What to Gift a Girl for Her Birthday? Age-Appropriate Gift Ideas

You’ve probably experienced that moment when you’re invited to a friend’s or relative’s child’s birthday party but have no clue what to gift. What kind of present would truly bring joy and light up their face? While giving money has become more common—sometimes even suggested on the invitation—physical gifts often hold more value for younger children. However, many presents end up forgotten after just one use. That’s why we’ve put together a list of toys and activities that have been a real hit in our families, bringing lasting fun and excitement!

Sometimes kids create their own birthday wishlists. We’ve even received purchases through a site like thingstogetme.com. I wouldn’t automatically share the list with every guest invited to the party, but if someone asks what to get, it can be a really helpful tool. The reason I wouldn’t share it with everyone is that I’ve noticed wishlists sometimes come with quite high price expectations. And if you’re worried that several people might buy the same gift, these platforms usually let you mark an item as “bought” so others don’t choose the same thing.

The links in this post will take you to the products so you can get a better idea of what they are. However, some items may be out of stock in certain stores, so you might need to browse online for alternatives. While these recommendations are aimed at girls, most of them are actually great for any child. You can also check out our gift ideas for boys!

Gift Ideas for Girls

Gifts for 3-5-Year-Old Girls

At this age, children need more guidance and hands-on activities. The best gifts are toys that develop motor skills or encourage role-playing. Activities should be simple and engaging to keep a child’s interest for longer.

• Kit Make Your Own Lollipops! – lollipops are something that children rarely say no to. With the silicone mould, you can easily make chocolate lollipops and decorate them. One grandmother who came to pick up the lollipop kit told us that it was on her 7-year-old granddaughter’s wish list. The lollipop mould can be used to make simple treats or, for older children, more detailed patterned lollipops.

• Yogurt Ice Cream making kit is a great choice for summer birthdays. The kit includes ice cream powder that you simply mix with yogurt and pour into the mould to freeze. Once the powder is finished, the child can make fruit purées and smoothie mixtures together with a parent, practise spooning the mixture into the mould and freeze them into tasty snacks.

• Color-Changing Lemonade making kit – a little science, a fun activity and lemonade all in one! When my child’s classmates come over, they always ask whether we can make the lemonade again.

• Milkshake Making Kit with three flavours! Perfect for a movie night or when a friend comes over. The drink is ready in just one minute. At home, you only need milk, ice and a blender.

• Mini paint-by-numbers sets – a lovely activity to enjoy together. Each mini set includes six pictures designed to be simple enough for children. With several pictures in one set, the whole family can paint together.
• Bubble wands, latest find: XXXXL bubble wand – a fun and easy outdoor activity
• Walkie-Talkie – great for imaginative role-playing, both indoors and outdoors
• Kites – a fascinating activity that definitely requires parental guidance
• Djeco craft kits e.g., Artistic Patch – encourages creativity and patience
• Magnetic dress-up dolls e.g, Petit Collage, Goki – perfect for role-playing, allowing kids to mix and match different outfits
• Felt books – soft fabric activity books (you may need to look outside Estonia to find them)
• Animal care sets – little kids often love taking care of animals; a dog or horse grooming kit can be a big hit
• Reusable sticker books – especially fun when you can create a new story every time

• Mini Disco Ball Craft Kit  – when my child was in second grade, we took these kits to school for a craft lesson. Several children immediately wanted one to take home too.

• Hot Chocolate Making Kit with three flavours. Perfect for the colder autumn and winter months. You choose how much milk to add, so you can make either a thick hot chocolate to enjoy as a dessert or a lighter cocoa drink.

• Board games: DixIt, Carcassonne – a great opportunity to start playing independently with family
• Card games: Dobble, Ligretto – fun for both friends and family game nights
• Puzzle games like Get Packing – develops spatial thinking and logic skills
• Origami books e.g., airplanes, animal – a mix of folding and coloring for creative fun
•   Unidragon wooden jigsaw puzzle – perfect for kids who enjoy hands-on, detailed work
• Logic game ThinkFun Gravity Maze – enhances problem-solving and spatial awareness by guiding a marble through the right path
• Lockable diaries – a nice way to practice creative writing
• Roller skates – even better if you have skates too, so you can spend time together

Gifts for 10+ Year-Old Girls

Older kids become more independent and enjoy more complex games and challenges. The best gifts for this age group are those that offer both entertainment and skill-building. Social party games also become increasingly popular. Other key themes at this age are personal growth, shaping their own style, and building practical skills.

• A fun Chocolate Button Making Kit – Animals. The finished chocolates are so cute, they almost look good enough to sell. The chocolate is melted inside the packaging in hot water, the mould is filled, and colourful nonpareils are sprinkled on top. The candies are ready in about 15 minutes, and the chocolate included in the kit is enough for two rounds of making sweets. What I especially like about this kit is that the silicone mould remains useful afterwards – later, it can be used to make larger animal-shaped gummy candies from Lastella gummy candy powders, frozen treats or ice cubes.

