10 Activities to Help a 9-Year-Old Girl Grow and Thrive

Age nine is a fantastic time for girls to explore new interests, develop skills, and express themselves in creative ways. Here are 10 exciting and easy-to-implement ideas to support your daughter’s growth and development.

📝 1. Journaling or Blogging

If your daughter loves to write or share her thoughts, encourage her to start a journal or even a blog. It’s a great way to boost creativity, improve writing skills, and practice self-expression.
She can write about her daily life, hobbies, or dreams—whatever inspires her! If she’s interested in blogging, consider setting up a private or anonymous one (with a quick refresher on online safety, of course).

👚 2. DIY Fashion Studio

Nine is the age when many girls start experimenting with their personal style. Instead of just shopping for new clothes, why not encourage her to design her own? She can decorate her backpack with trendy patches, create fun hair accessories, or even sew outfits for her dolls. Let her inner designer shine!

🪴 3. Gardening Adventures

Taking care of plants teaches responsibility, patience, and even empathy. Help her create a small indoor garden with potted plants or a windowsill herb garden. Watching her plants grow will give her a sense of accomplishment—and bonus, you might get some fresh basil for dinner!

🎨 4. Art Therapy

Encourage your daughter to use art as a way to express her emotions. With the onset of puberty, comes a new challenge for emotional awareness and regulation. Whether it’s painting, sculpting, or making collages, art is a wonderful tool for self-discovery. Sometimes, colors and shapes can say more than words ever could.

💠 5. Mosaic and Stained Glass Crafts

If your tween girl enjoys hands-on projects, introduce her to mosaic art or DIY stained glass. Working with colorful glass or ceramic pieces helps develop patience and attention to detail—and she’ll end up with a beautiful handmade decoration to proudly display.

🎭 6. Shadow Theater

Girls at this age love storytelling and magic and a shadow theater combines both! With a flashlight, paper cutouts, and a little imagination, she can create her own plays and bring fairy tales to life. It’s even more fun if the whole family joins in!

💌 7. Postcard Exchange (Postcrossing)

Teach your daughter about the joy of sending and receiving real mail through Postcrossing, a global postcard exchange program. She’ll get to send postcards to people around the world and receive meaningful connections in return. It’s a fun way to improve writing skills, learn about different cultures, and experience the excitement of finding something special in the mailbox.

📚 8. Books That Spark Imagination

A love of reading is a life-long gift. Encourage your daughter’s love for reading with adventure-filled books that expand her worldview. Classics like Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables, or The Secret Garden are great picks. Discussing the stories together can help develop her critical thinking skills as well as emotional intelligence.

🤝 9. Volunteering with a Purpose

Volunteering teaches compassion and responsibility. Whether it’s helping at an animal shelter, participating in a tree-planting event, or making cards for seniors, small acts of kindness can make a big impact—not just on the world, but on her heart as well.

🍳 10. Cooking Like a Pro

Cooking isn’t just about making food—it’s about creativity, following directions, and experimenting with flavors. Try baking cookies together, making homemade pizza, or exploring different international dishes. Not only will she learn valuable life skills, but you’ll also create wonderful memories (and delicious treats!).

Helping your tween daughter explore new interests and develop confidence doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right mix of creativity, curiosity, and fun, you can turn everyday moments into opportunities for growth—physically, intellectually, socially, and emotionally. These and similar activities offer her an avenue to thrive, both now and in the future!

References:

1. Your Child’s Development From 6 to 12 Years. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
2. How to Promote Cognitive Development: 23 Activities & Games. PositivePsychology
3. MacDonald, F. (2016). Childhood and Tween Girl Culture. London, UK: Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
4. Bulimwengu, A. S., & Cartmel, J. (2022). The tween years: A systematic literature review for services for children aged 10–13 years. Heliyon, 8(1)

Cover image: Mihalovna/Shutterstock