Category: Toy Reviews

11 Best Gifts for 11 Year Old Girls in 2018

If you have an 11 year old girl in your life, then you probably already know that she’s undergoing lots of changes. You’ll notice physical changes, cognitive changes and yes, even changes when it comes to the gifts she wants. What was great a year or two ago may be too childish and yet, she is still a kid. We’ve found that most 11 year olds still love to play, they just need to be properly engaged. To help solve this pre-teen present problem, we’ve searched high and low for the very best gifts for 11 year old girls. Each one was selected based on its capacity to be enjoyed and be educational. To learn more about the milestones that these gifts will help with, read on. Otherwise, skip right to our top toys for 11 year old girls list below!

11 Year Old Developmental Milestones

Physically, 11 year old girls are going through some pretty big changes. In fact, your daughter may grow as much as 4 inches this year! Because of all this growth, your tween needs more sleep than you might think, on average 9-11 hours a night. In addition to growing taller, your 11 year old may be experiencing puberty, resulting in weight and body composition changes. Ensuring she keeps a healthy diet and empowering her to develop a positive body image are two great ways to support her development.

Cognitively, you may notice that your daughter is questioning the concepts she’s learning more deeply. This introspection will lead to her developing her own worldview as she figures out what her values are. Pediatricians recommend limiting screen time to 1-2 hours per day, but screen time rules may be tough to enforce, especially if your child already has a smartphone. Helping your daughter engage in fun activities away from a computer or phone can make this battle easier. (Most of our gift recommendations are screen-free activities.)

Socially, developing and maintaining healthy friendships is critical as peer pressure becomes more apparent at this age. Helping your daughter feel confident about herself is the best defense against falling prey to peer pressure. Your continued support and encouragement will bolster her sense of self. Finally, as a parent, you’ve likely noticed her growing independence these last few years; this year is no exception. Friends may be her primary focus, but she will still look to you for guidance, support and love.

11 Best Toys & Gifts for 11 Year Old Girls

1. Klutz Nail Style Studio Book Kit

If your daughter loves to paint her nails but has grown tired of the standard single color manicure, Klutz Nail Style Studio may just be the perfect gift. The kit includes detailed instructions for 25 different nail designs, specialized nail art tools, practice peel-off polish in 6 colors and more than 250 stencils. With these supplies, if your daughter can dream it, she can design it. In addition to being fun and stylish, the Nail Style Studio is great at helping your 11 year old improve her fine motor skills and find new ways to express herself.

Buy for $17.29 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

2. Nintendo Switch

Great for social or solo play, the Nintendo Switch makes it a snap to play on the TV at home or on-the-go with its handheld mode. We all know that video games can be fun and entertaining, but they can also be great for improving executive functioning as well as problem solving skills. While gaming obviously does count as screen time, we like that it’s not a passive experience. When it comes to games, there are a lot of great options for the Switch. Some of our favorites for 11 year olds are Nintendo Labo, Letter Quest Remastered, Snipperclips Plus and Super Mario Party.

Buy for $299.00 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

3. Easy-To-Do Crochet Kit

If your daughter is looking for a new hobby that she can do anywhere, crocheting may just fit the bill. Working with her hands will help to improve her fine motor skills and the repetition of crocheting has been proven to release serotonin, making it a great activity to combat depression and anxiety. Studies have also shown that crocheting improves mindfulness, so it’s a wonderful hobby to start early. This kit comes with detailed instructions and all the supplies she’ll need to make a headband, placemat and belt.

Buy for $9.74 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

4. Snap Circuits Jr. – Electronics Exploration Kit

Have an inquisitive kid in your life? The Snap Circuits Jr. provides hands-on education about how electrical circuitry works without any of soldering or destruction of your prized home electronics. The kit comes with an expansive manual that details the instructions for 105 different electrical projects including how to build a flashlight, flying saucer and a volume-adjustable siren. This recipient of the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval will provide hours of entertainment as your daughter learns about the differences between resistors, capacitators and inductors. Once your child is finished with all of the projects in the manual, she can upgrade her equipment and even design her own circuits.

Buy for $22.00 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

5. Compose Yourself Music Card Game

This musical card game comes with 60 transparent cards that your daughter can use to compose her very own music. Because the cards are transparent, they can be flipped and rotated to make different melodies; adding up to more than a billion musical possibilities. Once she has drafted her melody, she can upload her composition on the Compose Yourself website and hear her song (with or without accompaniment), share it with friends and family, and print out sheet music so she can play it on an instrument of her choosing.

Buy for $14.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

6. Exotic Flavors DIY Lip Balm Making Kit

Lip balm is a tried-and-true cosmetic among the tween crowd. Help her take her burgeoning beauty routine to the next level with the DIY lip balm kit. The easy-to-follow instructions and high-quality materials, including shea butter, almond oil and beeswax make it simple and fun for your 11 year old to make 12 tubes that she can stockpile or share with friends.

Buy for $24.95 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

7. Prime Club

Part strategy, part luck, all fun – Prime Club is a fantastic game for 2-4 players that reinforces math skills and makes multiplication and division as easy as combining colors. It’s tough to find a game that’s a favorite among educators, parents and kids but this award-winning board game appeals to most everyone and has quickly become staple in classrooms and at family game nights.

Buy for $18.96 on Amazon

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8. Loopdedoo Spinning Loom Kit

If your daughter enjoys making traditional friendship bracelets, the Loopdedoo Spinning Loom Kit is a natural progression. The small loom and 12 enclosed skeins (narrow balls of yarn designed to be pulled from center) are all she needs to make one-of-a-kind bracelets, anklets, zipper pulls, belts and more. There are also add-on accessories, like charms and metallic thread, if she’d like to add a little shimmer. Completing crafting projects like this is a great way for your 11 year old to unleash some creativity and boost her self-esteem.

Buy for $29.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

9. Kan Jam – Ultimate Disc Game

If you feel like it’s sometimes a struggle to get your kid to spend time outside, adding a little variety to their outdoor activities might help. Kan Jam is both a fun and competitive game for kids (and adults!). It comes with a frisbee and two targets and is designed for 2 teams of two. Even when it’s not your turn to throw, you have the opportunity to block the opposing team’s shot, so it’s never boring. We also like that it’s simple to set up, store and transport, making it great for the beach, the park or the yard.

Buy for $23.60 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

10. The Fashion Sketchpad: 420 Figure Templates for Designing Looks and Building Your Portfolio

For the fledging fashionista, we can’t recommend The Fashion Sketchpad enough. Let your daughter get her design dreams down on paper by utilizing the 420 pre-made croqius (proportionally accurate human figure) drawings. Once her outfit is complete, she can scan or photocopy her sketch and see the croquis image disappear. Because the croquis is printed with a specially formulated pantone color, it doesn’t show up when the image is replicated, leaving behind a professional and proportionally accurate fashion sketch.

Buy for $15.19 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

11. Darice 80-Piece Deluxe Art Set

This Darice 80-Piece Deluxe Art Kit comes with everything your 11 year old will need to produce her next great work of art (except for the paper. Check out #10 above!). A wide array of colored pencils, pencils, watercolor cakes, oil pastels, paintbrushes and more are all neatly packaged in a durable and compact carrying case. What we love about this kit is that it offers great exposure to a variety of mediums without breaking the bank. Priced at $15, this starter set is an ideal way for your daughter to figure out which mediums she prefers. The art set is a great companion to the fashion sketchpad above.

Buy for $14.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 10 Year Old Girls in 2018

Do you want to treat the 10 year old girl in your life to a gift she’ll love? With so many options out there, it can be a real challenge to sift through them all to find a toy or gift that is both entertaining and educational. To help you on your quest, we’ve rounded up the top 10 toys that are designed to engage and delight your 10 year old while helping your child meet their developmental milestones, which are outlined below. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip the milestones overview and get right to our list of the best toys for 10 year old girls here!

10 Year Old Developmental Milestones

This exciting year is all about cognitive gains, physical change, and increasing independence.

Socially and emotionally, your 10 year old daughter’s friendships will become more and more meaningful. Most children will thrive if given the opportunity to develop these relationships on their own. Even though she’ll be branching out, she still needs your support and encouragement. During this time, it’s a good idea to help your daughter learn how to deal with negative emotions, like frustration and anxiety, so she’ll be better equipped for whatever life throws at her, especially in her new and ever-changing social settings.

Cognitively, you daughter will be reaching new heights. Classroom learning picks up this year as these young students prepare for middle school. This means fractions, geometry, and even early algebra will likely be on this year’s syllabus. Make sure you communicate with her often about her studies even though your child will likely require less homework supervision as she becomes more self-reliant and responsible.

Physically, many 10 year old girls will start to see signs of early puberty or go through growth spurts (growing 2.5” this year is typical). Along with these changes, you’ll notice increased stamina and better coordination, which will lead to improvements in sport performance and fine motor activities. However, all of this growing does take a toll as an increased appetite and need for more sleep is common.

With all of these developmental milestones in mind, we’ve curated the following list of recommended toys and gifts.

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 10 Year Old Girls

1. Harry Potter Paperback Box Set

If you’ve already read Harry Potter, then it should be quite obvious that this Harry Potter 7-book set is an ideal gift for any 10 year old girl. She is finally developing the vocabulary and reading abilities to fully enjoy this enthralling and uplifting tale.

If you’ve never read Harry Potter, on the other hand, then you may be surprised to know that Harry Potter is one of the most widely read books of ALL TIME with over 400 million copies sold.  And this Harry Potter 7-book set is an absolute treasure for any 10 year old girl to receive. Don’t be surprised if it inspires her to fall in love with reading. Once children get going on Harry Potter, they have a hard time stopping until the last page is turned.

