I know it’s not going to bulk out the present pile but she’ll enjoy it all year. I’m looking at National Geographic for kids but pondering other animal titles.