Money Smart Kids
Toys for Tweens
By Janet Bodnar, Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
December 12, 2002
I could sympathize when you mentioned in your last column that kids are outgrowing toys at an earlier age. When I went holiday shopping, I had no trouble finding toys for my 5-year-old son, but I couldn't find a single toy for my 9-year-old daughter. When I asked her what she wanted, she said, "a writing kit" -- composition books, a pencil sharpener and a dictionary. So why am I complaining? Because I want to buy her toys, but she can't come up with anything she wants. How do I hazard a guess without insulting her and wasting my money?
I'm leery of tackling this one. Whatever I might suggest, your daughter may not like -- or you may not approve of. Girls can be a challenge, because the toy selection is so focused on dolls and housekeeping accessories.
But I'm going to wade in because it's worth urging you not to give up on your daughter's childhood -- and to trust your own judgment. It may be that your daughter can't come up with something she wants because she hasn't seen it yet. Poke around stores and flip through catalogs for inspiration. If it strikes your fancy, chances are it will strike hers, too.
If she wants composition books and a pencil sharpener, for example, she might also like paints, gel pens, glitter glue and fancy erasers, all packed up in a colorful box. Or how about a craft kit?
Does your family play board games? I try to come up with at least one new game each Christmas -- even though all my children are teenagers.
Is there something she might like to collect? Tap an interest in stuffed pigs or nesting dolls (two favorites of my daughter), and you will have gift ideas for years to come.
In fact, my favorite part of holiday toy-buying is finding things that my kids haven't asked for. Among this year's finds: a Magic 8-ball pen and a deck of Simpsons playing cards (each for less than $10). The kids, in turn, always include "surprises" on their lists, and never really outgrow toys.
Today, for instance, I brought home Crayola's "Art Buddy Backpack" --a nifty clear plastic pack filled with crayons, markers and chalk -- as a donation for a holiday toy drive. It's designed for 4-year-olds, but when my 18-year-old daughter saw it, she gazed at it longingly and said (quite seriously), "This is for me, isn't it?"