Developmentally, this set will help your 10 year old girl improve her vocabulary and reading speed, while also absorbing a message of love, friendship, and bravery. Warning – she may turn into a Harry Potter fangirl, but that’s not really so bad. She’ll be able to connect with the vast chunk of our society that also loves Harry Potter.

Buy for $52.16 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

2. Nancy B’s Science Club Microscope and 22-page Activity Journal

This dual microscope is built sturdily and magnifies from 30x to 400x, making it possible to inspect anything from peacock feathers to skin cells. Included with the microscope is a very well-thought-out activity journal. Far from a simple notebook, it is packed with 22 pages of science experiments and activities to complete. Beyond the activities in the journal, your daughter can take her microscope outside and examine anything that interests her, whether it’s a caterpillar on the sidewalk or newly fallen leaves. This set is an ideal starting point for any curious child on their way to becoming a young scientist.

Note: Make sure to have three AAA batteries on hand when she opens her gift, as they are not included.

Buy for $42.40 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

3. Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera

The act of photography helps the photographer slow down and notice the small details that make up the world around them. Through this careful study, either while taking pictures or reviewing them after the fact, one can begin to better understand their subject. While photography as an art form can take years to master, we like the Fujifilm Instax Mini as a beginner’s camera. It has automatic settings, is compact enough for small hands, and has an instant print option. Learning a new skill like photography is a great way to help boost your 10 year old’s self-esteem as they develop a lifelong hobby.

Buy for $109.95 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

4. Klutz Make Your Own Soap Science Kit

Getting clean just got a little bit cooler with this DIY soap kit. It’s got everything your 10 year old will need to make 10 different soaps, including the soap base, fragrances, color tablets, gift packaging, and decorations. We like kits like these because it provides a great experience for your child as well as a tangible item at the end. As she’s having a blast making these soaps, she’ll also be working on her measuring, patience, and problem solving skills. You can even introduce her to entrepreneurship by having her price and sell her soaps in your neighborhood.

Buy for $19.79 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

5. Kitki THREE STICKS

This multiple award-winning game gets a spot on our top 10 list because of its high-quality design and compelling gameplay. The object of the game is to make geometrical shapes from the pieces you’re given by building off of your opponent’s turn. As your child plays, she’ll be making strides in her math skills, sportsmanship, and creative thinking. And, the game is designed for 2-4 players so it’s great for family game night or with friends.

Buy for $29.50 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

6. Big Bag of Science (+70 Activities)

Encourage your 10 year old’s creative side with the Big Bag of Science. More than 70 activities focused on exploring physical, earth, and life sciences will keep your child engaged for weeks, if not months, with experiments like growing crystals, making quicksand, and making a rainbow in a tube. We especially like that even after your child completes the included experiments, they’ll have all the equipment they need to come up with their own.

Buy for $27.90 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

7. Sara, Book 1: Sara Learns the Secret about the Law of Attraction

Some gifts a child does not know to ask for. But if they are open and allow a gift like this book to come into their lives, it will fundamentally change their nature forever. The messages in this book are powerful and positive. They teach children about positive and negative emotions, what they mean, and how to use emotion as a guidance system. It teaches children that they are complete and always loved and appreciated, even when the conditions of the world are less favorable. In short, this book teaches children how to pursue their desires while still being happy even when those desires are not yet manifest. Parents who don’t know about the law of attraction will benefit just as much from this book as their children. Without getting into the details, this book is highly effective at generating appreciation, happiness, and good feelings. If you want to give your 10 year old girl a deep understanding of the universe and her place in it, as well as give her the techniques to achieve lifelong happiness, then give her this book.

Buy for $12.74 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

8. Fat Brain Toys Fold Origami Brainteaser

In a beautiful blend of origami and puzzle, the Origami Brainteaser from Fat Brain Toys is sure to delight your 10 year old. These 10 folding puzzles are durably laminated for repeat use and excellent at developing mathematical and logic skills, not to mention patience! Each puzzle is unique and challenging as the series was developed by the famed puzzle creator, Ivan Moscovich. As a bonus, these puzzles are an excellent travel toy for those long summer road trips or visits to the grandparents.

Buy for $14.95 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

9. Ozobot Bit Coding Robot

To learn how to code is to become digitally literate. And, teaching children how to code at a young age is a great way to introduce them to a huge (and growing) career field. The Ozobot Bit Coding Robot is designed to teach coding in two ways, on-screen and off. The small robot (about the size of a squash ball) reads the lines your 10 year old draws with specific coding markers and changes its movements based on the code lines. It can follow directions such as, turn left, turn right, spin, go backwards, and, many more. Once your daughter has mastered the basics, there’s a ton more to learn on the Ozobot app.

Buy for $44.88 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

10. Easy Bake Ultimate Oven Baking Star Edition

The Easy Bake Oven is a classic toy for good reason. Since 1963, it’s been giving kids a chance to embrace their independence, practice life skills, and eat delicious mini-brownies – all in a safe setting. Learning to measure and follow directions are helpful skills they’ll get to practice as they make devil’s food cake, strawberry cake, and red velvet cake mix (all of which are included in this kit). After baking these cakes, your daughter can use the included frosting mixes and nonpareils to decorate these sweets before enjoying them with family or friends.

Buy for $129.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Honorable Mention

11. Your Décor – Color Your Own Water Bottle Kit, Multi Colored

In these pre-teen years, self-expression is everything. From what she’s wearing to the music she’s listening to, she’s figuring out who she is and learning how to share that with the world around her. This Color Your Own Water Bottle Kit is yet another fun way that she can express herself. The water bottle holds 16.9fl oz and comes in two designs, each with 5 markers and 20 peel-and-stick gemstones. This gift, priced at just under $8, is great for a solo activity or as an awesome party favor or sleepover activity.

Buy for $7.97 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

12. Nerf Rebelle Agent Bow Blaster

If you have an aspiring archer in your midst, the Nerf Rebelle Agent Bow is the perfect gift. It’s got all the bow action, including an electronic sight and an 85 ft range, with none of the dangers or risks of an actual bow and arrow. If your daughter tires of target practice, she can always utilize the spy function of this set. The arrows contain secret messages that can only be read with a special decoder (included), so it’s a fun way to get your child outdoors and playing with friends.

Buy for $79.22 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

10 Best Gifts for 9 Year Old Girls in 2018

Are you looking for a toy or gift for a special 9 year old girl that’s both developmentally stimulating and fun? 9 year old girls are in a tough spot. Not quite a pre-teen and not quite a little kid, it can sometimes feel like they don’t know where they fit in. This ambiguity can also extend to their toy and gift options, making it tricky to buy the right gift. They still want to play and have fun, but the toys of their earlier years are no longer challenging or engaging. Thankfully, we’ve scoured the market and selected the very best 10 toys for 9 year old girls. If you’re short on time, go ahead and jump right to the best toys list. If you have a few minutes, take a look at the developmental milestones your daughter will likely be reaching this year that factored into the rankings.

9 Year Old Developmental Milestones

9 year old girls are nearing their pre-teen years. Not a young child and not a teenager, this time of life is full of big changes. Growth spurts are on the horizon, as are physical changes that come with early-puberty. Because everyone develops at a different pace, it’s a good idea to talk with your daughter about changes she may encounter.

Emotionally and socially, your daughter will be seeking out relationships independent of the family, but will still rely on you for encouragement and support whenever she’s feeling unsure. Because it’s not uncommon for 9 year olds to have mood swings, be prepared to swoop in and support at a moment’s notice!

Cognitively, you’ll see lots of exciting developments. In conversation, you may notice your daughter is as clear and skillful as most adults when she’s making a point. And, with better attention spans than ever, 9 year old kids are likely to become engrossed in new interests easily. It’s also important to note that they’re also likely to keep switching their focus to new interests. Don’t be surprised if they give up on the oboe or their origami hobby after just a few weeks.

When it comes to school, it’s around this age that math becomes more challenging. This challenge makes school more enjoyable and engaging for many, but can be daunting if your daughter is having a hard time. It’s critical to act quickly and provide support so that she can continue to thrive in her educational pursuits. She’ll be expected to add and subtract within 1000, as well as multiply within 100 and do division.

With these developmental milestones in mind, here are the 10 best toys & gift ideas for the special 9 year old girl in your life.

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 9 Year Old Girls

1. Think Fun Gravity Maze

This Toy of the Year winner is a logic game that will help your child develop their critical thinking skills, better understand spatial reasoning, and encourage them to plan ahead. The Gravity Maze is a STEM toy designed for kids 8+ and while it’s easy to understand the gameplay, there are 60 challenge levels that range from beginner to expert, making this a game that grows with your child. The unique challenges of the gravity maze appeal to both boys and girls alike.

Buy for $29.95 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

2. Insect Lore Deluxe Butterfly Garden with Live Cup of Caterpillars and Feeding Habitat Kit

Receiving a box of bugs in the mail may not sound like a magical experience, but Insect Lore is here to prove that it can be! Your daughter will be able to see caterpillars grow before her very eyes, watch them build their chrysalides, and then transform into gorgeous butterflies. The Butterfly Garden comes with 5 live caterpillars, plenty of caterpillar food, a chrysalis station, and a netted enclosure for the butterflies to live in. The weeks long activity is a great way for your child to connect with nature and experience its magic up close.   

Tip: Be sure to get this gift during a time of year when you can release the butterflies outside.

Buy for $27.68 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

3. Klutz Make Clay Charms Craft Kit

This Parents’ Choice Award Winner is a fantastic way to provide your 9 year old with an open-ended creative outlet that leaves them with a tangible keepsake. The kit comes with enough polymer clay to make more than 35 charms, shaping tools, design instructions, and a special glaze to give the finished charms a nice shine after baking. This is a great activity to share with the 9 year old in your life during a holiday break or sleepover.

