Please help - need ideas for 5yo niece b-day present...

[clh2]

I am just completely stumped for this birthday. My usual good source for ideas (10 yo DD) also has no ideas. I am looking to spend about $30. We already picked up the book "Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten".

The only idea I can come up with is - a Build-a-Bear gift certificate. However, I would need to clear this with my SIL and BIL first, as the store is about 45 minutes away from where they live. (As bizarre as this sounds to me, this family doesn't go that far very often. But that would be a whole different thread.)

While the 5th birthday was the "Barbie" year for my DD, my SIL just doesn't approve of Barbies. Also - as background info - we have never purchased clothes for any nieces/nephews - nor do we plan on starting now.

The party is tomorrow afternoon - so any mail order idea is out.

Any ideas????

Thanks in advance!

 

[MsLeFever]

5 year old girl ideas:

CDs? Wiggles, Playhouse disney....or a CD player? Maybe a portable one?

Craft items? clay, stickers....things to make a scrapbook?

Girlie stuff? Bath bubbles, bath paint, perfume (kid's kind)

Good Luck

 

[ElizK]

The My Little Ponies are my niece's favorite... she's 5. My DDs both loved them too at that age.

All forms of art supplies.... crayons, coloring books, drawing paper, colored pencils, watercolor paints, play-doh, stickers, punches, glue, construction paper.... you could put together a basket of all sorts of fun things for the amount you want to spend! Maybe put it in a tub that you decorate with her name using paint pens... that way she has a place to keep it all together.

Polly Pockets are great, too.

HTH. Good luck!

 

[Sandy22]

When I can't think of a gift, I just show up at a toystore and buy something. There is so much selection, toys you may never have thought of, that something is bound to catch your eye. Personally, I like to shop in craft stores and teacher's stores for unusual gifts.

 

[maciec]

My dd loves:

AquaDoodle they have it at Toys r Us. You can use it over and over again and there is no mess. She has the big mat and the little pads as well.

Gift Cards to Toys r Us ~ that way she can pick out whatever she wants

My Little Ponies

Watercolor paints

Crayloa Color Wonder markers and coloring books

 

[Hillbeans]

Care Bears were the big hit at my niece's 5 yo party last weekend.

 

[CEDmom]

Care Bears were the big hit at my niece's 5 yo party last weekend.

They're a big hit with my 5 yo as well.

My DD loves doing crafts so a big box filled with paper, tape, ribbon, yarn, pom poms, glitter markers, stickers etc would be a big hit in our house for both her and me.

I like the Build A Bear gift certificate idea and was actually going to suggest it.

If you could find out some of her favorite characters maybe you could get her some bed and/or bath stuff with it on it. Target has stuff with several characters (towels, big bed pillows, sheets etc). I don't buy it for DD because she'll outgrow the character way before the stuff will wear out but if she got it for a gift that would be great.

 

[Kim&Chris]

My niece just turned 5. Right now, the "cool" 5 year-old things are Care Bears, anything to do with Hello Kitty, any and all crafty things (paints, paper, stickers, etc), and, of course, the Princesses. She also loves the Build a Bear stores, but IMHO, that's a killer. I took her there one day (she had received a $30 gift card for Christmas) and by the time we got out of there, I spent well over $30 (PLUS the gift card) because of all the accessories that your bear simply can't do without (panties, shoes, a cell phone, etc etc etc).

She also got a game called "Hullabaloo" for her birthday that she LOVES to play. It's really very cool, so you might be able to find it on amazon.

 

[mrssmh]

Craft stuff is always a big hit with my DD's and Nieces. Another thing they all love is dress up. You can get trunks of glittery things (even "Princess" dresses) at places like Walmart and Target, as well as dress up shoes. You can also look in the grown up sections if you have time for clearance glittery holiday tops that would fit like a dress on a little girl, purses and bags, gloves, wraps, scarves, hats, etc.

 

[KathyTX]

5 was a huge Disney Princess and dress-up year for my niece- feather boas, ropes of fake beads and plastic tiaras were a HUGE hit with her.

 

[powellrj]

what about a gift card at Target or Toys R Us?

 

[kbkids]

I second the dress-up idea. We did a dress-up tea party for my DD's 5th birthday, and it was a big hit. I had put out all her play dress-up clothes kinda like a store, and everyone got to go shopping and pick out something to wear. My DD played dress up every day at that age.

 

[JVL1018]

My daughter is 5 and she loves her Polly Pockets(and Barbies, but I know you said those were out).
A DVD? Princess Diaries is big here.
She loves Play Doh stuff, board games-just got a new one last week-Clue Jr., we've played it every day.
She got Balloon Lagoon and Operation for Christmas and she loves those.

Books? We just started reading chapter books: Ramona the Pest and Little House.

Anything Disney Princess.

My Little Pony and Care Bear are good too.

 

[Boo'sMom]

My 5 YO DD is big into Polly Pocket, Hello Kitty, any craft supplies and simple board games like CandyLand and Chutes & Ladders

 

[dbal]

I will 3rd the princess dress up idea. My dsil filled a gift bag w/ a Cinderella dress, wand, boa, and shoes for my dd's 5th b-day. Even if you don't do the dress. There's ton's of stuff in Target or TRU in the dress up aisles. She did'n't ask for any of these items (so I never thought to get them), but they were probably the most cherished.
Good Luck-
Deb