Take them to a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, followed by a carving party.
Give 'em each a rescue kitten.
Great!
Ideas for next time (fall in PA):
Easy hike at local park
Leaf peeping drive through the countryside including a stop for ice cream
Kite flying (may be too boring for the 10yr old, I was just discussing doing the same with my 7yr old nephew)
Local fall festival - there are lots of them in my area the next few weekends
“What exactly are you doing with your can of silly string?” She asked with a concerned tone.
I love the kite flying–not too boring for the older kid, I don’t think. If you know your stuff re nature and classifications, a nature walk where they get acorns etc and then put them in some kind of display format, properly labeled is fun too (ok, I’m a nerd).
Now that you know them a bit, you can give more meaningful gifts. That said, I think the gift of your time is still the most valuable. How about you all make cookies together? Give the older one the oven stuff (do I really have to include the supervision etc here or can we all assume that we’re responsible adults and it goes w/o saying). Make 2 batches–each girl picks a recipe. It’s a nice way to spend a weekend afternoon. Maybe closer to Xmas, you can do this with Xmas cookies (if you celebrate Xmas that is… sorry! :smack: )
I like silly things for kids–dueling knights are always fun.
knights
But they’re not cheap. I like to get kids stuff like that. Not merchandized, marketed like mad stuff.
how about decorate their own T shirts/purses as a project? Not a kit, but you buy the Tshirts and the fabric paints and let 'em loose. You do one, too, to make it more fun for them.
I wish I was an aunt before I became a mom–I think I would have loved it.
Visit the Klutz Books site and see all the activity books they have. Many are sold in craft stores like Michael’s and most are suitable for a range of ages. For many, you wouldn’t have to buy the book, just use the idea and get something from the library for things like Mame mentioned (origami, friendship bracelets). My nieces are 14 and 7 and they both love Klutz books.
I’m sure this is far too late but for future reference: Webkinz. They’re small stuffed animals (the size of Beanie Babies) which come with a code that you can use to access a website and play games etc. Check first to make sure both kids have access to a computer first, of course.
They’re slightly out of the price range (14-15 dollars each, though there are smaller “MiniKinz” that are more like 12). But they are wildly popular among Moon Unit’s age group (11) and under.