Next to thinking about the cake, my favorite part of birthday prep is planning the presents. Carla had a few things she specifically requested, and there are a handful of things that I think would make for fun surprises. And even though she will not get ALL of the things below (she is spoiled, but not THAT spoiled), maybe they will spark ideas for the ten-year-old in your life?
Video Bird Feeder: I have seen a few of these pop up on Instagram in the past couple of months, but I didn’t seriously consider getting one for Carla until I read about it on Lindsay’s blog (and then on Suz’s blog). Carla would LOVE THIS. She adores birds, is constantly asking if she can have my phone so she can identify birdsong wherever we are, is often up past her bedtime trying to identify birds in our yard, and happily points out and names birds when we are on walks. The last time we went to the library, this was one of the books she checked out. The only disadvantage I can see to getting her a video bird feeder is that she might never do anything else but look at birds. The only other disadvantage is the price, but I’m betting this would pay for itself in hours of enjoyment. Definitely a strong contender.
Barbie Dream Camper: Carla requested this camper specifically, and has in fact been asking for it for at least two years of birthdays and Christmasses… so she is finally getting it this year. What we do not need is another Barbie accessory with ten thousand tiny parts, but… well, I can remember the Barbie years of my youth, and how much I coveted everything Barbie. And the years of wanting toys are starting to feel extremely limited. So Barbie camper it is.
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame: Carla picked up the first book in this series on a recent Costco trip and loved it. Getting her the next book was a no-brainer. Her aunt and uncle are getting her the third book.
Katie the Catsitter: Secrets and Sidekicks: Speaking of book series, Carla has also enjoyed the Katie the Catsitter books. We’re planning to get her the third in the series.
Little Live Pets Pippy Pearl: Another toy on Carla’s list was this animatronic fish. She has an enduring fascination with robot animals, and has wanted this fish for years… well, we are finally making her fishy wishes come true. I expect her to remain interested in this thing for the five minutes it takes to release it into the water.
Raptor Claws: Apparently one of Carla’s classmates has these raptor claws, and Carla wants them badly. She is still quite obsessed with dinosaurs.
SmART: Use Your Eyes to Boost Your Brain: I read about this book on Instagram and I think Carla would really enjoy it.
Giggleway Robotic Kit: I don’t know how many robot kits my daughter needs, but she really likes putting them together. I got this kit for her cousin recently and Carla expressed significant envy, so perhaps she’ll get her own.
Cowgirl Boots: Carla loves to wear boots, but we’ve had some bad luck with boots falling apart, zippers failing, detailing falling off. These boots have NONE of that nonsense, and I know she would wear them all the time.
Pusheen Stuffie: I don’t know where she came up with this, but she has been asking for “a giant Pusheen.” I think by giant she means… Carla Sized. Well, this is much smaller than that, but it’s very cute. Her uncle called dibs on getting it for her, so I’m guessing it’s a sure thing.
Whittling Kit: Carla has been… whittling. She is a child of many vast and varying interests. Might be nice to get her a kit (with knife resistant gloves, omg) rather than finding her whittling away with an exact-o knife. *Deep breaths.* One of her grandparents is bound to get this for her.
Sensory Swing: I am on the fence with this one (I have a deathly fear of hammocks, and this looks suspiciously close to a rebranded hammock), but it looks so cozy and I bet Carla would really enjoy it. If not a birthday gift, maybe something to consider for the new house.
ATM Piggy Bank: Carla has a terrible habit of stowing her allowance any old place – on the bookcase, in her desk, in a drawer – and I’m hoping the novelty of this piggy bank will cure her of that.
Air Hogs Gravitator: This is sort of a drone, but not really. I think I would be much too annoyed by it, so I’m leaning away from getting it for her. But then again, Carla would really get a kick out of it. I imagine lots of ten-year-olds – especially those with much cooler moms than me – would love it.
Gridopolis: This 3-D game of strategy gets great reviews… and I always love a good family game.
Sleuth & Solve Science Mysteries: This book is seemingly the perfect intersection of Carla’s love of science and her love of Encyclopedia Brown books.
Harry Potter Coding Kit: Carla has gotten a couple of coding kits in the past, and seems to really enjoy them… but then lose interest. But she did really well in her computational thinking class at school this year, and maybe this would reinforce that interest? Also, it has a wand!
