£10 present for 7 year old girl

[stringbean]

I'm participating in a scheme at work where we buy presents for local children (via social services) who are unlikely to get much at Christmas. I have to buy for a 7 year old girl, but I'm a bit stumped (my dd is not yet that old). The budget is around £10. Can anyone offer any suggestions please?

DD(7) loves drawing/colouring/making things, and so do most of her friends. I would go to Tesco/Asda/Staples/Pound Store and get some paper (white/coloured), some sparkly pens, stickers, scissors, glue stick etc. You can get a lot more for about a tenner that way than buying some kind of playset from ToysRUs which usually involves a huge amount of plastic packaging and a few very small plastic toys.

Having said that, she and her friends do all love things like Sylvanians and Littlest Pet Shop...

agree colouring book/pens is a great idea.
a reading book would be nice too.

Hi

I am getting an Aqua bead set(see my thread!) I think you might get one for around that price.

Also My little Pony is a good bet or Rainbow Magic Fairy books.

I'd actually go for the littlest pet shop type stuff - dds friends seemed to really treasure them at that age - lots of arranging and rearranging.

Operation, Yahtzee, Etch-a-sketch, Hama beads, Percy Pig piggy bank.

polly pocket also good
high school musical kit (eg pencil case full of gel pens & stickers, bag, top trumps)

I just wonder if children who never get much will really long for 'status' type toys with a brand name on, over and above the 'craft' activity items? or maybe it just depends on the child.

I bought a pop up fairy book recently for my 7 year old goddaughter, she loved it!

I'd go for some sparkly nailpolish, hair bands, lipgloss and a small case to put it all in - something glam and fun!

my 7 year old stopped playing with most of the things suggested a long time ago. It's my 3 and 4 year old who love polly pocket, little figures etc etc.

that's interesting henryhuggins

my DD is just about to turn 8 and she has asked for more Polly Pocket things - she also adores glam and beauty products. her friend brought Littlest Pet toys round at the weekend. I think they have a foot in both camps; they love small toys, fairies, and animals, and long to be teenagers as well.

hama beads!

A £10 New Look or Gap voucher. Enough to buy a belt/gloves/hat/scarf.

Recently at Toys R US, they have had the HSM dolls (the ones with a microphone that sing) reduced from £25 to £10.

my dd got this for her birthday, a BIG hit

I bought my neice who is 7 a mermaid doll a disney princess mirror and a colouring book with crayons and it came to £8 from morrisons the doll was only £2 and it is nice 1 with an extra outfit the mirror was £4 the colouring book was £1.50 and the crayons were 50p!!!! all from morrisons.

hamabeads need adults to iron them sadly - hard if you don't know the personal circumstances (I'm a patient person and groan at the thought of getting the iron out for them)

is there nothing in boots on 3 for 2 ? they have a good selection this year x

My 7y likes polly pocket, sylvanian famiky, animal hospital, barbie, hama beads, mixi chix, craft, hsm, hannah montana, etc

she enjoys playing as do her 7-8yo friends.

i personally dislike vouchers as gifts.

Thank you all very much for your suggestions - you've given me loads of ideas. I must admit I am tempted to go for Polly Pocket/Littlest Petshop; I did think that this would appeal more to a child who doesn't have much. We have a huge Asda close by, so I'll go and have a search and see what value I can get for a tenner - hopefully I can stretch it a bit further, maybe include pens/colouring book as well.