I need assistance.

I need to buy my nieces Christmas presents.

I have three nieces ages 9,6, and 3. I've never met them (long story.) This year, for the first time, all three will be with the family for Christmas. Situation is such that it will likely be years before I see them again. I would really like to get each one a nice Christmas present.

I don't think I ever bought anything for little girls this young, so I have absolutely no idea what to get them.

I need some suggestions/guidance on age appropriate gifts. What's popular for this age group?

I know a lot of City of Heroes players have little ones, hoping the get a some ideas from here.

make 3 plushies of your main.

bam!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze I hate to be the bringer of bad news... but Willpower sucks!!! you're better off rolling a regen

Tapping my fiancee for knowledge..

9 yr old. Suggestion is electronics. They are wanting what they believe teenagers have. So iPod, walkman, game system (DS/PSP)

6 yr old. Learning electronics like Leapster (also prevents jealousy of the 9 yr old) Zuzu pets are also big this year.

3 yr old. Anything both girly and Disney. Princesses and Tinkerbell being the go-to.

Gift cards will also never be unwelcome.

Hope that helps

Do they like to read? If so, could get some good age appropriate books. For the nine year old, she might be getting old enough to want a nifty bracelet or other type of jewelry (can check with the parents if this is okay). If you don't know about the website named Etsy, you can find a lot of hand-crafted and vintage stuff there that could be interesting for jewelry, besides what you can find at stores already.

Stuffed toys for the three year old, wood blocks, etc., are tried and true as well. Electronics are a bit too easy and common, so getting something outside of the box from electronics might be better.

I'll have to get back to you. For the nine year old, she's old enough to potentially enjoy many of Madeline L'Engle's books (but not all of them) like A Wrinkle in Time. I read that before 6th grade and liked it. Same thing for the Chronicles of Narnia. I'll have to think beyond that, though.

I have no idea where this might fit on the appropriate meter either for gender or age, but when I was young I loved the Dark is Rising series of books by Susan Cooper.

(In fact, a while back I bought the series again with the intention of giving it to neices/nephews, but I still haven't been able to decide to whom precisely and now I'm afraid that they might be too old for the books.)

Still, I loved them when I read them; and they were part of the reason I bristled when the Harry Potter stuff came out and people started talking about fantasy fiction for kids like it was a NEW thing...

As Randy Moss would say... Cash Money.

Out of the blue, books are a tough call. You don't know the child's reading level, or their interests.

Electronics would be good for the older girl, but again, you don't know how her parents might feel about it or what they think is appropriate.

Honestly, I would go with a gift card, or with what Masque said.

Sure, Cash Money is god for adults, and for older kids, but it probably won't score good 'uncle points'. I think... what are you passionate about? (besides CoX, I think...) Do you love to read? Books are awesome. In particular, get each one a very nice hardbound copy of a kids' classic, like A Wrinkle in Time or Narnia, as already suggested, or something similar (LOTR? Might be too mature for them for now...). It may not be the perfect gift, but maybe 1 or 2 of them might latch on to that silly "reading" thing. For the little ones, a nice set of Dr Seuss books that Mom and Dad can read to them, and they can hand down to THEIR kids someday might be a good idea... Come to think of it, a BOOK copy of The Princess Bride - maybe Mom and Dad can read it to them before they see the movie, they could make it a family tradition...

Another related thought: a journal (for the 9-year old) - for that 'writing' thing.

Do you love football? Helmets and pads! Wait, that might not be a good idea.

Also, asking their parents what they're currently 'into' is a good idea. It's what I generally do/did with my brothers' kids - they weren't always helpful, but sometimes they were.

Most young ladies love the dolls, but that may or may not be the direction you want to go.

Here's a few sites:
http://quazen.com/shopping/50-gift-i...-10-years-old/

http://www.superchristmasgifts.com/c...sforgirls.html

Can I get a price range that you would like to spend for each girl?

Lin- when you give kids money you don't just put it in a card or hand them a Ben. You have to make it fun.

Like you take a wallnut or something cut it open carefully, put the money in it and then glue it back and give them that.

Or like buy them a box of chocolates with the money taped to the bottom of it. A stuffed animal with the money tied around its neck like a bow tie...


Things like that, make it fun.

Sounds to me like the searching for ideas would because you genuinely want to make a good impression. Now without reading too much into the untold long story this is what I have found in my experiences with my two nieces.

My nieces are very girly girls. Princesses, ponies, dress-up etc are always big hits. My advice would be to look at getting them something that they can open, set up, and play with. Money doesn't do any of that and the chance to make a good impression will be forgotten by the time the get a chance to go to the store and pick something out for themselves. The nine year old might get it but the other two are a little young for that. I made this mistake the first few birthdays with my first niece.

If you want to make a good impression on their parents however, cash IS king. Depending on your budget I would consider throwing in some cash into the card with an explanation that it is for braces, college fund, glasses or even another gift if one you picked wasn't a homerun. While the kids won't care about this and will be busy opening and setting up the real gift, this will go a long way with most parents.

As for suggestions for specific gifts, like FMP says, a budget would narrow the suggestions. I know what I would get them but you may think that the gifts are either too cheap and therefore insulting, or beyond your present budget constraints.

My neighbor's kids are getting a Wii for Christmas this year, and I'm planning to get the six year old daughter Babysitting Mama.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nethergoat it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!

Not setting any budget limits right now. If a great gift idea seems out of budget, I can recruit other family members to chip in.

I've just been informed the 3 year old is into Dora, Tinkerbell, and Strawberry Shortcake.

The 9 year old just got a laptop...(I'm still struggling with this concept), but word is she's getting into computers...ok loving this child already.

The 6 and 9 year old are into Nintendo DS, so age appropriate games for them is something I'm gonna look into.

Since you are just meeting them it would be nice if you did something that would engage them. DS and a laptop are things that are very individual (at least during a family gathering).

I would strongly suggest you get them each a gift special to them and then get a gift to all of them which is some type of game. It should be a game the 6 and 9 year old can enjoy/understand and something the 3 year old can team with an adult to play. Then you can get to know them and they will feel like you spent time with them!

Thank you Tribid, that sounds worth looking into.

Normally.... I am 100% in favor of educational games. And a lot of educational stuff is very fun. But this one time... I dunno, you are trying to impress the kids not the parents. Something that is pure fun and all win is my vote.

Though if you do go for something educational... a grow a frog kit and grow butterfly kit are SUPER cool and something they can all do together at home. I did both as a child and had so much fun am considering buying them for myself as an adult. (Example links: http://www.growafrog.com/ and http://www.butterfly-gifts.com/live-butterfly-kits.html)

MP's advice: a game for all, 1 specific present for each OR a game for all (for the day of), a fun sciencey thing, and a smaller specific present for each.

I think the suggestion of games is a good one.

Getting something that all three would enjoy - given the age range - would be a challenge; but I know that there are some games that my wife's six year old niece was able to play with us and the older niece and nephew. These included Scrabble, Boggle
and Scatagories.