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45 Best Gifts for 9-Year-Old Girls That Are as Unique as She Is
From crafty DIY kits to cool toys, she'll love unwrapping these ideas.
When girls hit 9 years old, they want to be recognized and shine for who they are. And it's fun to support that budding individuality while recognizing that they're still little at heart with a gift as unique as she is. To help promote a 9-year-old's sense of self, you can help them find fun decorations for their rooms, let them express their personal styles in clothing and accessories or nurture their interests, be it fashion design, video games, STEM or art. Plus, despite all their protests that they're beyond anything "for babies" (their words, not ours), 9-year-olds still love to play with toys and games.
That leaves a wide berth of gift options. Luckily, the Good Housekeeping Institute keeps track of toys and gifts trends, along with what seems to be resonating with kids each year. Experts evaluate the hottest new toys of the year, looking at everything from safety to ease of use to educational or developmental value. Then the real tests begins: The toys are sent out to be tested by real 9-year-olds to be sure they're actually fun to be played with. We took the top-rated toys, including some current and former Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners, and added in some best-sellers and editor's picks to come up with our list for the best toys and gifts for 9-year-old girls in 2023.
This year, kids want to DIY everything under the sun, from two-minute tie-dye shirts to their own scrunchies and accessories using a kid-sized sewing machine. STEM sets are always popular, as are fidget toys and family games. But even if they're not crafters, scientists or fidgety, they're sure to be thrilled with something on this list.
Custom Neon Signs
Custom Neon Signs
Kids love personalizing their rooms, and there's nothing more personalized than a neon sign declaring their name! To make it even more to their tastes, you can customize the size, color and font, and even choose a symbol for the end. No age recommendation given
Fashion Punch Style & Stitch Loom
Fashion Punch Style & Stitch Loom
They can take their friendship bracelets to the next level with this kit, which lets them create more intricate designs and patterns. Good Housekeeping Institute Testers loved planning out their ideas, and parents appreciated that it helps them with their fine motor coordination. Ages 6+
ChalkScapes Mandala Stencil Set
You can help them upgrade their sidewalk art with these sidewalk chalk stencils, which come with 24 sticks of chalk and two holders, along with two big stencils. You can also get them in a stars and geometry theme. Ages 5+
GO Glam U-nique Metallic Nail Salon
GO Glam U-nique Metallic Nail Salon
This top Amazon toy lets her easily glam up within minutes. All she has to do is pop a pattern into the stamper, paint her nails with the kid-safe polish, let them dry, then press the stamper onto her nail for a fun print. Ages 8+
Creatto Starlight Kitty
This creative kit is both a DIY decor project and a STEM building toy in one. The pieces, which are plastic tiles with LED wires running through, can come together to make nightlights in the shape of a cat, a mouse house, a teddy bear or a squirrel — or whatever she can dream up on her own. (Good Housekeeping Institute testers say the building takes some getting used to, but is fun once you get the hang of it.) There are also sets available to make other trios of figures. Ages 8+
Neon Stitch ‘N Style Fashion Studio
For DIYers, this kit makes it easy to learn how to sew. There's no threading necessary — the machine uses pre-loaded cartridges instead. And it also senses when fabric is in the machine, so there's no pedal, either. Even the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab experts were impressed! It comes with enough pre-patterned fabric to make six accessories. Ages 8+
Designed by You Fashion Studio Kit
This fashion kit is perfect for the budding designer because it comes with 50 pieces, including fabric samples and tools. She can learn to sketch her designs and make mock-ups of her ideas with the provided miniature mannequin. Ages 9+
She'll get a kick as this ball whirls, twists and flies — all while being controlled by her hands. (It gets cooler at night, when it lights up.) The effect has earned this more than 6,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. Ages 6+
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Gravity Maze
This play set is a three-in-one logic game, marble run and STEM toy that builds spatial reasoning, planning and engineering skills. It offers 60 multi-level challenges that become increasingly difficult as she tackles each one. Ages 8+
Nancy Drew Starter Set
To think that you can now put your daughter on the same detective series you loved as a child — this starter set contains classic favorites that'll entertain aspiring detectives and longtime fans alike. Ages 8+
Shape-Shifting Box
This combines all the best parts of a fidget toy with the mind workout of a brain puzzle. It can unfold and twist into different shapes, revealing different patterns on the inside. Then it becomes a challenge to get it back into box form again. Ages 8+
You're never too old to take a bath! This six-pack of bath bombs offers a wealth of sensory experiences: Each one turns the bath into a bubble bath, comes in a different vibrant colors and offers a fun fragrance, like Fruit Loops, citrus or banana. Best of all, each one has a surprise squishy toy inside! There are more than 50 squishes to collect in all. Ages 3+
Rainbow Scratch Books Craft Kit
You know how it goes: Just scratch off the outer layer, and she'll be able to make rainbow-colored designs from the pattern showing through underneath. This set gives her lots of tools to get her creativity flowing, including two drawing pads, five stencil sets, four scratching tools and a box to keep it all in. Ages 3+
Kanoodle Flip
Fans of the insanely popular Kanoodle can see if they can take their skills to the next level with Kanoodle Flip. Players are tasked with putting a game piece in the starting square, then flipping it over and over again until it lands in the finishing position — a feat of logic and motor coordination. There are different pieces, each with a different degree of difficulty. Ages 7+
Princess Peach Bomber Jacket
Pokémon My Partner Eevee
It's the next best thing to having an actual Eevee to pal around with! This electronic, interactive version has 50 different reactions. Pet its head and hear it make affectionate noises, or charge it up for battle mode! You can also get My Partner Pikachu or Charmander. Ages 4+
Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter
Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter
As kids get older, face-to-face talks might start to get harder, but this journal makes conversation starters easy. It comes with prompts for entries that moms and daughters can both fill out, making a meaningful memory book for all involved. Ages 8+
Good Housekeeping Amazing Science
Good Housekeeping Amazing Science
Budding scientists will thrill to the 83 hands-on experiments in this book, which are led by the scientists from the Good Housekeeping Institute. The book goes from room to room through a house and explains the scientific concepts behind the phenomena you might find there, like why bathroom mirrors get foggy or what makes sweaty sneakers so stinky. Then, the experiments let them dive deeper into the concepts. Ages 7+
Nine-year-olds love doing their own DIY projects, but are also short on patience. This tie-dye kit works in the microwave in two minutes without the need for soaking clothes in soda ash. She'll love making her own outfits and accessories! No age recommendation given
The Flower Garden
The Flower Garden
Good Housekeeping Institute testers loved everything about this book: the art style, the way it sparked imagination and especially its themes of friendship. Done in the style of a graphic novel, the story follows two friends who go on an Alice in Wonderland-like journey through a wildflower forest. Ages 6 – 9
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.
Rachel Rothman (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH’s growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH’s annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.
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