Wow present inspo for a non girly girl aged 6

[HopscotchBanana]

DTwins will be 6 at Christmas.

Boy twin likes cars. Since he was old enough to clutch a toy. Cars everything. This makes him really easy to buy for because Father Christmas just brings him different variations of cars.

This year, after much begging to the jolly old chap, he's getting a very smart ride on, probably a toylander.

This brings us to the problem of DD. Who likes nothing. Well, she does. She likes animals. Quite fond of dinosaurs. Loves bugs. Also, addiction to the zipwire at forest school.

Before anyone gets their delicates in a twist, the point of saying she's "non girly" is that the typical big dolls house, or pram, or dolls, or unicorns, or fairys, or Barbies, play kitchens, kitties, fashion, TV characters large play sets that might typically be a little girls "wow" present, to match DS, DD wouldn't be interested in any. Not a single one.

What on earth can we get her so she feels like she has something as wonderful as her brother? She's just a tad too young for a pet of her own, and we also feel that pets shouldn't be given as presents.

Is there something quite spectacular that's dinosaur based? Can you get decent home zip wires? Or any other ideas? It doesn't have to be expensive, just something that she might actually squeal at. It's yet to happen unless it's the discovery of woodlice under a plant pot. DS is going to absolutely lose his mind when he sees his proper car.

Thank you in advance...

DGD loves her LeMieux horse and stable and accessories- whixh could be given with vouchers for riding lessons?

Or an Olli Ella pull along trolley or wagon filled with big exploring stuff like net, little insect hoover thing to catch and view them, a worm farm set, a butterfly set with caterpillar voucher to order them and watch them hatch… and binoculars.

Or a large dinosaur standing soft toy? Dd had a trex from Asda who was her height when she was around that age… plus some schliech dinosaurs?

Or a real dog cage complete with toy animals of good quality lifelike appeal… some pet accessories such as bowls and leads or brushes and a vet set and carry case. Could have dog cat rabbit etc. or just one animal… steiff make a gorgeous cavapoo type plush which is adorable.

Not sure of your budget… so hope these are of some use.

My daughter (now 8) is very non-girly - never into dolls, Barbie, etc. Some ideas based on things she has liked:

• Fossil excavation kit
• Lego set e.g.https://www.johnlewis.com/lego-creator-3in1-t-rex-figure-toy-dinosaur-set-31151/p112029013

• Snap circuits electronics kit
• Potions kit (e.g. The Potion Lab)
• Depending on your garden, something like that this https://www.solariq.shop/products/hyponix-ninja-warrior-obstacle-course_ae72c84e
• Outdoor den kit https://thedenkitco.com/collections/den-kits

Hope that's useful - I have lots of smaller book and activity recommendations if they would be helpful!

Are you trying to match a £5,000 Toylander?

OP, what about a PonyCycle?! They are amazing!

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/FWF7YUoq0ss

Or what about other outdoor type toys like a pogo stick or swing set/climbing set etc? I love the idea of a zip wire but think you would really have to know what you’re doing safetywise and have the space to install it… What about a fancy Wendy house? Modular outdoor toy building set to make her own houses/slides etc. Or go-kart type thing?

Also have a look at robot animal toys like Furreal friends (used to be a dinosaur one called Snackin’ Sam, now discontinued but can often find on second hand websites etc, I also like Tyler the Tiger a lot), Little Live pets, Present pets etc.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8275040?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=mmlmriawi&istBid=t&utm_custom6=LIA&deeplink=true&gclsrc=aw.ds&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157%7Cacid:629-618-1342%7Ccid:20368907733%7Cagid:%7Ctid:%7Ccrid:%7Cnw:x%7Crnd:11499051626256939425%7Cdvc:m%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:9190123&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20368907733&utm_term=8275040&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=629-618-1342&GPDP=true&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19671806872&gbraid=0AAAAAD9II9n7Qd6GXXKDtORNz7gE1WT1G&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIm-aA8qeBjwMVn5FQBh2pGyj0EAQYCiABEgICifD_BwE

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Present-Interactive-Plush-Sounds-Actions/dp/B08PR7MKXY

There used to be an expensive but amazing dinosaur robot pet toy called Pleo but it also seems to be discontinued now... Also one called Spinmaster Zoomer dino, again discontinued but suspect could be found on eBay etc.

How about riding lessons and you could buy her the gear and some pony related stuff to open on the day?

