Toy for a 5 year old girl but NO dolls!

[Janus]

My 5 (nearly 6) year old niece is not in to dolls at all and I've got a couple things for Xmas for her but think I would like to get a game too. I'd like to get a game that she can play with her older brother and sister and therefore think I need one which is based more on luck than skill so that it is a fair game for them all to play. Any ideas? Thanks.

This is difficult as something with rules simple enough for that age is likely to be too simple to appeal to older children. How about hungry hippo or something similar? Older children still seem to like the noise/idea. I used to like beetle but it doesn't seem to appeal much to mine. Mousetrap is another possibility. Cards seem to appeal more to mine than boxed games.

I'd echo Mousetrap.

Kids play a game fairly - ha ha, that'll be the day! Can't really think of any board games, but going along the lines of what mine like playing with, what about:- drawing/glueing/sticking things, a toy till (particularly if full of real money - they like to bleed you dry!), lego, a megasketcher, finger puppets, playdoh or a doctor's set. Mine only play board games together once in a blue moon, and only then if I play too, to ensure riots don't break out, that's why I suggested toys that she can play with by herself. Hope my ideas might be useful to you.

Hungry hippos has been a great favourite in our house. And what about pop-up-pirate or buckaroo?

The Disney Store have got some wonderful gifts. They've got a lovely Tinkerbell make necklaces out of sweets box (2.99). Undie sets, slinky vests and pants (6.99). All sorts of really lovely girly stuff tights, socks, music boxes, furry Tigger notepads. Quite a lot of the stuff is reduced at the moment. The dressing up dresses are so sweet. Next have got lovely fairy stuff too (bit cheaper than Disney). R.

Junior Scrabble is quite good too...altho I guess that is more skill than luck. How about a card based game like Uno? Or one she can play alone like a jigsaw puzzle or designer beads set...There's always an outdoor game like those velcro racquet thingys or similar. Depends what she likes doing I guess...my 5 year old is very into Barbie and nearly all her birthday presents were Barbie inspired so I guess I'm not much help!

I'd go for Operation or in the ELC catalogue there's a pet version. All the kids I've ever known have loved this game. (You know the one where you have to remove the various bits of body with a pair of tweezers and it sets off a horrid buzzer when you touch the sides!)

In fact I've just decided I'm going to get the pet one for my son for his 3rd birthday in January.

Wow, thanks! Love the idea of a toy till with real money as at least she can then buy something she really wants with her money. She lives in the Channel Islands and they don't have many of our shops over there so always a problem with changing gifts so this may be a good idea. Will also try and get the pet operation game as I remember loving this game as a kid too and hopefully they won't have this variation, can't see it on the ELC website but hopefully they'll have it if I go along to a shop.
Thanks so much this has been really helpful.

Hi Janus

The game is called 'Pet Vet' and costs £10. I just found it on the ELC website. Glad you like the idea!