ALT-9 Great Gifts for 10 Year old Girls
When I was ten years old children really were children, and a gift like a doll or a jigsaw puzzle was all I wanted. But nowadays, ten year old girls are almost young ladies - that difficult age they call the "tweenies", and finding a suitable gift forthem may prove more of a challenge, but rest assured, there are still plenty of great gifts out there for them. Here are a few ideas.
The most important thing to consider when buying a gift for a ten year old, is just what type of young lady she is. It is such a difficult age, and whilst some girls of that age are already very mature, and interested in make-up, pop music, and fashion, others, are still children who want to play with toys. So have a think about the girl you are buying for, and chat to her Mother or older sisters, and this will give you somewhere to start from.
I guess the most obvious present for almost any ten year olf girl, is a CD or DVD of her fsvourite band or artist. Most girls in that age group have begun to take notice of the dreaded "boy bands", so a look round the local Virgin or HMV to see what is "in" at the moment, will be a good place to start. But beware - tweenies' tastes change very quickly. What is the flavour of the month today, may be "old hat" tomorrow, so make sure you check what her favourite band is before buying the CD, or DVD. Still on a musical slant, if you can afford it, why not buy your favourite "tweeny" an iPod so she can listen to her favourite band whenever she chooses. Then when her tastes change, she can simply download some new music onto it.
If your ten year old is a "girlie girl", the choice is far easier in my opinion, though maybe that is because I admit I was a "girlie girl" myself, so I feel more at home with them. Stores like "Top Shop" and "Primark" are full of reasonably priced clothes for the "tweeny", and you could also buy her mascara and lipstick, as many girls of that age are just beginning to experiment with cosmetics for the first time. Or if she is artistic, why not buy her a "Design your Own Clothes Kit" from The Fashion Fun Store? These are craft kits containing lots of pretty ribbons, rhinestones, and iron-on appliques, that the artistic girl can use to "dress up" plain T-shirts and blouses, and add her own signature to them. Most little girls love fashion, so this is a great idea, both fun and creative.
Most ten years olds of this type also love jewellery, so anything brightly coloured, cheap and cheerful will be great. A store like "Primark" sells bangles, beads, and brooches which look cheery on this age-group, without costing a fortune. You could also consider buying her a kit from somewhere like Solar Beads so she can make and design her own.
Conversely, if your girl is a "tomboy" and would hate anything pretty or "girlie", you could think about getting her an "activity" gift. How about roller skates, or a skateboard for example? Or you could buy her a lesson in a sport she likes but has not tried yet, - maybe horse-riding, skating or even ski-ing. It will give her an opportunity to try out something new, that she may like enough to take up more seriously in the future.
If you ten year old likes reading, you could always buy them one of the Harry Potter books, or, in fact, any book from the Childrens' top-seller list in W H Smith or Blackwells. Pet loving kids would love a book about animals and how to train and look after their dog, cat or pony. Or how about some pretty stationery, or a diary which she could start to keep? Most teenage girls keep a diary at one time or another, so why not start now?
Finally, if all else fails, there is always the old failsafe of a voucher. If you can buy her one from somewhere like Boots, she can go and choose her own cosmectics or jewellery, or choose W H Smith if she is more of a reader. So if you have to buy a gift for a ten year old girl, do not despair. There are plenty of great ideas out there to choose from, and one of them will be just right for the girl you are buying for.
