Christmas Gift Ideas for 5 to 12-Year-Old Girls

I Can Draw Books

These come in both paperback and hardback books and you can buy them new or nearly new on Amazon.com. They also are available by different authors and the descriptions are very good. You can usually see a very detailed picture of one of the illustrations so that you can make a decision as to the one that seems the easiest or the best suited for your child's ability and age.

I have never met a child of this age group who does not love to draw. I purchased several of these books for my 6 year old and my 10 year old granddaughters last Christmas and they are still enjoying them. You can tailor the book/books to the child's interests. There are books on drawing flowers and plant life, animals, baby animals, fish, insects, and cartoon figures.

This is not an exhaustive list. There are too many options to remember them all. The prices are all reasonable, even the new hardback ones. The ones that are listed as nearly new generally look like they are new and they are much cheaper. This is an option that is almost guaranteed to make your child happy.

Staple-less Staplers

I found these nifty little gadgets in an office supply store after seeing them in a magazine. Crayola Brand makes one and it is very inexpensive. It "staples" 3-4 sheets and there are no staples to contend with. My little ones (the 5 and 7 yr olds) always want to use my stapler to make books out of their artwork and I am always a little hesitant.

I also saw many versions online, which are made for adults, so I was glad to find this item at Staples Office Store. (I thought that was ironic. I had searched for them with no luck and then found the "staple-less" stapler at Stapes Office Supply) If you don't have this office supply store in your area, another office supply store will probably have them.

Magazine Subscriptions

Magazine subscriptions make a wonderful gift for girls in this age group. They have something new to look forward to after Christmas. Some of the magazines my granddaughters have enjoyed are: Zoobooks, Your Big Back Yard, Ladybug, High Five, Highlights, Sparkle, My Preschool Playroom and Disney Princess.

You can find these magazines on-line by typing in "childrens magazines. Magdirect.com is one site that has all of these magazines listed. The ones mentioned are for the 4-7 year olds. There are others, such as National Geographic For Kids, Hopscotch For Girls, and Girls Life that would be appropriate for girls in the 8-12 year old range.

Dance Praise

One of the gifts my granddaughters are getting this year is the Christian version of Dance Revolution. If you have not seen this and would like to have a cheaper and more Christian oriented option to Dance Revolution, this is something you need to check out.

It has a huge number of songs-50 on the Remix version and 35 on each expansion pack. It is a much better value than the secular version and the songs are all popular Christian songs, which means you will not have to worry about the lyrics your child is hearing. You can find this at almost any Christian bookstore or online by typing in "Dance Praise". Family Christian stores are having a sale on this product through December 1 and details are on their website.

Faith and Friends Dolls and Accessories

These are really cute dolls that are available at Christian bookstores. They are about $30 and also have reasonably priced clothes and other accessories. There are Caucasian, African American, Latino, and Oriental dolls available. The dolls are pose-able and they are 14" tall.

They come with their own Bible and a personal composition book. When you receive them, you can log onto the faith and friends website and name your doll and create her style and write her story. This is a very cute alternative if your child likes dolls and you want an all American look doll that doesn't break your bank account.