Buy for $16.84 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

4. Slime Kit

With 5 million (and counting) slime posts on Instagram, it’s safe to say we’re in the midst of a slime craze. Slime is a mix of science and sensory play that lets kids learn about chemical composition and math as they tweak their slime recipes to get the exact consistency they’re after. Whether they want to make butter, snow, sparkly, crunchy, floam, or glow slime, this Slime Kit provides the ingredients and equipment they’ll need!

Buy for $23.49 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

5. LEGO Friends Heartlake Pet Salon

Often times, when we think of playing with blocks, we think of young toddlers. But, the benefits of block play can be seen in older children. Problem solving, creative thinking, and spatial reasoning are all areas of development that can see improvement by spending time building. To keep block play interesting for the 9 year old crowd, LEGO has developed the LEGO Friends series. One of our favorites is the Heartlake Pet Salon and it includes everything needed to operate a miniature pet salon, including; two mini-dolls, a poodle, a grooming table, and a bathtub.

Buy for $56.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

6. Electronic Dictionary Bookmark

One of the greatest indicators for the future success of a child is whether or not they read for pleasure in their teenage years. As any parent or educator knows, instilling a love of reading isn’t an overnight thing. It takes years of encouragement and little steps along the way. We think the Electronic Dictionary Bookmark is a great gift that can function as one of those little steps. Of course, we know Google is just a click away, but we like this dictionary bookmark because it doesn’t distract from the act of reading, but rather enhances it.

Buy for $39.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

7. DribbleUp Smart Soccer Ball with Training App

For the young athlete in your life, what could be better than a gift designed to make them better at what they love? The DribbleUp Smart Soccer Ball will help her target her foot strike, perfect her positioning, and learn techniques to kick like the pros all with the help of a virtual trainer. The data is instantly accessible via Bluetooth on any smartphone so that it can be reviewed, shared with friends and coaches, and posted to social media. And, it’s sized at 4.5, perfect for younger soccer players looking to improve their game.  

Buy for $99.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

8. Craft-tastic Inventor’s Box Creative Challenge Craft Kit

The open-ended nature of the Inventor’s Box Challenge makes it a great alternative to a typical board game when you’re looking to switch up game night. The kit includes 7 Challenge Cards, like “Invent a Musical Instrument” as well as a slew of supplies to get it done. This type of activity is fantastic for boosting problem solving skills and creativity while having a blast.

Buy for $23.33 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

9. aGreatLife Huge Rainbow Kite for Kids

No matter how technologically dependent we become, there’s just something special about flying a kite. Kites are great at helping kids develop their strength and coordination all while getting some quality outdoor time. But, not all kites are created equal. Many beginner kites are tough to fly and/or hard to assemble. But the Rainbow Kite for Kids is easy to put together and flies effortlessly in a variety of wind speeds. We love that this kite can provide your 9 year old with countless afternoons of fun for a mere $11!

Buy for $10.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

10. ALEX DIY Friends Forever Friendship Bracelet Kit

As your 9 year old approaches her ‘tween years, friendships will become more meaningful than ever. That’s why we’re recommending the DIY Friends Forever kit as a great gift that mixes fine motor skills, friends, and fun. The kit has instructions and supplies for 24 bracelets all in a portable suitcase. What we like best is that it comes with four small looms, so your 9 year old and three of her friends can all make bracelets at the same time, making it ideal for a sleepover or party.

Buy for $18.40 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 6 Year Old Girls in 2018

Unsure of what to get the 6 year old girl in your life? It can be tough to buy the right toy for a child, even for a child you know well, because their developmental milestones and abilities are always changing. To help you select the perfect gift, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best toys and gift ideas for 6 year old girls, each of which was designed for maximum fun and developmental growth.

If you’re in a hurry, skip to the best gifts list below. Otherwise, read on to learn about the 6 year old developmental milestones that we considered for the list.

6 Year Old Developmental Milestones

Turning 6 years old is a big deal! It’s a year full of excitement and challenge as most 6 year old children are beginning their first year of formal education. The new demands of 1st grade and the new social setting of a more structured classroom will help push your child to meet all kinds of new milestones this year.

Cognitively, your daughter may begin to show her specific learning strengths (looking, language, listening, etc.), which you can then use to help her learn more complex concepts. You may also notice that your child is beginning to think more logically as she starts thinking through different options before making a decision. During her time at school, she’ll have a packed syllabus. Notably, she and her classmates will master counting to 100, solving simple equations, and spelling the 100 most common words.

Physically, 6 year old girls will likely see a boost in their hand eye coordination, making tasks like tying shoes and handwriting easier. Out on the playground, you’ll notice her gross motor skills are getting better and her stamina is increasing leading to more purposeful and lengthy playdates.

Socially, this year will probably be a mix of fun and frustration for your child as she learns how to initiate and maintain friendships. Her new found independence at school will also likely make her a bit more anxious than before, but don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal. Being a stable source of support and compassion is one of the best ways you can foster your child’s healthy sense of self.

With these major developmental milestones in mind, here are the top 10 toy and gift options for 6 year old girls to help them grow.

10 Best Gifts for 6 Year Old Girls

1. Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Magical Oven

You’re no doubt familiar with the many benefits of sensory play for the younger set, but the benefits extend far beyond toddlerhood. We love the Play-Doh Kitchen Creations because it takes this toddler favorite and makes it exciting all over again for 6 year olds. The oven is outfitted with lights and sounds, making your child’s pretend play feel just a bit more realistic. Along with 6 cans of Play-Doh, the set comes fully equipped with 5 pretend baking trays, 3 cutters, a roller, knife, and utensils. And, if your daughter loves the Magical Oven, there are lots of additional Play-Doh Kitchen Creation add-ons, like the Sizzling Stovetop.

Check price on Amazon

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2. Fat Brain Toys Squigz Starter Set

This building system encourages open-ended play which is key for the development of a healthy imagination. Squigz stick to any flat surface and each other, meaning your child can build huge structures nearly anywhere they want including, floors, tables, bathtubs, sliding glass doors, car windows and more. Because they’re made of silicone, they’re dishwasher safe and a snap to clean.

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3. Alex Discover My Giant Busy Box

This Parent’s Choice Award winner is the perfect activity (make that 16 activities) for a party or a rainy day. Busy Box activities include: making puppets, creating and framing tissue art, animal collages, dough animals and more. The instructions provided are clear, though a little parental assistance may help for a few of the more complicated projects.  

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4. LEGO Friends Olivia’s Creative Lab

LEGOs are a classic building toy that’s great for helping kids develop problem solving skills and spatial reasoning. Olivia’s Creative Lab is our favorite LEGO Friends system for young girls because it combines great block building activities with imaginary play all in a robotics lab setting. As women are still underrepresented in science and technology, we love that LEGO is using its platform to encourage young girls to explore careers in STEM fields.

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5. Alex DIY Knot a Quilt

This is the second Parent’s Choice Award winner from Alex Toys on our top ten list this year and with good reason. The DIY Knot a Quilt is a fantastic crafting activity for the 6 year old who is interested in sewing but doesn’t have the fine motor skills to use a needle and thread. A great introduction to patterns and patience, your daughter will experience a sense of accomplishment when she finishes knotting this quilt. Tip: if you’re looking for a quilt large enough for a twin bed, we recommend buying three kits.

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6. Melissa & Doug Design Your Own Bracelets

For $5, there may not be a better gift for a 6 year old girl. The Design Your Own Bracelets kit comes with four double-sided bracelets and more than 100 sparkle gems and glitter stickers to use as decoration. The bracelets can be sized for any wrist and because of the hook and loop connectors, your daughter can wear her creations over and over again.

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7. Lite-Brite Magic Screen Toy

This Lite-Brite, just like the original, is a fun way for your 6 year old to work on their fine motor skills while creating illuminated images through peg art. The white unit comes with 156 pegs, templates for your child to follow (like a sailboat and a pair of geese) and tips for freestyle designs. This toy is a fun remake of an old classic and makes a great travel toy (just remember the batteries!).

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8. Uncle Milton’s Moon in My Room

For some ambiance mixed with astronomy lessons, why not put a moon in your 6 year old’s room. This wall-mounted moon makes for a great nightlight (with an automatic timer built in), but also teaches your child about the lunar phases. A remote control will allow your child to match the moon on their wall with the moon outside as they learn about the differences between crescent, half and full moons.

Check price on Amazon

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9. Just Jump It – Easy Steppers

Easy Steppers are definitely a silly way for your 6 year old to get about, but that’s what makes them so fun. Your daughter can step up on the 5 inch tall plastic cans and use the attached ropes to guide her steps as she wanders and wobbles around. These bucket stilts are great for improving balance and coordination all while having a great time. Note: Flat surfaces are recommended, as hills and uneven ground could be unsafe.

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10. Alex Art Draw Like a Pro

The Draw Like a Pro set is the perfect drawing tool for young aspiring artists. It comes with a mini projector that can be used to display 124 pre-printed design slides your child can easily trace over them. Tracing is great way to better understand drawing techniques and composition so it’s perfect for 6 year olds who are just starting to develop their drawing skills. The kit also comes with everything needed for your child to make a flipbook and their own design slides.  

Check price on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys and gifts for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

 

10 Best Gifts for 8 Year Old Girls in 2018

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Are you shopping for an 8 year old girl and hoping to find the perfect gifts that she’ll not only love, but also benefit from having? We’ve got you covered. At Smart Parenting, we know that gift shopping for developmentally appropriate gifts for kids can be a headache, so we’ve done the research and created a list of the 10 best toys for 8 year old girls for 2018.

