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?
