Gift ideas for 7 and 3 yrs old girls?

[salsah]

i need to a gift or a couple of gifts for girls (sisters aprox. 7 and 3 yrs old). i don't know them or know anything about them (even their ages is a guess). and i have to be able to fit the gift(s) in a suitcase because we'll be traveling with the gifts.
i'm trying to think of something(s) that most girls approximately those ages will like, isn't so common that they are likely to already have it or is something that they could use more of, and is light and compact. budget is flexible. i have some time so i can order online.

any ideas?

tia!

[turtle12]

we love stomp rockets for those ages....legos, too.... the stomp rocket box can be a little bit but very light.

[bnme]

Webkinz, pet pillows, cool drawing or activity books like this http://www.amazon.com/Do-You-Doodle-Nikalas-Catlow/dp/0762429275/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277857777&sr=8-7

[Green_Tea]

For the 7 YO:
Cool/funky blank books with stickers, colored pencils, markers
Silly Bandz
Bead kits
Perler Bead kits
Connect 4
Banangrams

3 YO:
Play Doh
Finger paints
Sand toys
Do-A-Dot stampers and books

ETA: Pillow Pets and Webkinz are GREAT ideas - my 3 yo and 7 yo would love them!

[maiaann]

Do you want separate gift ideas or something for them to play with together? My 8 year old and 3 year old DD love Littlest Pet Shop and just about anything artsy/craftsy. Pixos/Chixos are a hit with my oldest and both my girls are into Disney princesses. (Some 7 year olds *might* be outgrowing princesses, however.) Melissa and Doug make some fun stamp kits that are good for both ages. We have this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Friendship-Stamp-Set/dp/B0007L6M9A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1277859225&sr=1-3

This Butterfly Garden is also a good joint gift.

http://www.amazon.com/Insect-Lore-Live-Butterfly-Garden/dp/B00000ISC5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1277859187&sr=8-1

[jerigirl]

Sticky Mosaics. They have sets appropriate for 3 yr olds too.
http://www.orbfactory.com/Products/My-First-Sticky-Mosaics-R

http://www.orbfactory.com/Products/Sticky-Mosaics-R-Original-Line
You can find them on amazon.

[salsah]

Do you want separate gift ideas or something for them to play with together?

either is fine.

[salsah]

Sticky Mosaics. They have sets appropriate for 3 yr olds too.
http://www.orbfactory.com/Products/My-First-Sticky-Mosaics-R

http://www.orbfactory.com/Products/Sticky-Mosaics-R-Original-Line
You can find them on amazon.

thanks for posting these links. i was just telling DH that i wanted to look for some of these for dd for an upcoming trip. i think that these would be good for the plane or car.

[hollybloom24]

t-shirts or baseball caps from Life Is Good - you can get coordinating shirts or hats in the different sizes.

[salsah]

we love stomp rockets for those ages....legos, too.... the stomp rocket box can be a little bit but very light.

i thought of stomp rockets but dh vetoed the idea. he thought i was crazy to buy them for my nephews and niece. even after i told him how much fun the kids had with them, he still isn't convinced. i am hoping that when i give dd the ones that i bought for her, we can show dh just how great they are and he will finally believe me.

[jerigirl]

thanks for posting these links. i was just telling DH that i wanted to look for some of these for dd for an upcoming trip. i think that these would be good for the plane or car.
If you have any Learning Express stores near you they carry them as well. I have used them on car and plane trips with DS. They are great. I just stick the boards and stickers all in a big zipock bag and put them in his carry on or "toy bag". (He has one of the My First ... sets, not sure if the other sets fit in a big ziplock.)

[salsah]

thanks for all the great ideas! off to do some shopping . . .

[salsah]

ack! major miscommunication between dh and i, turns out that the approximately 3 yr old is a boy.

any suggestions for a 3 yr old boy? again, i don't know anything about him, his interests, what he has, etc. looking for something light and compact to fit in a suitcase.

tia!

[swissair81]

i love this thread. My girls are 7 & 3. Now I have such good ideas for them.

[justlearning]

My son LOVED getting arts/crafts types of gifts when he was 3 (and still does at age 4, as does my 7-year-old son). When 3, he really liked Do-a-Dot markers and the books that go with them. When he got closer to 4, he loved doing the Perler beads with big brother but I don't think most 3-year-olds would have the patience. I do think that a Perler beads set would work well for the 7-year-old girl. Most 7-year-olds that I know still like doing them.

ETA that the bead sets with shapes are easier because you just fill in the shapes. The following set is better suited IMO for a 7-year-old because it involves following a pattern (i.e., looking at a paper and seeing which dots to fill in) to make any letter in the alphabet on the square template (thus harder to do). FWIW, my son's 7-year-old female friends like to do this one just as much as he does:

http://www.amazon.com/Perler-Gift-Activity-Kit-Letter-Lingo/dp/B000ZDKK3Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1278043897&sr=8-1