If you’re short on time, jump to the full 10 best toys for 8 year old girls list below. Otherwise, read on to learn about the typical developmental milestones 8 year old girls are expected to achieve that factored into the list rankings.

8 Year Old Developmental Milestones

Most 8 year old girls are in second and third grade and will grow in multiple areas including language and cognition, peer relationships, and fine and gross motor control.

Physically, your child may experience an increase in stamina and strength. She’ll be able to run or swim or play for longer durations without needing breaks.

You can also expect improvements in her fine motor skills. She’ll be able to use scissors, zippers, draw shapes, and tie shoelaces. In addition, this an age where handwriting often improves, becoming neater and more legible.

At age 8, cognitive skills experience a big leap in growth. Most children will distinguish between left and right, develop and utilize planning skills, and better understand relationships like cause and effect and patterns. 8 year old girls tend to sit still and focus for much longer periods of time. They also develop more sophisticated reasoning skills, which in turn, leads to them asking a lot of questions about how things work. By this age, most children are reading simple sentences and can count by 2s.

Language development also takes off at this age. 8 year old girls use mostly correct grammar while speaking, though written grammar lags behind. They read and talk more, and can start to use books to learn. Word play like using riddles and puns becomes more common in this age group, as does testing out forbidden words. 8 year olds start writing with more fluency, and are able to record stories and feelings with their pencils.

The 8th years brings social changes, too, especially for girls. By second or third grade, your child will likely ask to spend more time with her friends. She will often go from having one large group of friends to getting close to a few special friends. Relationship struggles become common. Rules also become more important during this time, which can sometimes lead to bossiness as girls try to enforce them. Impatience and emotional instability are both very common in 8 year olds, so don’t be surprised if your daughter is dramatic and pulls Jekyll and Hyde-like switches from happy to upset. During this tumultuous time in your 8 year old’s life, group and team activities can help instill a sense of belonging and security.

Keeping these developmental milestones in mind, take a look at the 10 best toys for 8 year old girls in 2018 that are both educational and fun. Choose a few you think your girl will love, and don’t forget to join in the fun!

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 8 Year Old Girls

1. Klutz Make Clay Charms Craft Kit

This Parents Choice Award craft kit from Klutz comes complete with 9 colors of clay, all of the tools she’ll need to create beautiful designs, and an instruction book. 8 year old girls will love making their own charms by hand. Plus, the kit provides a great way for girls to bond with friends, all while developing those fine motor skills.

Buy for $16.84 on Amazon

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2. Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kit

This starter science kit by Scientific Explorer teaches kids about chemical reactions and other science basics, which is great for your 8 year old’s growing understanding of cause and effect. Science kits inspire kids to learn about STEM in fun ways, and work on budding math skills in the process. Your 8 year old will enjoy using the instructions to walk herself through the experiments (with adult supervision, of course!)

Buy for $17.17 on Amazon

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3. RipStik Castor Board

Ripstik’s snowboard and skateboard hybrid comes with a deck that pivots and 360 degree rotating castors, so that when it comes to stunts, the sky is the limit. Your 8 year old can put her new endurance and focus to use by learning tricks, and then showing off to her friends. And don’t worry–the RipStik holds up to 220 lbs, so your child won’t outgrow it quickly.

Buy for $64.02 on Amazon (Pink)

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4. Orb Factory Stick n’ Style Blingets

The Orb Factory Stick n’ Style Blingets encourages hours of creative play by providing kids with 12 “blingets” (think bracelets) and 700 stick-on gems to decorate. Your 8 year old can design to her heart’s content while working on those developing fine motor skills. Plus, it’s a great activity for your child to share with friends at parties and sleepovers.

Buy for $15.98 on Amazon

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5. Big Boggle Word Game

Boggle has been around for decades, and for good reason. This multi-player game engages people of all ages as they race to form words from a group of letters. 8 year olds will have so much fun, they won’t even realize they’re working on their language, reading, and spelling skills.

Buy for $17.94 on Amazon

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6. Melissa & Doug Scratch Art Rainbow

Melissa & Doug’s note set comes with 125 “magic” notes and a stylus. Your 8 year old will love the social aspect of writing colorful, secret notes to her friends, while parents will appreciate the battle-free writing practice.

Buy for $7.99 on Amazon

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7. LEGO Super Hero Girls Wonder Woman Dorm

Who says superheroes are only for boys?  This LEGO Wonder Woman set makes a perfect gift for the superhero loving 8 year old girl (or boy) in your life. Building and designing with LEGOs requires kids to plan, and also works their fine motor skills. Another great thing about LEGOs—they’re a perfect toy for both solo play and to for hanging out with friends.

Buy for $47.48 on Amazon

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8. Think Fun Gravity Maze

Think Fun’s marble maze is part logic game, part marble run, and all fun. As a STEM Toy of the Year, it’s not surprising that this game provides hours of enjoyment while encouraging your 8 year old to challenge her planning, spatial awareness, and strategizing skills.

Buy for $29.94 on Amazon

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9. ALEX Toys Craft My First Sewing Kit

How about a gift that encourages creativity and teaches a life skill? ALEX’s sewing kit checks both boxes. This award-winning toy is perfect for quiet time at home or on the go, and comes with everything your 8 year old needs to sew a variety of creations. Sewing helps little hands work those fine motor skills, all while helping kids learn to identify patterns and plan ahead.

Buy for $18.64 on Amazon

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10. Mr. Sketch Scented Markers

Now here’s a gift that won’t break the bank. Mr. Sketch pack of 12 markers run for under $10 and come in fruity scents like watermelon, grape, and blueberry. Watch as your 8 year old creates beautiful drawings and letters by tapping into her emerging language skills and focus, with the sense of smell immersing her deeper in creativity.

Buy for $5.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

 

10 Best Gifts for 7 Year Old Girls in 2018

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Your 7 year old is showing more of her personality every day. It’s an exciting time as she begins to better articulate her preferences, but it can be tough when it comes to gift giving. Simpler toys that she loved last year may no longer be engaging as she is now better equipped to focus on a task for a longer period of time. To help with this transition, we’ve rounded up the top 10 toys and gifts designed to aid in her development, spark her curiosity, and of course, let her have fun! If you’re in a rush (and what parent isn’t every now and then), jump to the best toy list below. Otherwise, take a moment and review the typical milestones most 7 year olds will reach this year that factored into our rankings.

7 Year Old Developmental Milestones

7 year old girls have lots of developmental milestones on the horizon. They’ll soon be seeing the world a bit differently as they hone their complex thinking skills. You’ll see evidence of these new skills in a couple of ways: she may look for the “why” instead of just the “how” when trying to understand a new topic and you may find yourself realizing during a conversation just how poised and communicative your daughter has become.

Physically, you may notice your 7 year old is becoming more athletic as her muscles get stronger and her stamina increases. Fine motor skills also see marked improvement around this time, so tasks like handwriting and using scissors may become more effortless.

Emotionally and socially, your daughter will still rely on you for validation and will need plenty of encouragement and one-one-one attention to help develop a strong sense of self. Socially, she’ll be spreading her wings; she may enjoy being on a team or in a club at school and will likely enjoy relationships with a few close friends.

Your daughter will also be picking up lots of academic skills, ranging from mastering addition and subtraction within 20, to spelling the 200 most common words.

With these developmental milestones in mind, let’s take a look at the top ten educational toys for 7 year old girls. Each toy was chosen to help guide their growing intelligence, curiosity, and independence.

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 7 Year Old Girls

1. LEGO Disney Princess Elsa’s Sparkling Ice Castle

A gift she’ll never want to let go of, the LEGO Disney Princess Elsa’s Sparking Ice Castle is a fantastic way for your 7 year old to improve upon her problem solving, teamwork, and spatial reasoning skills. Of course, all of these great developmental features will more than likely go unnoticed by your daughter as she gets totally immersed in the magical world of Frozen. The castle comes with Elsa, Anna, and Olaf, so your child can recreate their favorite movie scenes or create entirely new stories with their favorite characters.

Buy for $68.90 on Amazon

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2. Crayola Light-up Tracing Pad

The Crayola Light-up Tracing Pad is a favorite among kids and adult hobbyists alike. Tracing is a fantastic way to learn the finer points of drawing all while improving fine motor skills. Your daughter will be able to take any drawing and study its details as she hones her drawing technique. Because the light box is battery operated and sized for 8.5’’x11’’ drawings, we love this tracing pad for long road trips as an alternative to screen time.

Note: Save yourself some money and use any standard printer paper instead of specialty “tracing paper”.

Buy for $24.99 on Amazon

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3. VIAHART Brain Flakes 500 Piece Interlocking Plastic Disc Set

The best word to describe VIAHART’s Brain Flakes is just, cool. Just looking at the awesome sculptures that can be made with these small interlocking discs is enough to spark creativity. And, the open-ended nature of this sort of play is great for imaginative play and spatial reasoning. But, if 500 discs in 12 vibrant colors seems a bit overwhelming, your 7 year old can get the hang of it by using the enclosed instructions to build a number of designs, including swords and octopuses. At $14.99, Brain Flakes are an amazing bang for your buck and are great for play with friends and family.

Buy for $14.99 on Amazon

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4. Creativity for Kids Fashion Headbands Kit

If you have a little fashionista in your life, this headband kit is a smart way to feed her passion. The kit comes with 10 headbands, assorted ribbons, silk flowers, rhinestones, and a ton of other materials to help her decorate and style her headbands. This is great craft for the girl who wants a different headband for each day of the week (and then some!) or for a slumber party activity. We like this kit for its impact on fine motor skills and creativity and we love that it can help a 7 year old show her individuality!

