Kids grow up so fast, and their interests change just as rapidly. Knowing how to pick the best gifts for 9-year-old girls requires a keen sense of balance between the playful girl she is and the near teen she’s becoming.
Having once been a nine-year-old girl, I can vaguely remember all the excitement of approaching double digits. It feels like reaching such a mature milestone, yet you still love to play and be carefree. When you’re nine, the world is still a curious place full of wonder, but you’re quickly forming stronger opinions about the things you do and do not like.
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Often, one fundamental dislike many young people share is the feeling that they are treated like little kids. Nine-year-olds are at a uniquely impressionable age. But the great thing about this age is the opportunity parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles have to be mentors and show respect for the budding perspective and opinions the nine-year-old girl in their life is forming.
Giving gifts is always a great time to strengthen your bond with friends and family. But when picking gifts for nine-year-old girls, consider gifting something that could help them discover meaningful new interests or have a lasting impact they will remember for years.
No matter what time of year, these tips will help make picking the best gifts for 9-year-old girls as fun as spending time with them.
Affordable Gifts for 9-Year-Old Girls
What is “affordable” these days? That depends on your personal budget. We tried to cap our recommendations at $25. Though money is an inescapable factor in almost everything we do, there are plenty of low-cost or free gifts for 9-year-old girls. Below are a few affordable toys they will genuinely cherish long after the shiny newness of their other gifts has worn off.
Stuffed Animal
Card Games
Board Games
Like Trekking the national parks, a strategy game the whole family will enjoy. Who knows! It might inspire a family trip to one or several of our nation’s incredible parks.
A Fun Mermaid Blanket
Remote Control Lights For Her Room
A Favorite Homemade Treat
Don’t underestimate the joy and satisfaction your nine-year-old will feel receiving their favorite homemade treat on their birthday or other special occasion.
Useful Gifts for 9-Year-Old Girls
It may seem silly to say, but young girls have things they need, too! Even if she gets confused by the concept and thinks she absolutely needs a brand new iPhone 15 or her life will be ruined.
Other times, the 9-year-old in your life might surprise you by asking for an item that would fall into the need category, like replacements for the athletic gear she outgrew or, instead, replacements for just about everything she’s growing out of all the time.
Or sometimes, a need could be supplied to further her practice or study of a subject like art, music, or science. The best thing is that there is always a need for knowledge, so encouraging her interests will always be a great gift.
Tutoring
This won’t be the most exciting gift she receives, but it could have a lasting impact on her confidence and ability to do well in school. No one likes to struggle or be ridiculed. Helping them overcome their academic difficulties will do wonders for them inside and outside the classroom.
Fun Craft Sets
Art Supplies
STEM Toys
STEM toys make a perfect gift and fun toy for nine-year-old girls who love learning how things work. So many fun kits will captivate and demystify advanced concepts around things like electricity, coding, physics, and so much more.
Gifts for the Fashion Forward Tween Girls on Your List
If your 9-year-old loves keeping up with the latest trends in fashion design and beauty, these gift ideas are for you! Taking pride in one’s appearance and using a wardrobe as a form of self-expression is a great thing to do at any age.
However, ensuring our fashion and beauty gifts send the right message to the young girls in our lives is so important. There is a lot of confusing information out there for girls of this age group and older. We should always be mindful of how we can help them feel more confident and secure in their own skin. The good news is there is a way to use gifts for nine-year-old girls as a way of teaching them about healthy self-care routines and what it means to practice self-love.
Lip Gloss
Hair Chalk
Friendship Bracelets
Bath Bombs
Bonus Tip: Teach her the value and importance of knowing what she's putting on and in her body. You don't have to be a dermatologist or skin expert to use a third-party ingredient checker to validate the claims and safety of a beauty or skincare product.
Gifts for 9-Year-Old Girls That Make Memories
The more excited you are to share something with her, the more excited she will be to listen and participate in your planned activities. You can plan your activity with educational value or share a favorite pastime or tradition from your childhood.
Museum Trip
Sharing the history and wonder of the world with kids is a rare treat. Planning an unforgettable art museum day is a great way to do just that. Consider sparking their interest beforehand by taking museum virtual tours and mapping out which exhibits they are most excited to see. You can also plan a scavenger hunt or use one the museum has already created.
