What to get a 9yo and 7yo for b-day and Christmas?

[mrudman]

I'm having a heck of a time coming up with ideas for my daughters this year for their birthdays and Christmas.

My older dd will be turning 10 in late November, and younger dd will be 8 in early December.

They've both started their Santa lists, and on both of them are things like a cell phone, Ipod Touch, Ipod/mp3 player, etc. They really are not grown up enough for any of these IMO, and only want them because some of their friends have them.

I really don't want to get them a bunch of little junk this year... would really like to scale back and just get them a couple/few nice things that they really would like and use frequently.

Just so confused about what that would be, lol!

They both have Nintendo DS's, have had them for a couple yrs now.. older dd still plays with hers almost every day.. younger dd doesn't seem to be into it as much.

We have a Wii that they play on occasion... older dd uses it for the games such as Animal crossing, etc... younger dd uses it more with Wii Fit.

I did end up getting younger dd a guitar.. she had asked for that a while back.. and I was able to come across a nice one on clearance.. so that'll be one of her gifts as well as a book/dvd to teach her.

And I did get a couple sets of each the zoobles and the squinkies, just cause I'm sure their friends will be getting those, and didn't want them feeling left out if they do turn out to be the hot toy of the year like predicted.

I'm just so lost on what else to get them though.. any ideas? Thanks,

 

[luvmy3]

I would get them each an ipod, maybe not a touch but a nano would be perfect and an itunes card. I'mnot sure why you don't think they are grown uo enough to have something like that, especially since you said the aleady have a DS

ETA most kids will want what their friends have because thats what they see and hear about. I don't think they have to have everything their friends get but I wouldn't hold it against them if tehy wanted what their friends are getting.

 

[mrudman]

Oh I don't hold it against them at all to want what their friends have.. I just don't them wanting things only because their friends have them if ya kwim,

I had been debating getting them the smallest gb/oldest itouch I could find them (i have a 8gb 1st gen that they love playing on).. but just not sure I want them to have access to the internet unlimited like that.. I monitor pretty closely what they look at when their on our home computer.

But it probably would be nice for them to have.. in terms of listening to music.. having some games on it.. calendar on it.. etc.. probably would last them a while.. but just don't know.

Just seems to me at 10 and 8 that they should not be getting all these high-tech things.. i know times have changes, but heck I didn't have a computer or anything of this sort till I was 14 and bought it myself, lol!

 

[icalum]

I also have two DDs, older one just turned 10 last week and younger one turned 8 in August, so I am in the same boat as you. For DD8's birthday, from me and DH, she got Mario Kart game for the DS and a trip to Build A Bear to build whatever she wanted. DD10 gave her a LIV doll. (I take the girls shopping for each other at birthdays and Christmas to force them to think about giving, rather than receiving). For DD10's birthday, she got a CHI flat iron from me and DH (expensive, I know, but SIL, who was blessed with the same thick curly hair as DD said nothing else would work). DD8 gave her an American Girl book. With presents from friends and relatives, they were very satisfied.

Moving on to your specific questions, both DDs have the small Ipods. They cost $50-75 I believe (DH was in charge of buying them). Both girls use them, DD10 more than the younger DD. They only use them at home or on long car trips. In my opinion, it is a good starter electronic device. We haven't spent more than $25 total for downloads, and they each have iTunes Gift cards in small denominations that friends gave them at their birthday parties.

If they are at all interested in American Girl, QVC is selling some good American Girl packages tomorrow. There was a thread here, if you search.

Other things that the girls have asked for are UGGs and North Face jackets. I bought some UGGs on sale during the summer from 6pm.com (younger DDs pair was only $40) and have those put away. I figure that they need boots anyway, so by getting the "cool" ones, I get to make a necessity into a gift for only the price difference. I also have one North Face jacket put away from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale for DD10. I have to find something else for DD8 and then will be about finished.

 

[tlbwriter]

Just seems to me at 10 and 8 that they should not be getting all these high-tech things.. i know times have changes, but heck I didn't have a computer or anything of this sort till I was 14 and bought it myself, lol!

Well, personal computers didn't even exist when I was 14, let alone 10, but if I limited my child to things I had at her age, she'd NEVER have anything!

My DD was 9 when she got her iPod Touch and I think it was a good age. If you're concerned about the expense or internet access, a Nano is a good choice.

 

[luvmy3]

Oh I don't hold it against them at all to want what their friends have.. I just don't them wanting things only because their friends have them if ya kwim,

I had been debating getting them the smallest gb/oldest itouch I could find them (i have a 8gb 1st gen that they love playing on).. but just not sure I want them to have access to the internet unlimited like that.. I monitor pretty closely what they look at when their on our home computer.
But it probably would be nice for them to have.. in terms of listening to music.. having some games on it.. calendar on it.. etc.. probably would last them a while.. but just don't know.

Just seems to me at 10 and 8 that they should not be getting all these high-tech things.. i know times have changes, but heck I didn't have a computer or anything of this sort till I was 14 and bought it myself, lol!

