Need a "big" gift idea for 4-1/2 y.o. DD

[LuckyMommaToo]

My mom likes to spend about $100 on each kid, and would rather get one or two things rather than lots of smaller items. She's getting DS a big Lego set, but I'm sort of stumped for DD. At home she mostly plays with her babies and her play food/kitchen. She has SO many babies, and tons of accessories (clothing, stroller, high chair) for them.

We are getting her a medium-size Playmobil set, and I don't think I want to have her get two of them, when I'm not sure whether they'll even be her thing.

Any ideas?

thanks,

-e

p.s. One further complication is that, for the first time in seven years, we're traveling to Ohio to see my parents for Christmas, so we have to bring the gifts back with us on the plane, or ship them. So that rules out something like a bike.

[ElliesMomma]

nm

Edited by ElliesMomma - 5/28/11 at 11:59pm

[OTMomma]

What about a musical instrument, like a drum,  or real glockenspiel?  Oh, or maybe a Pettiskirt- we got dd one last  year from www.pettiskirtstyle.com and she wears it both as dress up clothes, and out and about with a shirt- its way cute if your dd is into dressing up.  

[One_Girl]

How about some books?  There are a lot of really fun ones to read together for that age and my dd's grandparents love browsing through the kid area to get good books.  At that age, and even still, my dd liked Pinkalicious, any Fancy Nancy book, Ladybug Girl, the Rainbow Fairy series, Magic Tree House books, and almost anything else that we could read together whether it was long or short.

[JCatgirl]

Agreed! I use that same company for my 3 girls. I love that the pettiskirts from them, pettiskirtstyle.com are made in America. The quality is really super. We own "many" pettiskirtstyle skirts :}
My faves are: The raspberry with Light Pink Ruffles and then the Purple w Peacock layers pettiskirt. The Ivory Cream is stunning...we got 3 for a wedding in which my girls were the flower girls. They always give us a free organza storage bag, and a free hair flower clip

[maddymama]

Hi Mama,

I haven't even looked at it yet, but my DD who is 4.5 is really wanting the Olivia dollhouse/ship thingy.  I don't know anything about it.  It looks like it might be fun for kids to play beyond a regular dollhouse set up.

DD is getting a microphone karaoke thing for Xmas from my mother.  She doesn't know about it yet, but I think this will be her favorite gift EVER!

http://www.amazon.com/Olivia-6013501-2-In-1-Playset/dp/B0038OMF2Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1290971925&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Imagination-Entertainment-690-00310-Sing%252dAlong/dp/B0002VNPL8/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1290972007&sr=1-1

~michelle

[chattyprincess]

Dd will be about 4.5 and her big gift this year will be a wooden kidkraft dollhouse for barbies..."nice" dress up is always great and would travel well.

[Polliwog]

The big box of Magnatiles.  With a sale or a Learning Express coupon, you can usually get the 100 piece box for about $100.  They are everyone's favorite toy around here.

[jtbuko]

Gymnastic rings to mount from bedroom ceiling (cheap at Ikea, easy to transport, and you can spent the rest of the $100 on mounting hardwear and ER copays...)

Kapla blocks. These are super cool for all ages and genders, but would take up suitcase space and weight, could be shipped home though...

A big whiteboard (would be a bummer to transport, but we got one of these for our dd's 5th bday and it is the best gift ever, everyone loves it)

Lego dollhouse kit, about $100 at the Lego store, light and reasonable to transport in pieces in suitcase

A Leapster or DS (easy to transport, great for airplane and if you are not big on screens at home easy to stash and pull out for long car rides and plane trips)

[LuckyMommaToo]

Thanks for all the suggestions -- you guys have good taste, because we already have most of them, courtesy of having an older sibling. (Magnatiles -- love them. Not the Pettiskirt, but Twirly Girl dresses. Wooden dollhouse. A nice drum. Kapla blocks. Tons of Legos. Whiteboard. Leapster and DS -- she doesn't have her own, but DH and DS both have them.)

My mom decided to get her the Go-Go walking dog. Wouldn't be my first choice, but since I almost never buy that kind of thing, she'll probably get a huge kick out of it, and it'll have the WOW factor, I think.

Thanks again,

-e

[JudiAU]

Does she like blocks? What about some of those beautiful Haba castle blocks sets. They make me drool. Or another color of Kapla? They just came back to the US market.