Buy for $18.50 on Amazon

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5. A Kick Scooter by Razor

The Kick Scooter is hands down, one of our favorite toys for this age group. It has the two things 7 year olds want most of all: fun and freedom. Your child can zip over to a friend’s house, speed up and down the driveway, or visit the library or playground faster than ever before. There are a ton of color choices, including red, blue black, pink, and green and some versions even come with handlebar streamers. Just make sure you pick up a matching helmet too!

Buy for $43.29 on Amazon

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6. Mini Explorer Light Up Terrarium Kit

Help your 7 year old notice the beauty of nature, all from the comfort of their own room, with the Mini Explorer Light Up Terrarium Kit. This kit is full of everything they’ll need to get growing; soil, sand, river rocks, wheatgrass and chia seeds, a light-up jar lid, a spray bottle for watering, and even a small stick to use for planting seeds. Your junior gardener will see seeds sprouting in just a few days and enjoy weeks of caring for and watching these little plants grow. This terrarium provides a fun way to foster a sense of responsibility and to bring out the nurturing side of your child.

Buy for $43.29 on Amazon

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7. Educational Insights Playfoam Pals Wild Animals

If you haven’t encountered Playfoam yet, think of it as playdoh for big kids! The squishy non-toxic substance sticks well to itself and allows for big creations and tons of sensory play, but doesn’t make a mess on your surfaces. The egg-shaped cartons of foam are cute, but it’s what’s buried inside the egg that may excite your 7 year old most. A collectible Playfoam Pal with a swappable head and body can be found in each Playfoam egg, giving your child a fun surprise each time they open a new egg. Best of all, unlike playdoh, Playfoam never dries out!

Buy for $21.00 on Amazon

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8. My First Mind Blowing Science Kit

This science experiment kit provides all the lab equipment your young scientist will need for 11 experiments, including volcanic eruptions and growing jiggly crystals. The concepts explored in the My First Mind Blowing Science Kit are simple, but are a great introduction to understanding core principles and using lab equipment. Because there are so many activities, this an experience you can share with your child for weeks or months to come (parental supervision is recommended).

Buy for $17.17 on Amazon

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9. Sew First Beginner Sewing Kit

Sewing may seem like an outdated pastime, but it can be such a rewarding hobby and helpful life skill. That’s why we’re recommending Sew First’s Beginner Sewing Kit for the 7 year old girl in your life. This kit has all of the introductory supplies she’ll need to create adorable stuffed animals as she learns basic stitches. Hobbies are proven to be great for promoting mindfulness and developing self-esteem and we think this is a great one to get her started early.

Buy for $29.99 on Amazon

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10. Osmo Genius Kit

The Osmo Genius Kit is an award winning game system designed to create an immersive educational experience for your child by using something they likely already love playing with – your iPad. The Genius Kit comes with an iPad stand and 5 games that open up the typical digital experience and turn it into dynamic play that can be enjoyed by multiple players. Each game has its own focus, including: math, vocabulary, drawing, problem solving, and spatial awareness. Screen time is a hotly debated subject among parents, but we think Osmo makes the most of it by offering such an interactive experience.

Buy for $99.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

11 Best Gifts for Teenage Boys in 2018

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Shopping for age-appropriate gifts can be a real challenge for teenage boys – they’re too old for toys and too young for wine. So what do you do when you want to give the teenage boy in your life a gift he’ll both enjoy and benefit from developmentally? The good news is, you can look no further than this list.

We’ve done the research and collected the 11 best gifts for teenage boys in 2018 that are both developmentally stimulating and fun. If you’re short on time, jump down to the best gifts list below. Otherwise, take a moment to learn about the developmental milestones typical teenagers are expected to achieve that factored into this list.

Unlike in earlier childhood, gifts for teenagers can become increasingly technologically advanced and unfortunately, expensive. We’ve tried to balance the list with a mix of high tech and low tech gifts that stimulate a range of developmental milestones. That being said, we do believe spending money of technology for your child is one of the best investments you can make.

Teenage Developmental Milestones

Ah, adolescence. The glorious time when a boy becomes a man. Patchy beards, cracking voices, fast (sometimes painful) physical growth, late nights with college prep, and the stresses of the dating game make it an especially interesting time.

Your teenage boy is becoming increasingly self-reliant and self-aware. He’s developing thoughts and opinions of his own because his abstract thinking skills have begun to solidify. He’s seeing you (an adult) for the first time as a person with faults, rather than having the answers to all of life’s problems. With these new, complicated thoughts and realizations, however, comes a storm of passion which might be hard for him to reign in at times.

What makes this even harder is the fact that he’s growing faster than he has since he was an infant, and often feeling the hurt of such fast growth. Many boys will add eight inches or more during adolescence, which may happen in less than a year. Couple this with the muscle he’s gaining, and he’ll likely put on more than forty pounds in the same time frame.

Something else you may expect is for these changes to not be in front of his family, but in front of his friends. At this point in development, a teenager’s sense of self is strongest, and he wants to experience certain things independently. The social skills he learns in adolescence become the foundation for how he socializes for the rest of his life, and they’re mostly something he learns on his own.

Academically, teenage boys have a lot to learn, and a lot on the line. Their focus on good grades, SAT prep, and extracurricular activities can reward them with entrance into a world class university. This means they’ll have to work harder than ever before in their lives to achieve their desires.

Giving your teenage boy gifts that support his development, introduce him to the latest technologies, and promote his social growth is a critical parenting responsibility. Browse the list below and pick a few of the top options to enrich your child’s life. What better way to invest in the future?

11 Best Gifts for Teenage Boys

1. HTC Vive

One of the most transformative technologies to hit society in recent years is Virtual Reality (VR). And the best room-scale VR headset is the HTC Vive. But don’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of it or tried it yet. The technology is just becoming affordable enough for mainstream consumers. Now is the perfect time to make an investment that will give your teenager a glimpse into the future, and possible inspire a rich career in tech.

With the HTC Vive, you can immerse yourself in exhilarating alternate realities that will make you question if reality itself isn’t a VR simulation! You can climb Mount Everest, compete in international ping pong competitions, and even sculpt 3D masterpieces without leaving your living room. Words can’t express how transformative and engaging VR is. It’s already inspired movies like Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg.

So what’s the catch? Why doesn’t everyone already have an HTC Vive? Well, the minimum total cost of a room-scale VR setup is roughly $1,250 and you’ll need a minimum of 6ft x 5ft (2m x 1m) of free space to use it. The Vive itself costs $499 and comes with a headset that precisely tracks your head’s position and rotation, as well as 2 hand controllers, and 2 base stations which you install in the corners of your room to improve tracking.

To run the Vive, you also need a modern Windows pc with a powerful enough graphic processing unit (GPU) to process all of the those rich graphics for each eye quickly. VR takes a lot of number crunching. We recommend the VR-ready SkyTech Shadow Gaming PC which comes with a powerful NVidia GTX 1060 GPU. It’s one of the cheapest VR-ready options around coming in at $750.

Giving your teenager the gift of VR could be one of the most memorable moments of their young life. I still remember the first time I tried the Vive. Needless to say, there’s one in my living room, and my 8 & 9 year old boys love it as much as I do. Your teenage boy will spend hours, if not days, exploring the large ecosystem of VR games and experiences on the Vive.

Note: if you’re considering purchasing the Oculus Rift instead of the HTC Vive, I don’t recommend it. I have both. The controller tracking on the Oculus Rift is frustratingly less accurate than on the Vive. The Oculus Rift controllers glitch out and lose their positioning a lot more frequently than the Vive’s. The Oculus Rift also only tracks movement within a few feet of the computer, which significantly limits the immersiveness of VR. In short, it’s worth sticking to the Vive. My Oculus Rift is gather dust.

Buy the HTC Vive for $499.99 on Amazon

2. Schwinn Men’s Hybrid Bike

Chances are, your son has long gotten past the stage of training wheels, but as his coordination develops into adolescence, his abilities will become more technical. This Schwinn hybrid bike is a good answer to your son’s newfound abilities to ride in all sorts of conditions: the lightweight frame allows for higher speeds, and the tires are up to task of handling on or off the roads. Better yet, since your son’s body is getting a lot bigger, the frame of this bike will be large enough for him until he stops growing.

Better yet, cycling is a high-energy activity, and your son will thank you for getting him off the couch and into the world. And if he enjoys cycling enough, he can graduate to a more specialized bike for whatever style he prefers most. This is a great gift that will last him into his college years as well.

Buy for $316.33 on Amazon

3. Spikeball Game Set

Spikeball is a relatively new game, but chances are, your son’s heard of it and would like to play. This kit comes with everything he needs to set up a game, including instructions for playing and a free app to meet players in the area. In other words, Spikeball is an easy way for your teenager to strengthen relationships new and old while burning a few extra calories along the way.

Buy for $53.99 on Amazon

4. Holy Stone HS200 RC Helicopter Drone with Wifi Camera Live feed

Now that your teen has acquired advanced motor skills, as well as demonstrated a strong ability to coordinate and concentrate, it’s time to let him learn to fly…a drone. The Holy Stone HS200 is not recommended for users under age 14, so he’s in the perfect age bracket to start working the controls and impress his friends.

The drone comes equipped with technology that minimizes interference, so your child should have no trouble controlling this drone over long distances. It also comes with a 720p camera, and a companion app that allows you to view and capture video footage from the drone on your phone.

This drone will inspire your teenager to get out and explore the world, to be creative, and even to produce, edit, and publish videos. You may be thinking, what’s the point of a drone? You’ll be surprised at the developmental potential.