• Snowflake Cookie Making Kit comes with four reusable snowflake stamp cutters. The kit is best suited to older children who can take a more active role in baking, while younger children can help with cutting out and decorating the cookies together with an adult. You can choose from several cookie mixes, including pink, yellow, green, blue and apple-gingerbread. After baking, the cookies can be decorated with white chocolate and colourful nonpareils. The stamp cutters can also be used later for gingerbread, other cookies or even playdough.

• DIY Pine Cone Christmas Ornament Kit – a lovely way to make handmade gifts or add some sparkle to your home during the Christmas season. I gave these beautifully shimmering pine cones to my aunt, and every Christmas I still see them proudly decorating her staircase. Older children and adults can follow the instructions to create detailed ornaments, while younger children can use their imagination and make each decoration completely unique.

• Paint-by-numbers kit – a great choice for a child who enjoys quiet, creative activities. One of the biggest advantages is the wide variety of designs available, so if you know even a little about the child’s interests, you can choose a picture that feels personal. Once finished, the painting can even be proudly displayed on the wall.

• Strategy games: Ticket to Ride, Gang of Four – great for developing game strategy and planning
• Card game Monopoly Bid – a quicker, more dynamic alternative to the classic Monopoly
• Card game Exploding Kittens – a fun and laughter-filled party game
• Magnetic tabletop game Klask – similar to air hockey but compact for home play and exciting for the whole family
• Mandala coloring books – a calming, creativity-boosting activity
• Waboba flying disc, balls, etc – a fun way to get older kids outside and active
• We’re also big fans of workshops and experiences as a family. For example, a 12-year-old girl once found a visit to the Laima museum with a chocolate workshop herself—and wanted that kind of quality time with her mom. We recently went to a glassblowing workshop in Viljandi, and in my opinion it works well for teens too. The experience was genuinely exciting, and why not gift your teen (and a couple of her friends) a fun little day trip like that?

When asking girls which board game they’d like to play, Dixit is often the top answer. This beautifully illustrated game is built around imagination and storytelling, making it a fantastic choice for kids to play with parents—or even for adults on their own. It’s a great way to see how your child thinks and what details they notice. The game works for 3 to 12 players, and I highly recommend getting expansion packs for even more variety—we have three at home, and they add so much to the experience!
Another wonderful family game is the classic Carcassonne. To make it fun for the whole family, younger children often team up with a parent. For example, my four-year-old loves handing me the tiles and placing the little figures while I handle the strategy. It’s a great way to introduce kids to tactical thinking while keeping the game engaging for all ages!

The Waboba flying disc is one of my favorites. Unlike rigid plastic frisbees, this one is soft and flexible—you can fold it up and tuck it in your pocket, making it super easy to carry around. Plus, since it’s lightweight, there’s less risk of accidents when kids throw it. Another hit in our family is the Waboba Flyer, which adds an extra challenge and even a bit of a workout! And for younger kids, you can never go wrong with classic bouncy balls—they’re always a source of endless fun.

I’ve come across various origami books in stores, and they’re a fantastic activity for families with kids of different ages. The older sibling can fold while the younger one decorates and colors. One of my best finds was an airplane folding book I picked up at Coop Eeden’s grocery store. It came with 20 colorful sheets and folding instructions for €10. At first, I hesitated—it seemed pricey for such a small book—but I eventually bought it and have zero regrets! Even after we used up the paper, the instructions remained, allowing us to keep making planes with any scrap paper we had. We’ve had so much fun testing different designs and competing to see whose plane flies the farthest. Pro tip: use a stapler to add a small staple at the bottom of the plane—it significantly improves flight distance!

Classic paper dolls have gotten a modern upgrade with magnetic dress-up dolls! Kids can mix and match different outfits without worrying about flimsy tabs or tearing the paper. The magnetic pieces stay securely in place, making it much easier for little hands to handle. This means less frustration for younger children who might struggle with traditional paper dolls, allowing them to fully enjoy the creative process of styling and dressing up their characters.

Felt books, or soft activity books, are a fantastic choice for younger children who love hands-on exploration. These interactive books are designed with different textures, puzzles, and tasks that help develop fine motor skills and logical thinking while keeping little ones entertained. Whether it’s buttoning, zipping, or matching shapes, these books provide both educational value and endless fun, making them a wonderful screen-free activity for curious toddlers.

Blowing bubbles under the warm summer sun is a simple joy that never gets old. It’s an easy, carefree activity that keeps kids entertained for hours. Before the season starts, I usually stock up on a liter of bubble solution from home goods store, so I can keep refilling the empty bubble wands at our summer house. There are so many types of bubble wands available, but my latest favorite is the XXXL bubble wand, which creates massive, mesmerizing bubbles. One important tip: the cheapest bubble solution didn’t work well for large bubbles. So if you’re buying in bulk, it’s worth adding a higher-quality solution to your cart for the best results!