Thats why I mentioned the nano since they could listen to music and watch videos but not go online with it. I got my dd a touch last year and before that she had a nano which really was the perfect starter ipod.

Do they have any hobbies or interests, like playing sports?

 

[mrudman]

Thanks for the replies.. I'll have to research the Nano.. not really up to par on all the different types of ipods.

They're really not into sports.. although older dd likes to think she is, lol.. she's asking for a football helmet, but has never played,

Younger dd has been taking gymnastics for a couple yrs now and older dd will be starting next week also.. which reminds me I could probably get them both a leotard or 2 for that. Nothing much else in the way of sports though.

They play piano too.. had thought about getting older dd a small synthesizer.. she LOVES to play, and she could take that in the car or on trips (with headphones of course, lol).. I actually have a bigger one here I could give her that I had gotten as a teen and been tucked away in a closet for years.. but not sure if she's ever seen it, and that could get embarrassing, lol.

 

[richmond282]

I have a Zune which I love. It does not have all the apps that an ipod does, but you can still download music and movies and play games on it. Just another opinion on the mp3 player issues. It might be hte way ot go if you don't want them to have internet access.

 

[shortbun]

Wow! My problem is just the opposite; I could spend thousands on cool stuff for my son and I need someone to help me control my spending. I hope you get lots of ideas. Get them lots of packs of those silly bands. The kids on my school bus are really having fun with those! You can easily get MP3 players that are not as expensive as IPODs and as far as phones go...my son had one when he was 8 but *I* chose when he got to use it and when he had it. It was for security. Your girls don't want clothes?????

 

[mrudman]

Wow! My problem is just the opposite; I could spend thousands on cool stuff for my son and I need someone to help me control my spending. I hope you get lots of ideas. Get them lots of packs of those silly bands. The kids on my school bus are really having fun with those! You can easily get MP3 players that are not as expensive as IPODs and as far as phones go...my son had one when he was 8 but *I* chose when he got to use it and when he had it. It was for security. Your girls don't want clothes?????

Ugh, please no more silly bands, lol!! They each counted up how many they have and think they came up to about 300 combined. So no more,

 

[LynnTH]

We bought my DS and DD each an I-Pod Touch 32GB for Christmas Last Year. They were 10 and 8 at the time. It is the best thing we ever bought. They can bring them anywhere easily. They both have downloaded tons of games (most of which were free). They use them pretty much on a daily basis. Great for long car rides and plane rides too. They both have movies and TV shows downloaded. At this age if you are going to go with an I-pod, I would watch for deals and get them the I-pod Touch. If you go with a Nano then in a year or two they will want the touch anyway...

 

[Smile4Me]

Ipod is definitely not the only brand of MP3 player out there. There are alot of them out there that won't break the bank that offer similar features, without internet capabilities that are more than satisfactory to a child that age. SanDisk is a really good brand to look into.

Are your girls good readers? What about starting them on a series like Harry Potter or Little House on the Prairie?

Right now my nephew, 10 or 11, is really into helping decorate his room. So we get him posters and frames, decorative notebooks, pencil holder with fun pencils, pens, markers etc for his desk and stuff. What about a bulletin board for them to hang pictures on?

Clothes and accessories are always a big one. New headbands, bracelets, earrings if they have their ears pierced.

 

[brymolmom]

I have ds8 and dd almost 7 and I am with you on the electronics - the last thing I want is for them to have an ipod touch to be able to watch tv and play games EVERYWHERE! As it is they are TV junkies and ds loves the Wii too - so between limiting their TV viewing and game playing to a reasonable amount per day - no way do I want to have to factor in car ride screen time or waiting in the grocery store line and I am a firm believer in restaurants being about time together - not kids constantly playing games. At least right now the only place they can even do either of these things is in our family room!

I did break down and buy a DS for my dd ONLY last Xmas - because I knew that she would only use it a limited amount anyway (except for trips, etc - maybe once every couple of weeks). I refuse to get one for ds cuz he would be on that every day and then we'd have to argue about Wii time on top of it.

Now I must admit that I am happy that dd has NOT ever asked for a cell phone, ipad touch, uggs or any other really expensive electronic or clothing but maybe that's because she has already learned that Mommy is mean and won't get them!

She will turn 7 in October and I bought a cute dressy winter coat for her. She saw it at the store and loved it - but it wasn't on sale so I told her we'd try again later. I went back in and got it for her for her gift. Other than that - maybe a zhu zhu pet.

For Xmas - I will be getting both kids their 'big' gift - a ginuea pig! Plus all accessories (cage, food, etc.). I might get her another pillow pet. Clothes - she loves dresses - so maybe a dress. And likely some books.

Oh yeah - and for her birthday her aunts are getting her a bathrobe and the Camp Rock 2 CD and/or DVD.

I won't go overboard on Christmas. The kids get 4 - 6 other gifts from family members, and I don't feel that any child needs or should get used to any more than 8 - 10 gifts for a holiday - that's just overkill. So I will get 3 or 4 other things for her other than the guinea pig.