Buy for $99.99 on Amazon

5. Forbidden Island

Your teenager’s problem-solving skills will be tested in this game that requires players not to work against each other — but together. Two to four players must work to keep an island afloat, all while searching for treasure and other helpful items. A wondrous dramatis personae gives players a chance to try out each character’s special abilities, all in the hopes that it will help their team win the game.

This game forces cooperation among players, which is a good skill for teenagers to work on. Your son will enjoy the gameplay while strengthening several friendships in the meantime.

Buy for $14.99 on Amazon

6. Capture the Flag REDUX

Do you remember, ten or twenty years ago, when you’d rally all the guys in the neighborhood for an impromptu game of capture-the-flag? You probably played with glow-sticks or flashlights, relying on stealth and speed to win the game.

Times have changed.

With Capture the Flag REDUX, your son and his friends can go outside with battery-powered glowing markers as they sprint around opponents to try and capture their “flag”: a glowing orb, probably hidden in the shrubs. This game, as it always has, combines forward thinking skills and split-second decision-making with sheer speed – it comes down to what strategy will fool your enemy.

Buy for $59.90 on Amazon

7. Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set

No longer is D&D reserved only for the nerds: the cult classic game straight out of the eighties has been evolving since its inception, and a massive surge in popularity has made it easier than ever to get your son started. The classic game involves creating not only an entire cast of characters for each campaign, but the Dungeon Master gets to write an entire storyline for his characters to follow — or challenge.

Creativity is key in this game, and your son will enjoy the time to improvise and come up with innovative solutions to unique problems. Each conflict in the game can be overcome with strategy, brute force, or a myriad of other options, and your son will have to think hard if he wants to stay alive.

Included in this set are enough dice for up to six players, as well as blank character sheets, pre-generated characters, and a Dungeon Master’s screen, allowing for as quick a start to the actual gameplay as your son and his friends desire.

Buy for $39.99 on Amazon

8. LEGO Architecture Shanghai

Many Lego kits state in bold lettering at the bottom, “For Ages 4-99,” or something similar. Well, Legos are a good toy for everyone (seriously, who doesn’t enjoy them?), but not all kits are created equal. This model of Shanghai’s tallest skyscrapers is listed for everyone older than 12, so your teenager won’t be offended that you got it for him. And at nearly 600 pieces, even as a teenager, he’ll probably find hours of enjoyment putting the set together.

As with several items on this list, this gift stimulates critical thinking abilities while emphasizing creativity. Looking at the overall picture and several steps ahead will enable him to complete the model while showing off his newly acquired perspicacity.

Buy for $47.99 on Amazon

9. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI for PC

Civilization is a game series started in the early 90s wherein a player role plays as a historic world leader trying to take over the world — but not just through brute force. The game has endless replay-ability because of all the variations that can occur — who do you want to play as? Are you a magnanimous leader or a fearless tyrant?

The game isn’t mindless grinding, either: each new game is another challenge to overcome, where the player must think several centuries of gameplay ahead in order to win. Your son? He’s brimming with ideas, now that the part of his brain that processes abstract thoughts and cause-and-effect relationships has developed — put him to the test, see if he can take on Genghis Khan in a head-to-head and come out on top. For any young man who loves strategy (or perhaps just history), this is the gift for him.

Buy for $54.99 on Amazon

10. Apple iPad & Apple Pencil

The versatility and usefulness of an iPad make it a great gift for teenagers and grandparents alike. Odds are, your son already knows his way around an Apple product and will greatly appreciate a device of his own.

Your son has nearly unlimited options with this device. He can complete schoolwork and coordinate projects or meetings, keep track of his schedule, and download apps that help him with his homework (including tutoring help online). But you know he’s more than a student, and he likes his downtime, too. Fortunately, the iPad comes with enough memory that he’ll easily be able to save all his favorite gaming and social media apps, as well as a massive bank of music, videos and more.

We also recommend you purchase an Apple Pencil, which unlocks a vast creative potential with the iPad. Use the pencil to sketch out rough ideas, take notes, doodle, and even create full masterpieces. Just because he’s a teenager, doesn’t mean he can’t flex his creativity muscles.

Buy Apple iPad (2018 version) for $329.99 on Amazon

Buy Apple Pencil for $94.88 on Amazon

11. The Manual of Manhood

Being a teenager means learning to navigate life as an adult, and, as a parent, you should be doing everything you can to prepare him for an independent life. But what happens if his car breaks down? Or he’s in his first apartment and can’t figure how to cook a decent meal? Or wash his clothes?

You can’t spoon feed your son forever, and at some point, he’ll learn what he needs to get by. Or, you can make the process a lot easier on him and get him a copy of The Manual of Manhood. The book answers many questions soon-to-be-adults will be interested in learning, and you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that you’ve done everything you can to keep your son growing.

Buy for $12.55 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for boys, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for girls:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for teenage boys is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 5 Year Old Girls in 2018

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Buying a new toy for your special 5-year-old girl can be mystifying. They’re growing up fast and their interests keep changing. With the thousands of toy and gift options out there, it can be tough to find the best ones that are both developmentally stimulating, and fun for your special little one.

Luckily, we’ve done the heavy lifting and curated the 10 best toys for 5 year old girls that are both educational and fun. Jump down to the full list below, or read on to learn about the critical developmental milestones 5 year olds are expected to achieve that factored into this list.

5-Year-Old Developmental Milestones

By the age of 5, the typical girl is keeping you on your toes! Her verbal, cognitive, social, and fine motor skills are advancing at what feels like a supersonic rate. From birth, girls are always a bit farther ahead when it comes to making social connections, understanding language, and using both sides of the brain to accomplish a given task.

That’s why a 5-year-old girl will generally prefer drawing, painting, and stories over physical play such as running, jumping, and team sports. It’s important to remember that all girls are different though, so follow their lead when it comes to buying toys that encourage their development in different areas.

This year, you’ll notice that she loves to draw, cut, paint, and tell stories or jokes. She’ll develop a preference for using one hand over the other and can follow simple directions that have many steps. She’ll even thrill you with her ability to tell you her name, address, and phone number, count from 1 to 20, and recite her ABCs!

And while you’ll enjoy knowing that she’s making new friends, gender-same friends in particular, you’ll have to utilize that patience you’ve learned to build up over the previous 5 years because she’ll also start to throw tantrums if she thinks you’re not listening to her, taking her seriously, or paying attention to all her singing, dancing, or silly actions. On the upside, she’ll now start to see why it’s so important to share and get along with other children.

And while boys take the lead when it comes to gross motor skills at this age, girls have still learned to – and enjoy – walking on their tiptoes, jumping rope, skipping, swinging alone, standing and hopping on each foot, swimming, and dancing.

That’s the long and the short of the developmental milestones that a 5-year-old girl should hit this year. Again though, keep in mind that all children are different and this is just a general range of milestones to help you decide what toys might be the best for her continued growth and that she may love the most. With this knowledge in hand, take a look at our list of the top 10 fun and educational toys for 5-year-old girls.

10 Best Toys for 5-Year-Old Girls Reviewed

1. VIAHART Brain Flakes 500 Piece Interlocking Plastic Disc Set

Encourage the development of her visual-spatial reasoning with this set of colorful, flower-shaped interlocking discs that she can put together in a million ways to create a billion things! While girls’ spatial awareness generally falls behind boys’, this 5-star rated kit will spark her imagination and creativity, and if she needs a little help getting started, there’s an idea booklet included to give her a little kick start.

You can rest easy knowing that the pieces are BPA, lead, heavy metal, and phthalate free and come with a 30-day, no-questions-asked guarantee, and she’ll be engaged for hours building forests, buildings, or abstract shapes.

And for just $15, the chances are pretty good that you’ll find yourself losing a few hours creating with these!

Buy for $14.99 on Amazon

2. Just Jump It EZ Steppers

Break up all that drawing, building, and quiet pretend play with a fun physical activity! Good for use indoors or out, these steppers encourage the development of their gross motor skills by making them use their arms and legs in synchronicity. Watch her enjoy being silly as she has to master walking while pulling on the attached cords with each step!

This traditional toy is back with a bang, replacing the dangerous coffee cans and oatmeal tins of yesteryear with child-safe plastic and slip-resistant foot grips. This is a great way for her to let off some steam, get some exercise, and work on her agility, balance, and coordination!

You’ll enjoy the $13 price tag and the show, and she’ll enjoy the clomp-clomp sound as she stomps around the house.

Buy for $12.49 on Amazon

3. Pretend and Play School Set

5-year-old girls love to mimic what they see, and they love to pretend. This highly rated toy allows her to use these skills to help her learn her ABCs and 123s, simple words, counting, and basic math facts – even geography (so important in today’s increasing global society)! She can use the pointer to tap the board, award stickers for a job well done, and ring the bell to signal the end of her class.

This $30 all-inclusive toy will even help her develop her social and emotional skills as she takes turns being the teacher and the student with others.

Buy for $25.69 on Amazon

4. Fox Print Princess Castle Play Tent with Glow-in-the Dark Stars

This 5-star rated toy will give that little girl hours of pretend fun, plus a place to hide away when she feels the need, at the same time as it develops her creativity and imagination. The glow-in the dark stars will fascinate her and the two side windows and roll-up door will give her a place to call her own or share with friends.

For $15, you’ll give a 5-year-old girl endless adventures, indoors or out, alone or with friends…or maybe even with you!

Buy for $22.99 on Amazon

5. Perler Beads 6,000 Count Multi-Mix Bucket

Give your 5 year old hours of fun and instill a love of crafting with this $11 bucket of multi-colored beads. These colorful, hollowed out beads come with peg boards so they can create a variety of creatures, designs, and patterns.

