Great Gift Card Ideas for Kids Ages 8-11

This holiday season, many gift cards will be purchased and redeemed. Getting gift cards for anyone is a great idea, and nowadays, even better for kids. Kids nowadays like to have independence even at a young age. My son and his friends, ages from 8 to 11, love to get gift cards as presents. They love to go to the various stores and be independent and purchase their own ideas for the toys they want. We recently purchased a GameStop gift card for one of my son's friends who just turned 8. It was easy and no hassle. He can now go with his parents and pick his favorite video game or game accessory and use his new gift card to purchase it!

Since I hang around these kids so much, and attend many of their birthdays, I have noticed which gift cards are most popular for kids of that age range, from 8 to 11. (Click on the name of the store for the hyperlink to the gift card section of their website.)

I have already mentioned GameStop. This is a used/recycled video game store that you can get great deals on popular games and accessories. They even have cute gift card holders that are replicas of the larger gaming systems, like Playstation 3, X-Box 360 or even the Nintendo Wii! You can purchase the gift cards either in the store or online.

Another great gift card to buy for kids is iTunes. I don't use iTunes, but I always hear the kids talking about downloading new songs or even purchasing movies on their account! I don't know much about it, but I do know that it is very popular with the kids.

How many times have you been to Toys R Us and not purchased something or not heard a kid saying, "If I had money, I would buy it!" Well, I have done both. My son got a Toys R Us gift card for Christmas last year and, in all the presents and confusion of Christmas morning, forgot he had it! Daddy had it in his wallet and we were at Toys R Us a few months later when our son asked for an expensive toy. We didn't have the money for it, but remembered his gift card! We asked him if he wanted to use it for that toy, and he was so excited because he got to buy it himself! He then sent out a thank you card mentioning what he got to buy, even after Christmas was over.

If your child has a pet, then another great gift card would be for Petsmart or Petco. Yes, the present itself would end up for the pet, but the shopping experience would be great for the child. My son loves to go into the store and look at all the fun toys and snacks for his pet mice. He goes towards the 'Mice Apartments" and always wants to purchase one for his two little friends. He also loves to get our dog a pig ear because he knows it is her favorite! He doesn't mind spending his money on his pets because he says he gets enjoyment out of making them happy. (Such a great kid!) The gift cards or gift certificates can be purchased online and also at any location. Click the above links to access the gift card sites.

Chuck E. Cheese also offers gift cards, either in store or online. Many kids have their birthday parties there, and many more just like to go there for the freedom of being able to roam around the arcade and not have Mom and Dad follow their every footstep. Every time we pass a Chuck E. Cheese, my son begs to go inside.

Does your little girl or little boy love stuffed animals? Are they attached to their little furry friends? Well, a great way to make a young child, or a child of any age, feel better is to take them to Build-A-Bear Workshops. We took my son there for his 4^th birthday and he loved it. This was now 4 years ago, and the two 'friends' we picked up are still up in his bed with him. Our new daughter got a Build-A-Bear gift card for her 1^st birthday, so we went again. It was so fun watching our son pick out her newest best friend and watching her face light up as they stuffed her new teddy! They have different animals for boys and girls and clothes to match. Not all the dogs or bears have to be ballerinas or princesses; they also have firefighter gear and policeman uniforms, too. There is something for every one of all ages at Build-A-Bear!

Do your kids like to read? If so, then getting them a bookstore gift card would be a great way to give them the freedom of picking their favorite books and also encouraging them to read. There are great stores like Barnes and Noble or Borders that are in almost every mall. If you have a local bookstore that your kids prefer, ask if they offer gift cards or gift certificates. Kids love to dash to the book section and pick their favorite book and favorite spot to sit and read.

Is your child in the stage where they want to pick out their own clothes? Do they like to shop, but hate it when you are glued to their side, matching up their new pants to their waistline and embarrassing them? Well, you can get them a Target gift card and they can make their own selections like a big kid. Yes, of course you will still be there to watch over them, but they will have the exhilaration of not only picking out their own clothes, but paying for them, too! There are many different styles to choose from either in the store or online.

There you go! Many different places and ideas for gift cards for kids this holiday, or any season, and not only does it encourage responsibility, but also money management, too.

Sources:

Personal experience