Gift to wow a 6yr old girl and help her temporarily forget about her broken leg
July 14, 2011 8:42 AM Subscribe
What might be a great gift (0-$300 budget) for a 6yr old girl who will be stuck in a leg cast for the rest of the summer?
Does she like to read? Does she have any hobbies, or interests that could potentially be hobbies? Any favorite fictional characters? Talents?
Not knowing anything about her, I can say that most kids love Lego, it's something that can be done sitting at a table/desk, and sets can be purchased in a variety of themes. I was constantly saving money for Lego sets as a kid, and if someone had given me 300 bucks worth I would have loved them for life (cast or no).
posted by codacorolla at 8:46 AM on July 14, 2011
Not knowing anything about her, I can say that most kids love Lego, it's something that can be done sitting at a table/desk, and sets can be purchased in a variety of themes. I was constantly saving money for Lego sets as a kid, and if someone had given me 300 bucks worth I would have loved them for life (cast or no).
posted by codacorolla at 8:46 AM on July 14, 2011
Nerf guns.
posted by AzraelBrown at 8:48 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by AzraelBrown at 8:48 AM on July 14, 2011
Ipod Touch.
posted by backwards guitar at 9:01 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by backwards guitar at 9:01 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Juggling for the Complete Klutz
I have pretty limited experience juggling, but I know that as a beginner it requires a lot of running around after balls, which is less than ideal for someone with a broken leg.
A klutz book or two is a great idea though if she likes arts and crafts. I spent a lot of time on craft kit type stuff as a kid, and that was with both legs working.
posted by one little who at 9:02 AM on July 14, 2011
I have pretty limited experience juggling, but I know that as a beginner it requires a lot of running around after balls, which is less than ideal for someone with a broken leg.
A klutz book or two is a great idea though if she likes arts and crafts. I spent a lot of time on craft kit type stuff as a kid, and that was with both legs working.
posted by one little who at 9:02 AM on July 14, 2011
Nintendo DS lite. There's tons of kid friendly games for it.
And books.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 9:04 AM on July 14, 2011
And books.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 9:04 AM on July 14, 2011
A Nintendo DS and a couple of games. I'm out of practice on those, but this link spells out a few good ones. I really liked Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Nintendogs was ok, etc.
A sizeable collection of Nancy Drew books.
posted by lizbunny at 9:05 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
A sizeable collection of Nancy Drew books.
posted by lizbunny at 9:05 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Stickers. Lots and lots of stickers. You could spend $20 and get several epic sticker books, just as an added bonus to whatever else you decide on.
Paper dolls or dress up dolls could be fun, too. There's a lot of options out there, but the Eeboo doll series seems great. Artist and Musician! Naturalist and Explorer! Poet and Astronomer!
When I was younger, I got a lot of storytelling mileage out of my extensive collection of plastic horses. Nowadays, Schleich's extensive range of figurines is exactly what I would have adored, back then. All sorts of animals and people and things that can be played with inside and outside, and the small scale means that she wouldn't have to move around too much as she plays.
posted by redsparkler at 9:06 AM on July 14, 2011
Paper dolls or dress up dolls could be fun, too. There's a lot of options out there, but the Eeboo doll series seems great. Artist and Musician! Naturalist and Explorer! Poet and Astronomer!
When I was younger, I got a lot of storytelling mileage out of my extensive collection of plastic horses. Nowadays, Schleich's extensive range of figurines is exactly what I would have adored, back then. All sorts of animals and people and things that can be played with inside and outside, and the small scale means that she wouldn't have to move around too much as she plays.
posted by redsparkler at 9:06 AM on July 14, 2011
6 year olds have short attention spans. I'd get a variety of things so she'll be able to change gears if she gets bored.
I was really into polymer clay when I was a kid (got into it when I was older than 6, though), but it was always a hit with kids her age when I'd take it babysitting. This is a good book to start with.
I like the idea of getting several Klutz/arts and crafts books and supplies.
posted by phunniemee at 9:09 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was really into polymer clay when I was a kid (got into it when I was older than 6, though), but it was always a hit with kids her age when I'd take it babysitting. This is a good book to start with.
I like the idea of getting several Klutz/arts and crafts books and supplies.
posted by phunniemee at 9:09 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Heavy duty permanent markers so she can draw on her cast.
posted by lilac girl at 9:13 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by lilac girl at 9:13 AM on July 14, 2011
Tavern puzzles (I've seen a collection that come in their own little tin, but I can't find it).
Jigsaw puzzles
2nding the Klutz series. They have a book of card tricks, I believe.
posted by Gilbert at 9:13 AM on July 14, 2011
Jigsaw puzzles
2nding the Klutz series. They have a book of card tricks, I believe.
posted by Gilbert at 9:13 AM on July 14, 2011
Lisa Frank stickers and sticker books (do they still make those?)! Some coloring pencils, markers, or pens and a sketch pad if she likes to draw. A crochet kit for kids might also pique her interest if she's into crafts.
posted by sunnychef88 at 9:14 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by sunnychef88 at 9:14 AM on July 14, 2011
how about some yarn and needles? i know a couple people who learned how to knit that young, although i was not one of them. :(
posted by bellbellbell at 9:22 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by bellbellbell at 9:22 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Maybe a variation on something I gave a grown-up friend who was going to be convalescing for a month: a large tin with 30 different small individually wrapped gifts, one to be opened each day.
posted by bentley at 9:25 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by bentley at 9:25 AM on July 14, 2011
If she likes playing pretend, Melissa and Doug co. makes wonderful puppets that look something like muppets; you control their arms with sticks. They come in all varieties of occupations, ages, races, abilities, etc. Those along with a cardboard stage could give her and her family/friends hours of fun.
