Ideas for dd's 8th b.day presents - it's a tricky age

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DD turns 8 while we're on holiday, I need to buy her gifts and bring them with us, so can't buy anything too big. I just find this a hard age to buy for, she's too old for Bratz etc, but not into computer games.

Anyone got any ideas?

does she like arty stuff, scrapbook making books?

my dd is really into shrinkles at the momnent... they are like sheets that you colour in then cut out the picture and then put in the oven and they shrink down she loves them she has just compleated a tudor poster with stuck on shrikles (they have just done tudors at school)
she also has jacqueline wilson ones......

My DD turned 8 two weeks ago when we were on holiday. I bought her present locally - a Nintendo DS, for about half the price of its cost here.

Ask her if she'd rather have small presents that she can open on the day, or wait for larger ones when she gets back.

Summer birthdays = garden toys in my book

Is she into cooking - a kids' cookbook? What about a huuuge load of hair bands/clips? What music does she like?

I think its a tricky age too (my DD will be 8 later this year).

If she can wait until you get back from your holiday how abot some bits and pieces for a mini-makeover of her bedroom?

There are some lovely things like lampshades, bedside lights, rugs, mobiles, duvet sets, throws etc around at the moment. Often at this age they tend to "grow out of" whatever style/decor they have from when they were younger and crave the more "grown up" styles