These little beads will help her develop her hand-eye coordination and her fine motor skills, and teach her color names and basic counting, without her ever knowing it! And at this age, they love color sorting, so pull out some muffin tins and let her organize the colors and see how many there are and how many she can name. She’ll even improve her cognitive skills when learns how to follow the patterns or create her own!

We would have put this at the top of our list, but the age range and size is on the cusp and may not work for some parents and/or their 5-year-old girls. If you prefer, you can always try the Perler Big Beads instead, which are twice as big and meant for 3-5 year olds.

While this particular kit comes with 5 peg boards for creating, though as with most of the kits, you’ll have to purchase tongs and ironing paper separately.

Buy for $10.96 on Amazon

6. Peaceable Kingdom Mermaid Island Board Game

Capitalise on her fascination with mermaids at the same time as you help her develop her social, emotional, and strategy skills with this $16 board game that requires no reading skills.

In this Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award game, players have to help the mermaids swim back to Mermaid Island before the Sea Witch does, and if they do, everyone wins, encouraging co-operative game play. Co-operative play fosters non-stressful play situations, emotional development, shared decision making, creative problem solving, a sense of community, and positive self-esteem.

Play moves fast in this game, so they never get bored, and you can enjoy playing with them, even though they can play this game on their own with no assistance.

Buy for $15.99 on Amazon

7. Melissa & Doug Abacus

This is the ultimate example of how the most traditional of toys never lose their appeal and usefulness! Made of sturdy hardwood and attractive colors, this $12 toy will introduce your 5-year-old to oodles of math concepts without her ever knowing it. She’ll think she’s just having fun sliding and sorting beads just the right size for her hands, and before you know it, she’ll able to count to 30 instead of 20 – and more!

Beyond simply counting, an abacus can teach addition, subtraction, and more. This 5-star toy is a great investment as you watch her come back to it time and time again over the years as she grows.

Buy for $12.74 on Amazon

8. Step2 Flip and Doodle Desk with Stool and Easel

A versatile toy with a magnetic dry-erase board, easel, molded-in trays for markers and pencils, a cup holder, and a comfortable stool perfect for hours of creating, this one is a win-win! She’ll be overjoyed with the options – painting, doodling, drawing, messing around with magnets – and you’ll be tickled with all the organization options (rear storage area for books, two large bins, and two small bins).

Invest in this double-duty desk for just $60 and you’ll be giving her the opportunity to improve her physical, cognitive, and language skills while allowing her to express her creativity and develop her imagination.

Buy for $61.86 on Amazon

9. AILUKI Magnetic Blocks

Let her imagination run wild while she works on her fine motor skills, creativity, pattern recognition, and spatial awareness! There is an enormous amount of magnetic blocks out there, but this 5-star rated set is our favorite, and it even includes pretty rainbow colors that many others don’t and little girls are sure to love.

These strong, durable square- and triangle-shaped magnets allow her create 2D or 3D shapes and objects. The options are endless, and more likely than not, you might lose a few hours yourself!

While these are great for everyone over the age of 3, a 5 year old will enjoy this toy more than most with her combination of fine motor skills, focus, and imagination just beginning to come together now. At $32, this set is also about the half the cost of similar sets in store.

Buy for $32.99 on Amazon

10. Spooner Board – Freestyle

Get them moving again after all that learning and creating and imagining! Great to use inside or out, this $40 beginner board will let them practice every skill needed to learn how to snowboard, skateboard, and surf.

The curvy but stable shape allows for safe mastery of everything from the basics to tricks while developing their core strength and stability, leg strength, balance, coordination, and gross-motor skills. Simply rocking it is enough to fascinate them! The no-slip Spooner Board is also indestructible and comes in a variety of colors.

Buy for $39.99 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 4 Year Old Girls in 2018

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Wasn’t it just yesterday that your 4-year-old girl was learning to walk? Now she’s growing faster than ever. It can be tough to know exactly what toys and gifts are right for her. We know you want to give her the best toys that will not only keep her entertained, but will also help her reach critical developmental milestones. Luckily, we’ve done the research and collected the 10 best toys for 4 year old girls that are both educational and fun.

If you’re short on time, jump down to the 10 best toys for 4 year old girls list below. Otherwise, read on to learn about the most common developmental milestones for 4 year old girls that this list focuses on achieving.

You’ll notice that there’s an abundance of physical toys on this particular list. Since girls soar ahead of boys in terms of their fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and even social skills at this age, they tend to fall behind in regards to gross motor skills. Many of the toys on this list will help them improve in that area while they’re smiling and laughing and having the time of their lives!

4-Year-Old Developmental Milestones

Welcome to the year of “why?” It may help you stockpile patience to know that this is an expected, normal, and important developmental milestone. Her curiosity and questioning shows she’s building a vocabulary of more than 1,000 words and using complicated sentences that combine more than one thought.

At 4, your girl’s language skills are developing at an explosive rate. She’ll be able to make up stories and goofy words, rhyme, and sing silly songs. You’ll probably even notice that she can pronounce most sounds correctly – but maybe not so much s, w, and r sounds – follow simple, unrelated directions, and ask you the meaning of unfamiliar words. And try not to laugh at the utter cuteness when she vehemently argues with you even though her argument is completely illogical! It’s an important skill that she’s learning and will enable her to question and reason as she grows.

Your 4-year-old girl will now, sometime before her 5th birthday, be able to understand abstract ideas such as bigger, less, later, ago, and soon and know the difference between real and make believe. She can think in logical steps, focus on a task for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and see the consequences of an action.

And those gross motor skills that she’s working on? While 4-year-old boys may pull ahead in this area, she can still throw and bounce a ball, jump over objects and climb playground ladders, pedal and steer a tricycle or bike, do log rolls and somersaults, and even skip and trot. With a little encouragement and opportunity – even though she really loves painting or pretending or puzzles – she could soon break even with those boys, and maybe even outdo them!

The most enjoyable part of this year will be watching her hit her social and emotional milestones. Be aware that she’ll start telling small lies to get out of trouble, even though she knows it’s wrong, and do or say things she shouldn’t just to see what your reaction will be. And grab a Kleenex because you’ll need it when she shares, cooperates, tries to be helpful, and takes turns with others – especially when she finds an imaginary friend and plays the same imaginary games over and over. Most of all, enjoy your many belly laughs as she tells silly jokes and laughs herself silly over things she can now find funny!

Remember, though, that all children are different. While your 4-year-old girl should eventually hit all these milestones, they all do it in their own time and on their own terms. They all have different interests and talents that will manifest at different times. Sit back and relax and enjoy the process knowing that you’ve given her the best chance at developing in a healthy fashion by choosing the best toys for her development and happiness. Read on and choose your favorites to buy your 4 year old girl. And don’t forget to jump in and join her fun!

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 4 Year Old Girls

1. Flybar My First Foam Pogo Jumper

Watch as she masters basic skills such as hand-eye coordination, balance, and strength, and listen as she giggles relentlessly at the squeaking noise the foam makes every time she lands on it. What better way to encourage a healthy, physical lifestyle at the same time as allowing your 4 year old the freedom of endless fun?

One of the most highly rated toys of the year, this $17 jumper is a simple take on the pogo stick you enjoyed – even if you never did master it. Remember trying to beat your best count before you fell over? This junior version made with a soft durable foam base, strong stretchy bungee “spring,” and soft comfortable foam grip handles is great for any surface and will give her the skills and confidence to one day graduate to the big Pogo stick – or just to keep enjoying physical activity.

Buy for $16.99 on Amazon

2. Fisher-Price Little People Surprise & Sounds Home

Your 4-year-old girl still loves to mimic what she sees, and now she loves to play pretend because she knows the difference between real and make believe. Now she can play out scenarios – by herself or with her imaginary friend(s) – with this $45 fold-up home that includes mom, dad, and daughter characters and interactive additions such as the push-in alarm clock that pops the daughter out of bed as it rings and the bluebird you slide to see the kitty pop up in the window on one side – and what the weather’s like on the other! All the lights, fun phrases, and 4 songs will hold her interest for hours.

Younger children love this 5-star toy too, and so do older children – even mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa! No one ever gets tired of the alarm clock that pushes the characters out of bed or the flushing toilet!

Buy for $34.99 on Amazon

3. Fisher-Price Barbie Tough Trike

The age of 4 is the perfect age for her to enjoy learning to ride a bike like this. While older kids start to ride bigger bikes and lose their mastery of the different skill it takes to ride on one like this, your 4-year-old girl will thrill at the freedom and speed she discovers as she rides this up and down the sidewalk or driveway!

Now she can improve those pedalling and steering skills plus her physical activity level while you breathe easy knowing you only spent $30!

Buy for $29.99 on Amazon

4. Squigz by Fat Brain Toys

Simple name, simple concept! This attractive, multi-colored set of suction-cup balls will fascinate her for hours!

Squigz will help her develop her creativity, fine motor skills, interaction, and playful experimentation anywhere: a table, floor, bathtub, wall, window, anywhere that has a flat surface. And these suckers (literally!) defy gravity while leaving no trace that they were ever there. She can make any shape or creature she can think up, and when she’s done, she’ll laugh and laugh at the pop! sound they make as she takes them apart. At $28 for the starter set, you might find yourself losing some time creating too!

Buy for $24.95 on Amazon

5. Melissa & Doug Sweet Hearts and Butterfly Friends Bead Set of 2 – 250+ Wooden Beads

You’ll definitely be getting great bang for your buck with this $18 toy that will encourage her stringing, patterning, and designing skills, develop her fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and social skills. Stringing beads also requires a pincer grasp, which she’ll need to master before moving on to being able to achieve the tripod grip she’ll be developing next year so she can learn to write with a pencil and thinner crayon.

The 250 wooden, painted beads and 5 strings are just the right size for her hands and can make endless combinations of necklaces that she’ll love to proudly display. And when she tires of this kit, Melissa & Doug have many more string bead sets, big and small!

