Xmas gift ideas for 5 year old girl

[supergolden88]

What with trying to balance working freelance with having a newborn I have neglected buying any Xmas gifts for daughter 4 1/2 (going on 10).

Any ideas what to get her? So far have only managed to order her fancy dress costume and a doll for her vast collection.

She is starting school in January and very keen to start reading and being grown up. May be old enough for some board games no idea which ones would be suitable.

any ideas appreciated

[nymom]

V Tech Storio

Possibly this if she is keen on reading? There are a lot of books you can get to go with it.

[Polmoche]

puppet theatre with puppets? That age still LOVE role play.

[BeccaL]

Roald Dahl box set (they have it in Tales on Moon Lane) - books range from quite short and heavily illustrated, e.g. The Twits, The Enormous Crocodile, to the longer classics, e.g. Danny Champion of the World, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - so some that she will be able to read when she's learnt but others for when she's bigger?

Does she have an easel - there's one from IKEA with paper one side and chalk board the other which our daughter (same age) still loves - good for drawing and writing when you get to that.

Re board games snakes and ladders is quite good for counting skills, and also helps them learn that sometimes you lose! Ours took a little to get to grips with the concept of going backwards on the snakes being just the luck of the dice, but helps when learning to lose gracefully - we try and end every game with a hand-shake and "Good game, well played" regardless of who has won and who has lost - helps to reduce gloating as well (from us as well as her!)!

Does she like Charlie and Lola - new book out, also annuals are good from that age, as plenty of little things to look at again and again - Charlie and Lola, Peppa Pig, Pixar?

[candj]

Going on the vtech storio suggestion - the vtech digital camera or the vtech video recorder?

[nunheadmum]

ELC are doing a big Fairy castle with fairy friends - quite expensive but 20% off today.

Our eldest (same age) is really into all those little sets with characters and accessories - Polly Pocket and the likes.

For reading books, The Book People do lots of sets of readers which the schools use - really short little books which they can start to read themselves (or words from, at this stage) - at major discounts. I picked up the Oxford reading Tree ones a while back at a market and A really likes them (when I can wean her off her princess books). The youngest loves them too - someting about the really simple stories and repetition of words.

Not really got ours to get the hang of board games so no recommendations there, I'm afraid.

[clux]

I have a 5 year old and she absolutely loves board games, especially Guess Who and a junior version of Cluedo called Cluedo Carnival. I've bought her Junior Monopoly for Christmas as it was very cheap in Argos!

All the 5 year olds I know are quite Toy Story obsessed at the moment and there is absolutely mountains of Toy Story stuff out there

Lego is always popular, and the Playmobil still gets played with loads when she has friends round, especially the vehicles and the animals.

[ladywotlunches]

My sister is getting our son junior scrabble, which is from age 5 on the box and has two versions of the game. There is also a toy story version of this. Great for spelling which he is really into at the moment.

I sat down with him on Sunday actually and wrote his xmas list to Santa. A good way of focusing their minds and making sure you have a happy little one on the big day. You suggest the things they are getting anyway, then they add the plastic tat they really want! :)

[BeccaL]

Good point clux - lego and playmobil both good. Lego has a good website, and we ordered something yesterday which was despatched today, so service seems pretty good (famous last words)

[supergolden88]

Lots of great ideas here I think the camera, scrabble and board games will be a hit of not immediately then soon. I love Lego but she has not shown much interest. Saw the plaympil school which she would love but it costs over ?100 and not prepared to risk her not ever playing with it!