Preface Preface

• At age nine, kids are still kids, but they're old enough to appreciate a thoughtful gift when they're given one. They usually have well-defined interests and personalities at this age, but also retain that childlike sense of wonder, which makes gift-giving even more fun. Here are some cool ways to think about gifts for the awesome 9-year-old in your life.

Help Her Reach for the Stars Help Her Reach for the Stars

• Whether it's an acre of land on the moon (yes, you can gift that!) or a really cool telescope, encourage her curiosity about the universe with an astronomy gift.

Encourage His Artistic Side Encourage His Artistic Side

• Writing, painting, and drawing are great ways for a 9-year-old to express himself, so help him along with moleskine notebooks, finger-painting sets, or a high quality set of colored pencils.

Be Fun and Educational Be Fun and Educational

• Toys, puzzles, and games that teach while they entertain are great for curious 9-year-olds, who are digital natives and hungry to learn new things.

One Word: Robot One Word: Robot

• Robots never fail to fascinate kids of all ages. If you gift a 9-year-old anything robotic, you're sure to score major points.

Personalize It Personalize It

• Kids love their own names. It's a key part of their identities. Think about gifting your favorite 9-year-old a pillow, sweatshirt, backpack - pretty much anything - emblazoned with her name.

Keep It Weird Keep It Weird

• Kids love things that are strange and funny, so choose an impressive oddity. Socks that look like animal feet or a pencil case that looks like a sneaker are a few examples of perfectly weird gifts for 9-year-olds.

Give the Gift of Fun Give the Gift of Fun

• Whether it's a trampoline, a brand new board game, or a trip to Disney World, gifts that offer a whole world of fun are guaranteed to go over great with the 9-year-old in your life. Let his youthful spirit inspire your gift idea.