At age 9, both of my daughters began taking on more grown-up tasks: My oldest daughter fell in love with baking, whipping up cookies, cupcakes, and other sweet treats. My younger daughter asked for a sewing machine, wanting to try her hand at making and embellishing clothes.
When it comes to presents, you might consider giving kids this age more-grown-up toys and tools. Real tools can increase engagement with a hobby and are likely to last longer than their toy counterparts. Years later, my now teenage daughter treasures (and continues to bake with) the cookie cutters she received as gifts; my younger daughter still uses her sewing machine, embellishing her clothes and even learning to make her own.
Many 9-year-olds are also deepening their friendships and spending more time socializing with other kids. Sports equipment, like a light-up frisbee, and games, such as novel versions of classics like chess, dominos, and Trivial Pursuit, can encourage group fun.
I tested potential gifts with my own kids, interviewed child-development experts, surveyed parents and caregivers, and tapped into the wisdom of more than half a dozen other Wirecutter parents to draw up this list of gift recommendations for 9-year-olds.
If your child is drawn to cooking and baking, you may also want to check out our collection of cooking tools for kids. Our guide to fiber crafts for adults includes some projects that may be appealing for artsy 9-year-olds. We also offer more gift ideas for 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds, and tweens. See all our kid gift ideas here.
Harrisville DesignsFriendly Loom 7″ Potholder Loom Kit This high-quality craft kit lets a kid weave two small potholders, and it can be reused repeatedly with the purchase of refill loops.
Friendly Loom 10″ Potholder Loom Kit Crafting on this larger loom takes a bit more patience and skill. But you end up with bigger, more-useful potholders, and it allows for more-intricate designs.
Woven potholders are a classic craft, and they haven’t changed much across generations. I made this type of practical cotton trivet when I was in grade school, and both of my boys have brought them home from summer camp or afterschool programs. New Hampshire company Friendly Loom makes an especially nice do-it-yourself kit. The frame is a sturdy green metal; the loops, made from recycled cotton, come in 12 bright colors. You use a long metal weaving hook to thread the loops across the grid, and there’s a smaller crochet hook to finish off the edges (here’s a helpful YouTube tutorial). One box comes with the supplies to make two small potholders, though you can buy refill bags with enough loops to make six more (and keep going from there). Friendly Loom also has a kit to make a larger, 10-inch potholder, which is likely a better size if you plan to use these to move things in and out of your oven. This gift may be for kids, but I like that it also gives them an opportunity to be a gift-giver and to feel satisfied with their effort as well as their generosity.