Buy for $17.19 on Amazon

6. See & Spell by Melissa & Doug

This toy ticks off most of your educational boxes plus her enjoyment boxes! Its 8 two-sided wooden play boards and 50 vibrant letters allow her to create 16 playful pictures. Your 4-year-old girl will be engrossed for hours fitting the pieces into each puzzle. Little will she know that she’ll be developing a whopping amount of skills: learning the alphabet, letter recognition, recognizing letter sounds, associating letters with words and objects, matching words to pictures, spelling, exploring the sounds of advanced vowel combinations, putting together short sentences, honing fine motor skills, and even building confidence.

The $20 you spent on this toy will be well justified when she comes to you and tells you the words she just finished putting together! You’ll know that you gave her that literacy edge before she even started kindergarten.

Buy for $19.99 on Amazon

7. Little Tikes TotSports T-Ball Set

Screenshot 2018-09-08 09.02.02

You 4-year-old will be hitting home runs right before your eyes! Watch her improve her gross motor skills and build her confidence as she steps up to this sturdy, adjustable T-Ball set and smacks the oversized ball right past you with the oversized bat. And if she uses the bat as a mallet, hammer, or percussion instrument? It can take it! Playing T-ball even has the added benefit of letting her improve her running and coordination if you play a miniature, modified baseball game.

The best part about this $20 toy is that when she tires of it, the balls can snap right into their holder at the base. It’s even designed so you can hang it on the wall!

Buy for $31.79 on Amazon

8. Franklin Sports Teeball Recreational Series Fielding Glove with Baseball, 9.5-Inch

What goes best with a T-Ball set? That’s right! A made-to-last, just-the-right-size baseball mitt (with ball!) in colors she’ll love. She’ll have fond memories of her very first baseball glove when you give her this $20 pink, purple, lime, and yellow glove. You don’t even have to worry about breaking it in because the webbing was created to make the glove easy for little hands to squeeze.

Now you can play a time-honored game of catch with your 4 year old once she tires of the T-ball set, or during if you pull in the siblings and play that mini baseball game with her!

Buy for $19.01 on Amazon

9. Educational Insights Design & Drill Flower Power Studio

Power tools aren’t just for boys anymore! Let her get used to using power tools with this pretty pink drill set that lets her make beautiful garden-inspired pictures. This $28 set will help her develop her hand-eye coordination, matching, patterning, problem-solving, construction skills, fine motor skills – and her imagination!

Winner of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold and Toy Insider awards, this drill set comes with not only a power drill but also a fold-up flower board, 60 bolts, 6 designer plates, a butterfly clasp, a Phillips bit, a flower bit, and a guide with 12 patterns. It’s never too early to encourage STEM learning, and she can take this kit anywhere – just like her dad’s drill kit!

Buy for $27.69 on Amazon

10. School Zone – Big Preschool Workbook

And now for the grand finale! What top 10 toy list would be complete without a book designed to prepare her for starting school? This book is different from most other getting-ready-for-school books in that it doesn’t begin with letters and letter recognition, it starts with circles and all the other shapes that come into play when writing letters. Its eye-catching illustrations and color-coded sections make it easy and inviting where others are quite often intimidating or boring.

The $20 you spend on this book will be the best investment you ever made, and she’ll enjoy every one of the more than 300 activities as they unfold in a continuing journey. She’ll never know she’s gaining a readiness in so many important basic skills, including colors, shapes, the alphabet, basic phonics, early math, and more. The best part is the activities appear in order of increasing difficulty so she’s always challenged and never overwhelmed.

Buy for $9.15 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 3 Year Old Girls in 2018

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Are you looking for the perfect toy or gift for a special three-year-old girl in your life? Finding the right toy can be difficult. You want one that’s not only fun but also beneficial for their emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Where do you start? Luckily, we’ve done the research and found the 10 best toys for 3 year old girls that help them reach key developmental milestones without breaking the bank.  

If you’re short on time, jump to the complete best toys for 3 year old girls list below. Otherwise, take a moment to learn about the developmental milestones typical 3 year old girls are expected to achieve that factored into this list.

3 Year Old Developmental Milestones

Your 3 year old has graduated from toddlerhood and is becoming increasingly skillful on every front. Her fine motor skills are improving, allowing her to play with toys that have small moving parts and buttons. She’s becoming more and more talkative, and asking lots of questions – “why” being a big one.

Physically three-year-old girls are working on using their hands and feet in brand new ways. They may learn to draw a circle with a crayon. They also improve their gross motor skills and begin to walk and run without tripping, jump, hop, stand on one foot, and even walk backwards. They are able to climb stairs one foot at a time, kick and throw a small ball, and catch larger ones.

Cognitively three-year-olds are developing their creativity, memory, and problem solving abilities, all while learning more and more about the world. They may be able to name the colors in a box of crayons, count to 10 and have a basic understanding of time. They can also follow 3-step directions. Toys that introduce shapes, colors, numbers, and letters are important.

At 3 years old, your little one’s language abilities are advancing in big ways. Three-year-olds will be able to speak clearly enough that strangers can understand them and even have 2-3 sentence conversations. While they do make lots of mistakes, they have a basic understanding of grammar. And you’ll notice their vocabulary expanding every day.

Emotionally and socially they can now show a variety of emotions other than just happy and sad and show an interest in playing with other children. They may be cautiously interested in new places and things and show concern for an unhappy friend.

With these developmental factors in mind, enjoy this list of 10 great toys that are both fun and developmentally enriching for your 3 year old girl.

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 3 Year Old Girls

1. LeapFrog My Own Leaptop

This highly rated pink laptop set will help your three-year-old start to recognize letters and animals. She’ll be drawn to the small moving parts and buttons, and will get a kick out of typing away just like her mom and dad. You can even configure the Leaptop to teach her how to spell her own name. The activities and buttons are specifically designed for a three year olds dexterity and development.

Buy for $24.99 on Amazon

2. Gymnic Rody Horse Gymnastics Equipment

Your little three year old girl is bursting with energy. Give her this super cute bouncy horse toy. It gets her active and developing core strength and gross motor control. She’ll be overjoyed pretending to ride a real horsey. This toy is the modern, safe, equivalent of the old rocking horse toy most of us grew up with. Note, check to see if this toy is the appropriate size for your three year old. Gymnic offers larger sizes, but naturally they’re a little more expensive.

Buy for $49.94 on Amazon

3. Smart Wallaby Musical Instruments Set

Musical play can be a large part of a 3-year-old girl’s day. Give her the opportunity to learn about rhythm and timbre as she explores the various musical instruments in this compact set by Smart Wallaby.

Giving a child an instrument set like this is magic. Your girl will experience tons of sensory stimulation while also improving her fine motor control and cognitive abilities.

Buy for $31.99 on Amazon

4. Merax No Pedal Balance Bike for Kids

Keep your toddler active with the Merax No Pedal Balance Bike Walking Bicycle. Your three-year-old is working on her gross motor skills including walking, running and jumping. With all of that energy, you’ll want something for her to channel it into and having her practice using a bike is a great way to do that. The great thing about this bike is that it can be used up to five years old and makes an excellent transition to pedal bikes later on.

Buy for $29.95 on Amazon

5. VTech Touch and Learn Activity Desk

The VTech Touch and Learn Activity Desk truly has a wide variety of developmental benefits if you are encouraging your three-year-old to develop in many different aspects. The desk has an interactive top which allows your little girl to practice her numbers, letters, animals, and colors. The desk also includes vocabulary words so your little one can practice her developing language skills. The desk then flips up into an easel, where your toddler can explore her creative side and practice those oh-so-important fine motor skills. As an added bonus this desk is intended for children up to six years old, and with lots of content it is sure to keep your child entertained for years to come.

Buy for $49.99 on Amazon

6. AMOSTING Color Matching Mosaic Pegboard

This unique toy will help your three-year-old girl to enhance her fine motor skills while also working on her color recognition and creativity. This is a great way to foster creativity without leaving behind a huge mess to clean up or have to worry about markers on the walls. And at only $19.99 it won’t break the bank.

Buy for $16.99 on Amazon

7. Leapfrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart Play-set

As your toddler turns 3, she will become increasingly able to follow simple instructions. Three-year-olds can follow up to three-step instructions, for instance brush your teeth, wash your face and clean your hands! Encourage their ability to follow instructions with the Leapfrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart Play-set in which your three-year-old will be asked to follow instructions to build treats for customers. This will help with her memory as well as her emotional skills as she also learns to role play like the adults she sees at stores.

Buy for $39.95 on Amazon

8. LEGO My First Bricks Building Kit (80 Piece)

Lego is a classic gift for the young one in your life. As always Lego encourages fine motor skills and better understanding of shapes and color. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be starting your little girl off in a career as an engineer. This is the perfect beginner set of Lego and will be sure to last for hours and hours of playtime as your little girl shows you all of the wonderful creations that she has made.

Buy for $19.95 on Amazon

9. Magnetic Blocks Building Set for Kids by idoot – 56pcs

Get your three-year-old girl interested in magnets early on and see how fascinated she becomes with them. This set builds fine motor skills and fosters creativity as well as working on color identification. It comes with its own storage bag and the magnets make for an easy clean up as they all stick together!

Buy for $27.99 on Amazon

10. Crayola Inspiration Art Case: 140 Pieces

This is another classic gift for children. As your three-year-old develops her fine motor skills she is now able to draw a circle with a crayon. She is also able to name the colors in the set. Why not start your child out early on a creative path, leading them towards colorful drawings for years to come!

Buy for $18.26 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

  • Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
  • Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
  • Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
  • Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References