Card games like Dobble, Monopoly Bid, and Ligretto are perfect for quick, fun gameplay and make great travel companions. Kids love classic Monopoly, but once we bring it out, we usually end up playing for days. That’s why Monopoly Bid is such a great alternative—it’s fast-paced and just as engaging. Dobble is one of those games you can play in a  group, as a duo, or even solo. Once kids get the hang of it, they often beat the adults, and the sheer joy on their faces when they win is priceless! Ligretto, on the other hand, is a high-energy, fast-paced game where the goal is to get rid of your cards as quickly as possible.
My child recently spent their birthday money on Exploding Kittens, a wildly fun card game where players must avoid drawing an exploding kitten by using strategy and clever moves. The tension builds with every turn, making it an exciting experience right until the last card. It has quickly become a family favorite!

Flying a kite is a mesmerizing experience, though it can be a bit tricky—it requires the right amount of wind and some skillful handling. Cheaper kites tend to break easily, so investing in a sturdier one is worth it. If you’re familiar with the Djeco brand, you might already know they offer a variety of creative kits, including origami sets and kites. One of the latest hits among girls, however, has been the Velvet Artistic Patch. This set includes beautiful images that can be decorated with adhesive patterns and colorful velvet, creating a soft and textured effect. I came across this gem at Orange store, and it has been an absolute favorite!

If you know a child who enjoys detailed, hands-on activities, Unidragon wooden puzzles are a stunning choice. Each piece is crafted like a miniature work of art, making the assembly process both exciting and rewarding. The unique shapes add an extra challenge, and once completed, the puzzle can even be glued together and displayed as wall art. For kids who find joy in calm, creative activities, mandala coloring books are an excellent alternative. They’re perfect for road trips, keeping children engaged and relaxed while traveling. Plus, they offer a wonderful screen-free way to unwind—something every parent can appreciate! 

Davincified paint-by-numbers kits are also a great choice for children who enjoy creative, hands-on activities. I would recommend the mini kit with six canvases, especially if the child has never tried paint by numbers before. In that case, choose a simpler design to begin with so they can enjoy a successful first result. It is a good idea to start with the easiest of the six canvases rather than their favourite one. This gives the child a chance to practise before moving on to the picture they are most excited about. Once finished, the six small paintings can also be used together to decorate their room. What I especially like about the six-canvas mini kit is that it works well as a shared activity too. The canvases can be painted together with family members or friends, so everyone can work on their own picture at the same time.

I still remember how much fun spy games were as a child. A walkie-talkie set has been a huge hit in our family, making outdoor adventures even more exciting. We found ours at the Ahhaa Science Store and chose it specifically because it also functions as a flashlight—a handy bonus for evening explorations.
If you’re considering getting one, I highly recommend rechargeable batteries from the start. Walkie-talkies get a lot of use, and having rechargeable options saves both money and the hassle of constantly replacing them!

Strategy games are perfect for older kids (10+), offering a great mix of challenge and fun. One of our all-time favorites is Ticket to Ride, which I first discovered online before introducing it to my family. The classic USA map remains our top pick, but the game has since expanded with maps from different countries, adding variety and new strategies to explore. Another game that has stood the test of time in our home is Gang of Four, a strategic card game I once picked up from a board game store in Finland. The goal is to play the highest-ranked sets of cards to win as many tricks as possible, earning points along the way. It’s engaging, competitive, and best of all—it doesn’t drag on for too long, making it a great choice for quick but strategic gameplay!

The puzzle game Get Packing challenges players to fit a set of items into a suitcase exactly as shown on the card. It’s a fun way to test spatial reasoning and can be played solo or with a partner. If you want to turn it into a group activity, grabbing an extra set allows for head-to-head challenges. It’s a unique logic game—not overly difficult but engaging enough to keep players thinking. Plus, like many brain-teasing games, it’s a great travel companion, keeping kids entertained while sharpening their problem-solving skills on the go!

Klask is a fast-paced and highly engaging magnetic tabletop game. Players control their pieces using magnets from underneath the board, skillfully maneuvering to strike the ball into their opponent’s goal. It’s a fantastic alternative to foosball or air hockey, requiring far less space while still delivering the same excitement. The best part? It’s fun for all ages—whether kids are playing against each other or challenging adults, Klask guarantees a thrilling and competitive experience for everyone!

In the logic game ThinkFun Gravity Maze, your goal is to build a path that guides the marble to its target using a series of towers. It’s a fantastic puzzle game that challenges spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills. With different levels of difficulty, it keeps players engaged as they experiment and refine their solutions. A perfect gift for kids who enjoy hands-on challenges and for anyone looking to develop spatial awareness and logical thinking in a fun, interactive way!

Workshops can be a great gift too—anything from a pizza-making birthday party to a day trip to Viljandi for a glassblowing workshop. We’ve also found great options in Latvia, like a caramel workshop or a visit to the Laima museum with a workshop.