Rainbow Throw Blanket: This blanket is so cute and I can already envision Carla wrapping around herself like a toga.
Wolf Fiction: Carla is currently fascinated with wolves, which has seeped over into her reading life. She adored A Wolf Called Wander, WolfWalkers, and the first two books of the Wolves of the Beyond books (we cannot find book three anywhere, including in our library system, and I cannot bring myself to skip it and get her book four, which may be ridiculous but there it is). But what next? Maybe The Wolf Wilder? Or A Wolf for a Spell?
Squishmallow Minis: When we were discussing the many, many iterations of her friend birthday, one of the potential party favors was going to be this set of mini squishmallow farm animals. While we moved on from farm animals (to succulents; we’re doing succulents), Carla was extremely SQUEEEEEE! about these little guys. I know she’d love to unwrap them and snuggle them and assign them ridiculous names and personalities.
Reading Journal: While my husband is gently pushing back on my desire to get Carla a reading journal, I kind of think she would love it? She likes journals. She likes reading. She’s supposed to be doing lots of reading over the summer. This seems like it would be practical (you know I love a practical gift) AND fun. I mean, sure, fun for a very particular sort of ten-year-old. But they exist!
Joke Writing Book: Yes, I realize that this is kind of a book-heavy list. But books are the best gifts, I think we ALL agree. (Right?) Carla loves to tell a good joke, and she’s been experimenting with coming up with her own jokes a lot these past few months. I bet she’d love a book about how to craft really good jokes.
Create Your Own Secret Language: Carla and one of her school friends made up their own secret language this year. Would it sap all the fun out of it to give her a how-to manual? I could get a copy for her friend, too, whose birthday is also coming up… Hmmm…
Villainous Board Game: Carla loves a good villain, and this board game looks really fun.
Jumpsuit: One of Carla’s FAVORITE outfits is a black jumpsuit. She wears it all the time, but it’s getting to be quite small. Plus, she’s moved on from All Black All the Time, and has informed me that her new favorite color is turquoise. The child model does not look enthused about this jumpsuit (I would not be enthused either; HOW DO YOU PEE), but I think Carla would be wildly enthused about it.
Finders Seekers Mystery Game: Carla and her father and I love playing solve-the-mystery games together. This one looks both fun and educational, and there’s potential for a monthly subscription if it’s a big hit.
If you have a ten-year-old in your life, what’s a toy/game/book they really love… or a gift you’ve given that’s been particularly well-received?
I always get such good ideas from your gift posts. One thing is for sure, Carla’s 10th is going to be epic!
Yes, totally epic! 🙂
I think I’m going to get my husband a video bird feeder at the next gift giving occasion (Christmas?). It’s such a COOL gift and I definitely think you should go for it.
Your discussion about the cowboy boots hit a nerve with me. Why do all clothes and accessories have to have extraneous crap? I wanted a pair of black leather boots with no tassels, no zippers, no dumb stitched detailing on the toes. I searched for YEARS and ended up spending A LOT of money on boots that are just simple leather boots, but they also don’t fit well. *sigh* I just want classic pieces! Stop adding embellishments, clothing makers!
Right?! Her most recent pair had a little chain attached to the (faux) leather with a round metal pin and almost immediately fell off. Sigh.
I love that she is whittling! That is just amazing. I love her crafty little heart!
THE BARBIE CAMPER! I think I wanted that when I was a kid!
I would have used the crap out of that Barbie camper! My Barbies would have had lots of dramatic adventures in that thing.
Fun to see what you’re considering. No 10 y.o. here, but that ATM piggy bank is cool. And the reading journal… I could probably make use of that.
Yes! A reading journal is a good idea for anyone!
Re deathly fear of hammocks — my son broke his arm a month ago trying to get into a hammock so I would say your fear is not unreasonable.
Oh gosh — I’m sorry about your kiddo! That’s scary! I hope his recovery is going well.
A friend of a friend lost her two children in a hammock accident, so I *know* they can be very dangerous. But it’s one of those things that is so horrific, I can’t tell if I’m being unduly swayed by how awful it is, or if it’s a legitimate cause for concern.
