Would prefer it to not be “hair” 'makeup" girlish oriented, but rather something challenging for her mind. I am her Uncle, and would like something maybe aimed at DIY outside of Lego if you know what I mean. Budget is small, maybe 39.99? Can move either way if needed
Advice, much needed as a 36 y/o male with no kids
I disagree. Lego has a replayability and endurance that makes it great value in my opinion. For that price point, there are lots of Lego creator 3-in-1 kits that have a variety of instructions with the same bricks.
Cheaper brands and toys don’t have the same quality, longevity and compatibility.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I completely agree about the replayability of Lego.
I was thinking more in terms of gift impact - to get something that looks great immediately, instead of in hindsight, can cost a fair bit.
The best gift IMO would be just a huge bucket/box of random bricks, to leave it all to the imagination, but for a kid that might not seem very exciting, at least at first.