 

[Jonny_Duck]

Most likely they would prefer the touch to play games on and less about the music. Like others mentioned there are other mp3 players out there if thats what you want them to have. Most better and cheaper. Buying the music could also be a problem unless you pay them allowance perhaps they could purchase music with that.

The new ipod touch was announced recently....Idk when it comes out but you might be able to find some used older ones or refurbs for a rly good deal through Apple or ebay/cl whatever. I will say though you all have some crazy responsible kids...my 9 yr old Nephew would likely lose that fast.

I am in same predicament with my Nephews and Niece...Niece is 7 and Nephew just turned 9. I am completely clueless on what to get them. I would love to get them a phone or Touch but I just don't think they are responsible enough for that.

Hard ages to shop for....their wanting all the fancy stuff but not rly responsible enough or understanding of just what it takes to earn and get these type of things.

I will be checking back though on this for some ideas for myself. I wish I had some more help for you but if I think of anything then I'll be sure to post my findings.

 

[PixieTl]

My girls are both 10, last year I got one a refurbished nano off of the apple site, it's great she loves it, both girls have nano's and use them quite often. You can also get colorful headphones pretty cheap!
Can you sew? Handcock fabric has great fleece material in lots of prints, you can make a great throw blanket for their beds, I think it's about a 1 3/4 yards for a twin sized bed blanket(I always have to call my friend and ask!) I did that last year and the girls just love them! Even the boys like a new pillow case made, my oldest boy is asking for a new case in the eye ball fabric right now!

Liv girls are popular requests this year around here too. Littlest Pet shop seems to be making a come back too, not sure why! lol that's really all they have mentioned so far other then a few DS games, but i'll post some more when they mention something!

 

[mrudman]

My girls are both 10, last year I got one a refurbished nano off of the apple site, it's great she loves it, both girls have nano's and use them quite often. You can also get colorful headphones pretty cheap!
Can you sew? Handcock fabric has great fleece material in lots of prints, you can make a great throw blanket for their beds, I think it's about a 1 3/4 yards for a twin sized bed blanket(I always have to call my friend and ask!) I did that last year and the girls just love them! Even the boys like a new pillow case made, my oldest boy is asking for a new case in the eye ball fabric right now!

Liv girls are popular requests this year around here too. Littlest Pet shop seems to be making a come back too, not sure why! lol that's really all they have mentioned so far other then a few DS games, but i'll post some more when they mention something!

Thanks for reminding me about the sewing.. When we were at the fair last month, both dd's saw some huge pillows that the 4-H kids had made outta fleece, and wanted those. I had thought about making them each one at the time, but forgot about it till you mentioned that. Younger dd has just gotten obsessed with horses, so maybe I could find a neat fleece horse print to do hers in.

 

[badblackpug]

I agree with you on the ipod touch. I don't think my 9 yr old (also late Nov. bday) is responsible enough for something so costly. I am not anti electronics, I just can't trust that it won't get lost or broken. If you were going to go the ipod route I would probably go with the nano. My daughter (now 13) loved/loves her digital camera. You can get nice ones for decent prices. If your older daughter is into her DS, you might want to upgrade to DSi, it will still play the DS games.

 

[AprilRenee]

The new ipod nano is a touch screen now. It looks like a tiny ipod touch but doesn't have internet access. Though i don't think it has games either. But it would definitely have the "cool" factor. Here's a link to the ipod site to see them: http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/
They just came out this week.

 

[SylviaL]

What about an e-reader? DS9 uses my Kindle and loves it. He is a voracious reader. It's great on vacation because he doesn't have to pack a bunch of books.

 

[southern_redhead]

I have to say that our ipods get a lot of use. My DS used money from his birthay to buy an 8 gb touch and I seriously see an upgrade in his future. He has only 5 songs on it but TONS of games/apps (that he found for free he loves finding free stuff LOL) and then he uses his iTunes $ to buy movies so that eats up space like crazy. DD got a pink Nano for her 8th bday this year and she loves it. She wanted a touch like her brother but I felt like it was more a "big big" kid thing so I talked her into the Nano (also at that time the Nano had video but the touch didn't - she will surely flip out when she sees the new touches with video )

My kids are VERY repsonsible with their things though DD is slightly less so than oldest DS. They know that they must take care of these things because they are bought once. Both have ipods and laptops, DS has a cellphone that he got for his birthday last year. All are still in pristine condition even after much use. It makes me very proud that perhaps one thing I have preached/nagged about has been drilled into their thick little heads

My 8 yo loves Zhu Zhu stuff too. She and her friend play with them a lot. Her 6 year old brother and his buddy like them too so they will probably get Kung Zhu's at some point. American Girl is big at that age. We buy the dolls and clothes (though I did buy DD some bitty twin clothes for MUCH cheaper off Amazon for this Christmas) and the accessories such as beds/armoires/shoe rack from the Target line. So far so good. What about Barbie? DD is just now getting heavily into her so she has a couple of the really nice dolls going under the tree this year....