# Nice gifts for an 8 year old?



## absent air (Dec 7, 2010)

My sister just turned out 8 today and I want to buy her a fitting gift. The poor child is bullied outside for not having received any nice presents, it kinda got on her.

But..what is a gift that suits the needs of an 8 year old kid? She's EXFX by the way.

Now I was thinking about an advanced microscope or experimentpackages, but sciencey stuff doesn't really attract her much. But I don't want to buy her dolls or other stereotypical brainnumbing garbage either, even if she may like it.

I need a balance between sciencey stuff and girly stuff, something that is cute/girly and intellectually stimulating at the same time.(or something that stimulates creativity, she likes to draw barbie's)

So tell me forum, what should I get her?


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## Tucken (Dec 13, 2009)

Why don't you give her one my little pony and some brain stimulating lego or something? If you can't combine the two simply do both!


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## snail (Oct 13, 2008)

You say she likes to draw Barbies. The choice seems obvious. I'd get her art supplies. I recommend these:












with one of these:









and some of this:












I would have loved them when I was eight. Heck, I love them right now.


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## Tucken (Dec 13, 2009)

Gifts Ideas for 8 Year Old from GiftBee - 8 Year Old Gift Ideas
Maybe it's better to give her a scooter or something that can you know drain her energy. It wouldn't be girly and it wouldn't be sciency just healthy.


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## absent air (Dec 7, 2010)

Tucken said:


> Gifts Ideas for 8 Year Old from GiftBee - 8 Year Old Gift Ideas
> Maybe it's better to give her a scooter or something that can you know drain her energy. It wouldn't be girly and it wouldn't be sciency just healthy.


A scooter?! .__. poor student is poor... .__.

@snail
Do art supplies differ in quality much?


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## Penemue (Feb 23, 2010)

You might be able to get roller blades cheapish but ok, either that or i'd have to agree with @_snail_ and say art supplies. Make sure you get good quality paper though. I find it doesn't matter too much that the pencils/pens are like as long as you've got good quality slightly rough paper.

Or a nice jacket she can wear to school and a book. When i was 8 i got a fountain pen from an aunt and i still use it today, it's been through a lot. Or a watch...

(Oh, and burn her Barbies to the lower depths of hell. Not for her birthday, but she'll thank you later on)


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## snail (Oct 13, 2008)

absent air said:


> A scooter?! .__. poor student is poor... .__.
> 
> @snail
> Do art supplies differ in quality much?


Well, I tend to stick with the Derwent water-soluble pencils, because other brands don't seem to work as well when the water is applied, and require more brush pressure to dissolve. If the bigger sets are too expensive, you can get a little sample tin with twelve pencils. 










They come in other varieties. The ones I mentioned are the bright ones that dry as permanent ink, allowing them to be worked easily in layers. If she isn't into bold colors, and likes it to have just a slight tint, the Graphitints are my next favorite set. 

As for the water brush, I doubt it matters much as long as the tip is nicely pointed. Paper is also mostly irrelevant as long as it is fairly smooth and is thick enough to handle repeated wetting without getting wrinkly or developing holes from excessive rubbing. Most watercolor paper or mixed media paper will work, but I tend to avoid the toothier kinds. 






Just to give a concrete comparison, here is something I did yesterday with my Inktense set, using only the supplies I listed above.









Here is something I found online, made by an artist of similar skill level, working in a similar style, who was using cheaper watercolor pencils. 









As you can see, the cheaper pencils don't blend as well. That can be fine if you like the rough look, but I suspect a child would be better off with the nicer pencils, since they are more versatile.


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## yesiknowbut (Oct 25, 2009)

Is she into craft? My daughter loved making flower fairies out of wire and bits and pieces when she was that age, you can build whole stories and fairy societies out of them.
Paper-making is fun too, and you get to make really nice cards for people, kind of good for E-Fs.


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## LadyJava (Oct 26, 2008)

How much are you willing to spend?


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## friction (Apr 29, 2011)

Modelling clay or a skipping rope (gosh, such Sensing suggestions). Cheap, gender-neutral, can be used individually or with friends, stimulating, timeless.


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## streetsweeper (Jun 14, 2011)

absent air said:


> Now I was thinking about an advanced microscope or experimentpackages, but sciencey stuff doesn't really attract her much. But I don't want to buy her dolls or other stereotypical brainnumbing garbage either, even if she may like it.


When I was 8 I used to wish someone would buy me a light microscope. They only ever bought me art supplies and Barbie's (which I did appreciate, but some silent grief was endured). In the case of your sister, I guess I can't recommend you buy her a microscope.. what about a rubik's cube (so much win) or Matilda by Roald Dahl, but I guess they're not very impressive gifts.


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## inextricable (May 10, 2011)

MAKE UP !!!!

I'm sorry but that's what I would've wanted. 

You can also buy her a painting set or jewelry making kits. I did that with my daughter and we hung them in front of her window and the light shines beautiful on it.


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## absent air (Dec 7, 2010)

inextricable said:


> MAKE UP !!!!
> 
> I'm sorry but that's what I would've wanted.
> 
> You can also buy her a painting set or jewelry making kits. I did that with my daughter and we hung them in front of her window and the light shines beautiful on it.


C´est une probleme.

Babysister munches small plastic things.


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