Gifts for an 11 year old girl

[SquiffyHock]

Please help - my nieces are 10 and 11 (nearly 11 and 12) and I am really struggling. They originally wanted ipods for Christmas so I was planning on getting docking stations but now they have gone off the idea.
I am clueless this year!! I have thought about a hoody or a new school bag - where is trendy to buy from? Eldest niece is at secondary school now and becoming conscious of these things.
Neither are very girly and they are also lovely and not at all 'I want'. Youngest is a total book worm but everyone buys her books.

Any suggestions would be great

I have a niece, a cousin and a next-door neighbour who are 11, 12 and 13 respectively.

I bought them a Spa set each with bath crystals, gel, one of those buffer things ... and a few other bits in.
I also got my niece a pretty top from Sainsbury's, and got them all some Thorntons.

Last year I got them writing paper sets.
I was going to get my niece a Journal this year but DH's aunt beat me to it!

Just some ideas

Last year I bought my nieces Bop-It. It went down a storm and they battled each other for the highest score - when they got their Dad off of it!

DSD is 12, she likes clothes/bags etc mainly from Fat Face. I would look on their website, in my experience you can't really go wrong from there!

Fat Face is a great idea - I wouldn't have thought of it and we have an outlet store nearby.
They have a Bop-it which they love!
Writing paper and journals are a good idea too - I can't do any bath stuff as the eldest really suffers from ezcema.

Many thanks for suggestion

On Money saving Expert they have an idea for "journal jars" where you make them a jar of "starting point" ideas for things to write in a journal. That and a lovely notebook would be a sweet present.

My dd2 is 11 and always likes to get lovely writing paper, especially if I give her some stamps with it too.

If the little one is a book worm but you're worried about duplicating books, how about a book light and a really lovely book mark?

Or a big bowl of stuff for them to do some baking together?

Or a DVD, popcorn etc?

The problem with school bags, clothes etc is that at that age they can have very particular tastes and it's hard to get it right. My dd wouldn't be much impressed by Fat Face stuff but would like T shirts from Zara for example.

And imho ALL girls of that age like decent gel pens, fluffy pens, silly shaped rubbers etc!

Thanks janeite - a book light is a fab idea. I think that I might make them up a bag of goodies using lots of these ideas.

My niece is 11 and is getting a body shop makeover for Xmas this year. Her mum and I are then going to pick out some suitable makeup (my plan is things like a bit of tinted moisturiser, mascara and pale shiny eyeshadow/lip gloss) plus some lovely skin care stuff.

We lamented the fact that nobody taught us to wear makeup properly when we were heading for teenagers, so we decided to preempt the issue and help her get stuff that would be suitable for her age.

Have got my 11 year old cousin some clothes from Gap.

Last year I got her a watch which she loved (or at least she said she did!) - one of those ones with different colour straps you can change to suit what you're wearing.

Watch is a thought - can you remember where you got the one with the different straps?

Body Shop sounds like a lovely idea but neither are at all into that sort of thing yet - also, eldest suffers with ezcema.

what about i-tunes vouchers

M&S have a nice watch, with different coloured ribbons to use as straps.

when i was ten my dad bought me a really dinky little camera and it was the best present ever!

ChairmumMiaow - love your name!

DD2 at 11 isn't into make up and I have reservations about encouraging it quite so young; but I think your suggestion would be absolutely brilliant for a girl aged around 13 - might nick it for dd1!

janeite - thanks.

I can understand feeling 11 is quite young, but she's already interested in having her nails done and stuff, so we're pre-empting it, and also feel she's responsible enough to save it for special occasions.

Maybe cinema vouchers?

argos have some groovy lava lamps which dd1 (12) is keen on.

Things they can make - knitting, sewing, customizing

SquiffyHock - watch here

Thanks Guitargirl!

I got my 11 yr old neice the Mama Mia dvd

Just a little update!

Have bought youngest (10) - a snoopy hoodie from Topshop, a gift card for Waterstones and a book light.
Eldest (11) a watch from Fat Face.

Many thanks for the inspiration

My DD1 is 11 and some ideas are - webkinz esp of the animals they like, adopt an orangutan (smiths do a gift set for this) young RSPB membership (or whatever they are interested in) subscription to a mag like Aquilla, pair of converse like dr Who wears, an art portfolio to carry work to school and keep it flat, art materials such as nice inks or pastels, notebook, really good coloured pencils for lovely homework such as Faber Castell (splashed out on these a couple of years ago and they have been used constantly), travel journal or books you have read type journal, Harry Potter figures/sylvanians if she is not over the playing stage (mine isn't)mp3 player with audio books on it esp if has bus journey to school. Hope that helps! My DD1 is really into books and nature stuff and art so I've been looking on those lines. DD2 (10) likes more girly stuff so totally different shopping for her.