posted by aimeedee at 9:26 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by aimeedee at 9:26 AM on July 14, 2011
I'm in the ipod touch camp, particularly if you load some movies or something on it. Nothing wrong with a generation or so back, either, so you can have money left over for buying apps/shows on iTunes.
posted by phearlez at 9:29 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by phearlez at 9:29 AM on July 14, 2011
Lego Maersk Container Ship or some other Lego kit.
posted by thirteenkiller at 9:31 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by thirteenkiller at 9:31 AM on July 14, 2011
I've seen several people with lower-legs casts using "knee scooters" to move around. I have no idea about price, but if she's able to use it that would be a lot easier than crutches.
posted by anti social order at 9:34 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by anti social order at 9:34 AM on July 14, 2011
Several people already mentioned books, but how about a Kindle?
posted by Deflagro at 9:59 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by Deflagro at 9:59 AM on July 14, 2011
I learned a bit of sewing in school when I was that age and loved it. We made alphabet samplers with embroidery stitches.
posted by mareli at 10:04 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by mareli at 10:04 AM on July 14, 2011
I feel your/her pain: we just got my 3-year-old niece out of a body cast --- from her armpits down both legs & feet! --- a couple months ago.
Mail her cards two-three times a week: mail just for me! is exciting for a kid. If you want to do stickers (and little kids love stickers!), put some inside the card. It won't have to be many, one of those little sheets of a dozen or so each time will be fine. Your little girl is six, so maybe she's reading? With our 3-year-old, I didn't have to bother with what the card said (father's day cards? retirement? happy birthday to nephew? sure!), because she couldn't read it anyway, so it didn't make any difference. I just picked out cards with things like cute animals.
posted by easily confused at 10:09 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Mail her cards two-three times a week: mail just for me! is exciting for a kid. If you want to do stickers (and little kids love stickers!), put some inside the card. It won't have to be many, one of those little sheets of a dozen or so each time will be fine. Your little girl is six, so maybe she's reading? With our 3-year-old, I didn't have to bother with what the card said (father's day cards? retirement? happy birthday to nephew? sure!), because she couldn't read it anyway, so it didn't make any difference. I just picked out cards with things like cute animals.
posted by easily confused at 10:09 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Some kind of musical instrument that is not too loud (thinking of the rest of the family). A guitar or keyboard would be great because they are easy to pick up/self study. Drums would be great too, but the loudness may limit when she can play on them.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 10:48 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 10:48 AM on July 14, 2011
Piggybacking on swift and portmanteau, how about a recorder? It is really easy to learn to play, and little kids love them.
Bonus: if she picks up saxophone later on, the fingerings are very similar (as I found out to my delight in middle school). Other simple instruments like the ocarina could work as well.
posted by zoetrope at 11:02 AM on July 14, 2011
Bonus: if she picks up saxophone later on, the fingerings are very similar (as I found out to my delight in middle school). Other simple instruments like the ocarina could work as well.
posted by zoetrope at 11:02 AM on July 14, 2011
Yeah, I vote Leapfrog Explorer over Nintendo DS. The games are educational. I've got a 6-year-old, and he loves his.
posted by troywestfield at 1:01 PM on July 14, 2011
posted by troywestfield at 1:01 PM on July 14, 2011
With that sort of budget, you could go crazy with art/craft stuff and probably still have enough left over for something electronic. A big box of different sorts of paper - plain white drawing paper, brightly-coloured drawing paper, thin card in various colours, paper-backed foil, tissue paper, colourful sugar paper, tracing paper, whatever catches your eye in an art supply store. Add a couple of pairs of child-safe scissors, a glue stick, an assortment of kinds of Sellotape/Scotch tape (clear, double-sided, holographic, patterned), pipe cleaners, stickers, felt tip pens, colouring pencils, wax crayons, oil pastels. Tubes of glitter, if you're willing to clear up the inevitable mess. Shiny new pencils, with a cute pencil sharpener and a couple of erasers. A scrapbook and a notebook.
Also, can you get plasticine in the US, and Fuzzy Felt?
A large tray or board that she can rest on her lap might be a good idea too, so that she doesn't have to sit at a table all the time; I don't suppose sprawling on the floor is going to be easy with a broken leg.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 1:04 PM on July 14, 2011
Also, can you get plasticine in the US, and Fuzzy Felt?
A large tray or board that she can rest on her lap might be a good idea too, so that she doesn't have to sit at a table all the time; I don't suppose sprawling on the floor is going to be easy with a broken leg.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 1:04 PM on July 14, 2011
origami books and paper ? there are some sets of very small squares of paper , just the size that little child might love .
yarn and needles : she is exactly the best age to learn to knit . Everyone who can knit with ease told me that they learned when were 5-6 year old . She can knit things for her toys , also knit little finger puppets .
posted by Oli D. at 6:37 PM on July 14, 2011
yarn and needles : she is exactly the best age to learn to knit . Everyone who can knit with ease told me that they learned when were 5-6 year old . She can knit things for her toys , also knit little finger puppets .
posted by Oli D. at 6:37 PM on July 14, 2011
I have pretty limited experience juggling, but I know that as a beginner it requires a lot of running around after balls, which is less than ideal for someone with a broken leg.
Ah, but the Klutz juggling book comes with bean bag cubes. Also, a friend of mine taught herself to juggle from it when she was laid up with a broken leg as a kid.
posted by knile at 4:10 PM on July 17, 2011
Ah, but the Klutz juggling book comes with bean bag cubes. Also, a friend of mine taught herself to juggle from it when she was laid up with a broken leg as a kid.
posted by knile at 4:10 PM on July 17, 2011
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posted by bravowhiskey at 8:44 AM on July 14, 2011 [2 favorites]