Birthday Gift Ideas?

[NinaBella]

Now that my youngest is 14, I feel I am out of the loop on toy/gift ideas.

Our great niece is having her 9th birthday next month, she is going into 3rd grade. Her mom and grandma also have a birthday around the same time. Any gift ideas?

For Christmas we bought them the highest level Zoo membership for their local zoo. They live in another state up North. I thought about buying family tickets to a local sports team that they love, but I don't know the mom's work schedule (would be part of her present as well).

Looking for an actual gift idea, not a gift card. Not clothes either as her size is very different than my daughter was at that age.

I mentioned movie tickets but my DH doesn't feel that would be the right gift (family is on his side). He suggested an iPod or headphones to listen to music. I am positive I have seen FB pic with her with headphones on. So maybe something else? If music related maybe a Karaoke machine?

 

[sksjasams]

What about a Bluetooth speaker?

 

[NinaBella]

What about a Bluetooth speaker?

I thought about that, but she doesn't have a phone to connect it to. When her mom is at work, she couldn't use it.

 

[twinpines]

I thought about that, but she doesn't have a phone to connect it to. When her mom is at work, she couldn't use it.

How about the Amazon Tap? It connects to the Wifi- and she can say "hey alexa play some tunes" or what ever else alexa does; and they can also hook it up via blue tooth to phone to play phone music- both at home-and on the go.

We have one and so far so good- i'm sure it does much more, but have not gone that far...

 

[NinaBella]

How about the Amazon Tap? It connects to the Wifi- and she can say "hey alexa play some tunes" or what ever else alexa does; and they can also hook it up via blue tooth to phone to play phone music- both at home-and on the go.

We have one and so far so good- i'm sure it does much more, but have not gone that far...

Never heard of it. I will look it up. I am 199% positive they do not have wifi. They do not even have a computer. Just her mom's smartphone and a tablet but the tablet is just for games, not connected to wifi or the internet. They just foreclosed on their home and now are living in a grandparents home who recently passed away and left them the home. Not sure the home is even in their name yet. I don't think the little girls dad has even found a new job yet. His company lost their contract and since he was taking off a lot of time off work to care for his terminally ill father he had to wait until he passed away to look for a job. Mom is the only one working right now and she is just a cashier at a grocery store.

 

[twinpines]

Never heard of it. I will look it up. I am 199% positive they do not have wifi. They do not even have a computer. Just her mom's smartphone and a tablet but the tablet is just for games, not connected to wifi or the internet. They just foreclosed on their home and now are living in a grandparents home who recently passed away and left them the home. Not sure the home is even in their name yet. I don't think the little girls dad has even found a new job yet. His company lost their contract and since he was taking off a lot of time off work to care for his terminally ill father he had to wait until he passed away to look for a job. Mom is the only one working right now and she is just a cashier at a grocery store.

ah!


What about a craft set? I'm not sure if those loom sets have gone out of style? Or the melty perler beads seem to always be a hit- but ironing/ hot items might be an issue if parents are always at work/ looking for job.

 

[kymom99]

Is there a museum in their area that they could go to together? What about a YMCA membership?

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

I Got a karoke machine around that age and LOVED it.

I also really like the idea from pp about museum or ymca passes! Something they could all do together!

If you did sports tickets, you could always buy them for a game very far in the future so mom has time to ask off not sure if that's an option with her job though.

Do they have any sort of family fun center near them? Where I live we have a place that has mini golf, go karts, and arcade, etc. passes for something like that might be fun for her, and mom and grandma could join in for mini golf too!

 

[kymom99]

I Got a karoke machine around that age and LOVED it.

I also really like the idea from pp about museum or ymca passes! Something they could all do together!

If you did sports tickets, you could always buy them for a game very far in the future so mom has time to ask off not sure if that's an option with her job though.

Do they have any sort of family fun center near them? Where I live we have a place that has mini golf, go karts, and arcade, etc. passes for something like that might be fun for her, and mom and grandma could join in for mini golf too!

I think most sport type things have gift certificates. I know you didn't want to go that route but that way they could choose tickets on a date that works for them.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Never heard of it. I will look it up. I am 199% positive they do not have wifi. They do not even have a computer. Just her mom's smartphone and a tablet but the tablet is just for games, not connected to wifi or the internet. They just foreclosed on their home and now are living in a grandparents home who recently passed away and left them the home. Not sure the home is even in their name yet. I don't think the little girls dad has even found a new job yet. His company lost their contract and since he was taking off a lot of time off work to care for his terminally ill father he had to wait until he passed away to look for a job. Mom is the only one working right now and she is just a cashier at a grocery store.

Depending how much you want to spend, how about paying for an activity for her - a summer camp week, a winter rec class, an art class, music lessons, swim lessons, etc...if mom and dad have really tight finances, this might be a real blessing for her. I'd also buy the supplies needed (the instrument, the art supplies, suits and goggles, etc)...

 

[Kaytie]

Are there any clues on her Facebook page?