Um, YES, books make the best gifts (I am the reliable book-giving aunt, I’m comfortable with that). I saw the video bird feeder on Suz’s blog and I think we need to get it for my parents, except we already got them one of those Bluetooth picture frames and I feel a bit like we are trying to surround them with futuristic screens.
Get the Barbie camper. I got Angus a remote-control Incredibles car once on the same ‘how much longer will I be able to buy gifts that blow his mind’ principle, and it was hugely gratifying.
Hahaha I am also trying to surround my parents with futuristic screens (they have a digital photo frame and they would love this bird viewer). The camper is definitely happening.
The sensory swing is used in schools as a therapy device for kids if that helps you feel better about it’s safety.
That is QUITE soothing — thanks, Chris!
Books are ALWAYS a great gift! I took a quick peek at Amazon, it looks like they have the 3rd book in the series that you were looking for; at least I think it’s the one you are looking for.
You share some GREAT ideas for 10-year olds!
Thanks, San!
For her birthday earlier this month, we got my ten year old a sewing machine, a couple of fat quarter bundles of fabric, and a box of sewing accessories (scissors and thread and pins) and she LOVED it. She spends hours sewing bags and doll clothes and pillows. We also bought her a kids sewing book with patterns and instructions, but she has zero interest in that- she’s more of a free and creative sewing person. That being said, I was very glad I had some basic sewing machine knowledge to help her and it might be a very difficult gift if neither of you had ever used a sewing machine previously. She also got a 3D printing pen that has been very popular as well.
That is amazing!
This is wonderful! A sewing machine and a 3D pen have been popular gifts for my kiddo in the past. I love that your daughter is a “free and creative” sewer! Amazing!
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I would buy it all 🙂
We have had that camper for several years, and it’s in pretty good shape still. Also very large. Everything looks so much smaller at Costco (LOL). I think this is a pretty tricky age to buy for– almost big kids; still like toys and stuffies; also have tween feelings about what’s cool, etc.
Yes, it is definitely a tricky age! Still firmly a kid, but also edging into adulthood.
Oh Pusheen!!! My youngest is 3 and he loves his Pusheen. Lots of great ideas on your list. Love the bird feeder, all of the books and Harry Potter stuff !
Pusheen is so cute!
I love these posts, because I have several grandchildren from 9-13 years old. Thanks for the ideas!
Nice, Pat! I hope that you find some good options here!
What’s so amazing about this is that my girl turns 10 at the end of August and I already have that HP coding kit, a jumpsuit, and the Loki book series for her big day! I feel so on trend and convinced our girls would be buddies if they ever met. I also stand by the birdcam feeder; the joy it brings my entire family is legit and my girl is currently writing a song about our cardinal couple…
OMG yes, our kiddos would be fast friends!
OMG these all sound incredible. There are a few things my daughter would like (although she’s 14) so I’m going to make notes and revisit this at Christmas. You always have the best gift lists! I can’t wait to hear what Carla actually ends up getting- and I want to hear all about that Harry Potter coding kit!
I love that she still plays with true toys, like barbie toys! She’s on that cusp of outgrowing that sort of thing but it’s nice that she still enjoys it. My niece turns 12 in Sept and she also still loves barbie stuff, too, so hopefully you’ll still have a few more years of her being interested in that sort of thing! You have come up with some really wonderful gifts!
Thanks, Lisa!
“The child model does not look enthused about this jumpsuit (I would not be enthused either; HOW DO YOU PEE)…”
THIS THIS THIS. No one EVER mentions this. Jumpsuits terrify me for this reason. Also – they have them for “pajamas”? Why? Who wants to pull down an entire jumpsuit at 1 am???
(Also, the model looks like they’re going to kill their mother for forcing them to model…)
I, personally, think that Carla sounds like one of the most fun kids I’ve ever heard of, with THE most diverse set of interests. I’m always fascinated with the breadth of things some people are interested in – one of my niblings loves games (as in indoor games, board games, etc.) BUT ALSO loves hiking and the outdoors and… yet those two sides are completely reconcilable in this lovely young person. 🙂
(Also – longest comment ever, sorry!)
Hahahaha – you are so right that the model is furious at her parents for dressing her in this. So weird to me, as I have the same qualms about jumpsuits, but my daughter LOVES them. And she is SUCH a fun kid. So interested in everything!