Remember to check museum policies beforehand, but consider bringing snacks and a notepad to write down interesting facts, questions, or doodling. Round out your adventure with a sweet treat from your favorite cafe, and share the day’s highlights.
A Shopping Trip
Set a budget and let her pick. Speaking of forming opinions and wanting to make things her own, nine years old is a great age to spruce up her bedroom with a little personalized interior design flare. This could be a fun activity for you to do together.
Monthly Subscription Box
With myriad options available, from science experiments and craft projects to literature adventures or even fashion and beauty explorations, these subscription boxes go beyond mere material gifts. They’re a gift that keeps on giving. Subscription boxes offer something to look forward to each month and remind them of you and your thoughtful gift.
A Trip to the Movie Theater
With the convenience of streaming services, going to the movies is becoming a more novel form of entertainment. If you want to splurge, opt for a 3D or Imax experience. Grab your favorite treats and popcorn, and it’s likely to be a fun time for you both. Like visiting a museum, going to the movies and planning a small activity afterward is a great way to spend time together and discuss your thoughts on the film you shared.
Collectible & Themed Gifts for 9-Year-Old Girls
Are there any super fans in the house? Though we haven’t seen toy rage quite like the Cabbage Patch Doll days of the 80s and 90s, plenty of coveted and collectible toys still make great gifts for 9-year-old girls. Ask her about any favorite new streaming series or music artists, and you’ll come up with dozens of great gift ideas she will love. Here are a few popular tried and true ideas to get you started:
- American Girl Dolls and accessories
- Star Wars
- Harry Potter
- Lego Themed Anything
- Breyer Horses
Bonus Tip: If you have a collector in the family, instead of adding to their collection, consider ways you can help protect or enhance their enjoyment of their collection with specialized display racks or protective cases for their favorite things.
Video Games & Consoles
The video game world has come a long way from arcades and atari machines. Now, you can buy dozens of gifts, from gaming credits to consoles, headsets, games, and more. The biggest challenge when shopping for gaming gifts is compatibility. Since there is such a diverse range of options out there, make sure you know what generation and model version she has, and make sure you get a gift receipt just in case.
- Handheld Console like a Nintendo Switch
- Mario Kart Game
- Electronic Store Gift Card
- Gaming Platform Gift Cards Like Xbox Live or Roblox
Last Minute Gifts
Sometimes, the chaos of life gets the better of us, usually at the worst possible times, like moments before you’re about to see your nine-year-old niece and realize you forgot to get her a gift. Take a deep breath. You’ve got this. On your way to see her, when you have to stop for gas because you’ve already been on empty for three days, you can swing into the convenience store or the grocery next door and grab any of the following gift items. Also, remember to grab a card. Once again, you’ve saved the day, and no one is the wiser!
Fresh Cut Flowers
If you’re shopping for a nine-year-old girl who’s a bit of a sentimentalist, she will love this unexpected and very grown-up gift. Everyone can appreciate beautiful flowers, but it’s not every day you receive your own beautiful bouquet.
Gift Cards
Every convenience or grocery store usually has a huge kiosk near the checkout with dozens of options. If you’re stressed and unsure what she would like best, opt for one of the combo cards that work at multiple retailers.
This is a great way to teach money management and responsible shopping by allowing her to choose for herself. A favorite tradition in our family is sharing what you bought when you use your gift card. Part of what makes this tradition fun is that months often go by before the recipient uses the card. Seeing what they bought and a great chance to reconnect is a fun surprise.
A Good Book
Encouraging young readers to get lost in a good book is more than just a great gift. It helps instill good habits and strengthen their reading skills. If the 9-year-old girls on your list struggle to get into reading, try giving them a graphic novel. The beautiful illustrations are sometimes all that’s needed to capture their attention.
Closing Tips on Picking Gifts for 9-Year-Old Girls
Whether you’re shopping for birthday gifts, Christmas presents, or any other gift-shopping occasion, we hope this article has given you great ideas and a few top picks the tween on your list will love.
Looking for additional gift guides? Let us help you find the perfect present for teenage girls, or check out our gift ideas for college girls.
This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.
About the author
Marly Garman
Marly is a lifestyle writer and creator ofsimplylivinghappy.com, a site dedicated to helping readers improve their health, wealth, mindset, and overall happiness. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her listening to audiobooks while gardening, visiting with family, or traveling.