In spirit, yes, but it doesn't have to be £££££

Last year, DS had a huge hot wheels thingy that was £15 from FB for sale for Christmas. They don't understand price at that age. As in if she liked Barbie, I'd just get her the big dream house (for £30 off FB) and plonk it next to his car, and they'd both be thrilled with their "big" toy, clueless to the price tags.

I'm postponing "I want a poooooonyyyyyyyy" for as long as I possibly can

For 5k, you could buy her her own pony 🤷🏻‍♀️

Zoo keeper day. Or overnight at a zoo - Chester, Port Lympne etc.

Assuming you have plenty of space, a two-storey playhouse.

ideally with a zip line from the upstairs window!

I’d just add a word of caution that although they may have no idea how much things cost now, that will change within a couple of years and if you do spend massively unequal amounts, they may look back and realise that you spent 5k on one of them and £30 on the other (especially if anyone comments on the cost of the car, which is not unlikely). I’m sure it evens out over time and you sometimes spend more on DD but siblings have a talent for zeroing in on a single event that “wasn’t fair”

A £5000 car?!

You can get garden zip-lines, so if that's what she loves and you have space I would get that.

How about a hoverboard? You can even get the go kart to match but she might be too young for that. They go pretty fast!

Good grief, is that how much they cost? If that's the case I'd not get one at all. That's an insane cost for a child's Christmas gift. If you really must, get one at a different time for the children to share - it sounds like your daughter may well enjoy playing on it too, and if it doesn't belong to her brother she'll have more chance.

OP, be aware that even if your children are unaware of the price difference between their gifts, family/other people may see it and think you're playing favourites. Particularly if your son comes off better in any other area, they'll be thinking "oh of course he gets XYZ while she gets ABC, he's the favourite child".

I appreciate it's tricky when one child has clear preferences and the other is happy with what they already have, but setting up a huge discrepancy in gifting is not the way to go.

In terms of present ideas, how about something she can do? Are there animal experiences at a local zoo that she might like?

The most popular thing amongst kids of both sexes around that age in our house is this (with extra bugs): amzn.eu/d/4dKKi72

Nowhere near £5k, though...

Can she have a rideon toy too?

A rocking horse? A train set?
Do you have any trees in the garden? A tree house would be fairly 'wow'.

Remote control dinosaur?

A scooter or a bike?

A treehouse bed? https://www.cuckooland.com/brand/mathy-by-bols/mathy-by-bols-treehouse-cabin-bed-with-slide-platform

Depending on the size of your garden, I’m pretty sure you could get a decent zip wire installed. How you’d do it without her seeing it before Christmas is a different issue though.

Pretty much this.

We do have some absolutely enormous fucking bain of my life monstrosity Beeches and around 30m away, another gargantuan Yew.

Thanks to this thread, I have been researching home zip wire companies and will definitely put one in for her next spring.

Doesn't help for Christmas, granted, but still an unexpected success.

This is the other problem. She won't drive it. Doesn't like it. So there's no combining as a joint gift. She does like sitting alongside him while he drives, but tends to get out after a few minutes regardless.

In contrast, she will spend hours catching grasshoppers.

They're getting a new bedroom (just moved hope to have finished decorating by September) and they will have a castle bunk bed, which she'll like.

She does like climbing things, so perhaps some kind of garden installation...but then as soon as a zip wire goes in, she'll just gravitate to that.

Rocking horse is an excellent shout - sods law, she's claimed her older brother's very naice one already and has renamed it, but if anyone can think of something else very much along those lines, bingo.

I do hear all the suggestions of experiences, but that's not going to really work on Christmas Day when he's going nuts and driving about, and she's got "wait until next month for your present"

Climbing wall if you have the room to install?

6 is old enough to snorkel in a few aquariums if you're close enough and she'd like that. Dc1 went scuba diving in Skegness aquarium for his 10th birthday and they were brilliant with him. I imagine they'd be equally good with the kids who are snorkeling.

Everything Dinosaur has some beautiful model dinosaurs at a variety of price points. Dc1 likes the Eofauna ones.

A Fossil or fossils.

Presumably it doesn't have to be one massive present just because that's what he's getting.

Get her some stick insects?

They're so low maintenance they don't really count as pets.

Have a look at Insect Lore. You can get stick insects, an ant hill, ladybird larvae etc.

We've also had snails, which were also extremely low maintenance.