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

It's hard to know what is in her area without knowing the state, but I love giving gifts to go places/ do things. Is there a local amusement park or water park, a local pool/ indoor rec center, outdoor obstacle course kind of place, something like that? My DD is 7 and going into 2nd grade, so a little younger, but she loves reading, craft kits/art supplies, anything outdoors. I think the karaoke machine is also a great idea. My DD has had hers for about a year and a half and still plays with it a few times a week.

 

[NinaBella]

It's hard to know what is in her area without knowing the state, but I love giving gifts to go places/ do things. Is there a local amusement park or water park, a local pool/ indoor rec center, outdoor obstacle course kind of place, something like that? My DD is 7 and going into 2nd grade, so a little younger, but she loves reading, craft kits/art supplies, anything outdoors. I think the karaoke machine is also a great idea. My DD has had hers for about a year and a half and still plays with it a few times a week.

They have an above ground pool they put in their back yard each summer. They are more of a stay at home type of family, no lessons (dance, swim, karate, etc) that they do. For Christmas we bought them the highest level of annual passes to the Detroit Zoo and they have been there a few times. I know they went to a roller skating rink a while back for a birthday party. The mom doesn't drive on the highway so if it's too far from their house her husband has to drive. Everything I have googled has been outside of their smaller community (a bedroom community South of Detroit) but close enough to still say they live in Detroit.

I am going to see if I can confirm the wifi situation. There is also a 4 year old little sister and they often have another relatives baby over on most weekends. So since they have the zoo passes, maybe too soon to get another pass. I will look at just a gift certificate for the local sports events but that is more for the parents than the kids.

 

[NinaBella]

Depending how much you want to spend, how about paying for an activity for her - a summer camp week, a winter rec class, an art class, music lessons, swim lessons, etc...if mom and dad have really tight finances, this might be a real blessing for her. I'd also buy the supplies needed (the instrument, the art supplies, suits and goggles, etc)...

I like all those ideas, but the mom wouldn't go for it. The only time the kids are out of her sight is when they go to school and only stay with relatives when she works. She wouldn't send her daughter to camp. I love camp and so do my kids. My daughter started attending sleep-away camp at age 8.

Maybe I an look at one of those art places that they can go to as a family. I would have to be something that the mom can go/do with her. The mom won' t even leaver her with strangers for an hour, not even on a chaperoned school field trip. The mom won't let her go on a field trip unless she can get off work and go with her. This happen last year the girl missed the Detroit Zoo field trip cause the mom had to work (which gave me the idea for the passes for Christmas). And the following week after the girls field trip there was a news article about a school accidently leaving a boy at the zoo. They did a head count, then got distracted and the boy walked away. Stories like that, the mom won't let the girl go without her.


I know our local science museum does science camps. Maybe I will just see about a family pass to the Science Museum since it is indoor and they can go any time of year.

So art place or science museum is on my list to check out now.

 

[NinaBella]

I know they have been to Frankenmuth on long weekends in the past and really like it there. But I think that might be more than I want to spend. http://www.frankenmuth.org/

 

[sksjasams]

Do you live nearby? Given the parent's financial worries, maybe you could take your niece shopping. Let her choose a new outfit or two, and a pair of shoes. I'm sure she would love some new things.

 

[Kaytie]

I'd also buy the supplies needed (the instrument, the art supplies, suits and goggles, etc)...

Well, that's a great idea. This way, she would have something physical right away, plus the experince/instruction.

 

[NinaBella]

Do you live nearby? Given the parent's financial worries, maybe you could take your niece shopping. Let her choose a new outfit or two, and a pair of shoes. I'm sure she would love some new things.

No, they live in Michigan, we are in Florida. For Christmas she got tons and tons of gift cards and the mom posted the pic on Facebook of outfits she bought with the money. She is a difficult size to fit because she is very short and heavier than the average kid her age. That is why I posted earlier I would not be buying her clothes.

 

[antmaril]

My niece is 9 and I bought her a Polaroid camera for Christmas. She LOVED it!

 

[NinaBella]

I am thinking I will research the Karaoke machine. In the winter they do not go anywhere but to school so that might be a good investment for year around fun.

Any recommendations on a Karaoke? Not a "toy" version but one that would be good quality. My daughter has a portable speaker that she loves and I think there is a version that has a Karaoke attachment.

My daughter has this speaker that I just found as #1 on list of Karaoke machines. LOL. My daughter has never plugged in the mic. We use it at cheer competitions... you know to annoy the Disney guests by walking down resort hallways with a portable speaker blasting. (j/k she doesn't blast it near the rooms, just in the lobby area of hotels and in the private conference rooms her team reserves. Her team uses it to play music for their warm ups).

But it looks like it is out of stock. I like this one cause it also has a radio and can be used indoor or outdoor.

ION Audio Block Rocker (iPA76A) | Portable Bluetooth Speaker with Mic, Radio, and Wheels & Handle for Transport [2015 Model]

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Block-...ifewire-20&ascsubtag=4118378|google.com||||1|