Top 10 Gift Ideas for Girls Age 9-11

Being an aunt is the best. My 9-year-old niece is the sweetest little thing, until she doesn't get her way, and then she's not so sweet. But hey I'm not around for that, which is why being an aunt is the best. To help you with gift ideas for those sweet (and not so sweet) little girls, here is a list of 10 gifts I've given my niece that have helped elevate my status to "World's Best Aunt."

1) Hello Kitty Sewing Machine
When asked to babysit one night during my domestic homemaker phase, I brought my newly acquired sewing machine along, with the hope of finally understanding how the thing works. I did not anticipate the reaction my niece would have upon seeing the sewing machine - she immediately became giddy and started shouting, "Will you make me something!? I want to help! I want to make something!" Unfortunately, since I had no idea how to use the thing, I wasn't able to teach her how to sew, much less make her anything. That's when I decided to give her the Hello Kitty Sewing Machine. This first-timers sewing machine is blue with the Hello Kitty logo on it. It's the perfect machine for a beginner and features a drop-in bobbin, easy lay-in threading and 3 stitch types: straight, zigzag and reverse. It also features a four-point feed system keeps fabric straight and flat as you sew. It can be found at Target for $59.99.

2) Cranium Cadoo
There's nothing quite like a nice round of Cranium to bring the family together for several hours and provide countless priceless memories like your tone deaf brother attempting to hum "Hotel California." Anyone who has played Cranium knows, however, that many of the questions and categories can be a little too challenging for the younger family members. My niece loves family game night, but is often frustrated by the harder categories. Cranium Cadoo gives her the chance to join in on the fun and actually have a chance to win! The game retails for about $20.

3) Movie "Spirited Away"
My niece is at the age where she cannot go to sleep without someone in the room with her. Anxiety over being left alone is normal for this age group. This animated movie by Japanese film-make Hayao Miyazaki is about a 10-year-old girl who gets separated from her parents and is transported into a mysterious world full of unimaginable characters and must overcome her fears to find her way back home. It is a charming movie that transcends cultural differences and teaches some important lessons about friendship, courage and love. It even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film in 2003. It is available dubbed in English.

4) Barbie Fashion Show computer game
The manufacturers of Barbie have been perpetuating images of unrealistic body proportions in young girls' minds for generations now and don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Barbie has even gone digital with her very own line of computer games. In the Barbie Fashion show game, girls can help Barbie prepare for Paris Fashion Week, complete 10 exciting fashion assignments and choose their own fabrics and designs for Barbie's couture line. The game can be found on Amazon for around $10.

5) Bongo drums
My niece really looks up to her older brother, who is now 14. He is a talented musician and writes his own music on the piano and guitar. My niece's musical abilities are, well, somewhat lacking, which is sad because she loves to play music with her big brother. That's why I decided to give her very own bongo drum set, which requires no musical talent whatsoever. Now she can play along with her brother to her heart's content (and release a lot of that pent up energy!). And because the drums are small and easily transportable, when the incessant drumming becomes too much, her parents can force her to take her drums outside so she can play in nature like the little hippie that she is.

6) Nitro Notebook
My niece loves to read and she loves to pretend she's a grown-up. Her Nitro Notebook from Toys R Us has allowed her to do both. The pink Notebook, which resembles a real laptop computer, improves reading comprehension skills and features games to help her brush up on math, social studies and science skills. Artificial Intelligence technology allows the notebook to track her performance and adjust the skill level as needed. There are even Spanish language activities. The notebook is $39.99 at Toys R Us.

7) Karaoke machine
During the height of the Britney Spears phenomenon, it was not unusual to walk by my niece's bedroom door and hear her belting out "Oops I Did It Again" at the top of her lungs along with her new karaoke machine. She was able to sing into her very own microphone, play her favorite CD and read the lyrics on a monitor. This machine has provided her and her friends with countless hours of entertainment. I just hope her taste in music improves quickly.

8) Bead kit
If there's one thing little girls love to do, it's make their own jewelry. Bead kits can be found at almost any toy store and come in a variety of styles and sizes. This is a great activity that will keep her busy for hours and also helps to improve concentration and creativity. It's also fun to do together and you just might get some cool new accessories out of the deal.

9) Scrapbooking Activity Kit
I'm a big advocate for anything that pulls kids away from the TV set, and it's hard to go wrong with arts and crafts. Scrapbooking keeps my niece busy for hours at a time organizing her favorite photos, writing clever captions and decorating each page with ribbons and glitter. It also gives her something she will able to treasure for years.

10) American Girl Doll
American Girl Dolls are like Barbie but classier and without the eating disorder. I don't really understand this obsession but for the last few Christmases, American Dolls, along with their clothing and accessories, have been on my niece's Christmas list. The Historical Characters line features dolls that represent women throughout history, from Kirsten, a brave pioneer girl, to Addy, a courageous Civil War girl. Each doll is the star of her own historical six-book series which feature lessons of love, friendship, courage, compassion and tolerance. American Girl has numerous other doll lines, including the "Bitty Twins" line which features doll pairs that feature full outfits with accessories, longer hair to style, Dress Like Your Doll™ clothing, bigger books, and more. Dolls are $87.