Kids birthday present

[Fantastic4]

Do you have a standard present you give for a kids birthday party you don't really know?

 

[smitch425]

Do you have a standard present you give for a kids birthday party you don't really know?

No. When I RSVP for a child's party, I ask the parent if they have any suggestions, and I always give the gift receipt with the gift.

 

[Marionnette]

Do you have a standard present you give for a kids birthday party you don't really know?

If my kids didn't know the birthday child well enough to suggest something, then they didn't go to the party. There were no "go to" gifts. Each child was given something that my own child picked out (within budget).

 

[kymom99]

There was a thread about a kid who pulled a prank on another kid at his birthday party. People on that thread were shocked that the child got a $10 gift card. Well, here where I live, that is about what I would spend on a young child who wasn't a close friend or relative. I have bought small lego kits and those little electronic games like 20 questions, etc. My son has a friend who used to like transformers and those types of things and all the kids who came to his party bought those for him. Again, around $10-$15.

So it depends on if it is a boy or a girl, but some thinsg can be fine for either. You could even stock up before Christmas when they have good sales, although my son always liked to pick out a gift himself.

 

[wallawallakids]

It sort of depends on the age. For a younger child that I do not know well, I usually go for art supplies. Paper, paints, crayons, markers, glitter, stickers etc. I always figure with young kids you can't have enough of that sort of stuff and it can be a very affordable gift. For $14 you can get a whole big bag/box worth.

 

[Patience]

For my daughter's classmates (first graders), I tend to buy Legos or Hot Wheels for the boys and Barbie stuff or art kits for the girls. However, Beanie Boos are really popular among the girls in her class right now and the last two parties, that's what we gave (a big one). She is invited to a lot of birthday parties so I try to stock up on things like this when they are on sale.

 

[wiigirl]

Depends on the age. Usually something thats $20 thats popular at the time.

For older kids (10+) I ususally do a Target gift card in a puzzle box:

 

[descovy]

My girls are getting a little too old for "toys" gifts at parties (age 9, 11, & 14) Basically if a friend is into "Harry Potter" for example, she already has what we can afford.

At my daughter's last birthday, her friend gave her a homemade card and a $20 bill. OMG that was the *perfect* gift. No gift card to keep track of. What 13yo doesn't want $20? They can put it towards something big.

That's what I'm going to start doing now (at this age)

My kid will make a nice card. I will pitch in a $20 bill.

 

[wuzzles]

I've started doing 2 movie tickets wrapped with a theater size box of candy. I buy the multi packs through AAA and just break them up. It's cheaper and I don't have to run out each time a party comes up.

 

[wuzzles]

Oh and if you find your kids getting invited to a few too many birthdays for your liking may I recommend gifting some of these?

http://www.amazon.com/Glitter-Assor...e=UTF8&qid=1390605345&sr=8-2&keywords=glitter

Be sure to loosen the caps before wrapping. After the first party or two word will get around and the invitations will stop

 

[Gumbo4x4]

There was a thread about a kid who pulled a prank on another kid at his birthday party. People on that thread were shocked that the child got a $10 gift card. Well, here where I live, that is about what I would spend on a young child who wasn't a close friend or relative. I have bought small lego kits and those little electronic games like 20 questions, etc. My son has a friend who used to like transformers and those types of things and all the kids who came to his party bought those for him. Again, around $10-$15.

So it depends on if it is a boy or a girl, but some thinsg can be fine for either. You could even stock up before Christmas when they have good sales, although my son always liked to pick out a gift himself.

That would be what we do unless we have a suggestion.

 

[kirstenb1]

We usually choose soemthing in the $20 range. I know you didn't ask how much, but we just go and choose something that dd thinks the child will like, and there isn't really a standard "go-to" gift, or if there is, I haven't stumbled upon it yet.

 

[AverageDiser]

We go to the Dollar Store and get one of the large popcorn buckets and a few boxes of the theater sized candy, then get microwave popcorn at the grocery and add a Redbox gift card. Usually both the kids and parents love it, and it's good for any age. (We bundle it all in the popcorn bucket so it's like a gift basket.)

 

[Fantastic4]

Thanks for the awesome ideas. I ended up finding a fun 3 in 1 lego set for $5. I'm going to start collecting some of your ideas to have on hand though.

 

[disneychrista]

If my kids didn't know the birthday child well enough to suggest something, then they didn't go to the party.

This!

 

[okeydokey]

My kids are 13 and 16 now. We usually do cash in an envelope.

 

[pixiewings71]

Oh and if you find your kids getting invited to a few too many birthdays for your liking may I recommend gifting some of these?

http://www.amazon.com/Glitter-Assor...e=UTF8&qid=1390605345&sr=8-2&keywords=glitter

Be sure to loosen the caps before wrapping. After the first party or two word will get around and the invitations will stop

if your child is getting too many invites just say no.

We give something that our kids have picked out, our budget amount is $20 or under.

 

[ldo]

I have 3 tweens/teens and try to keep a $20 target gift card and a $10 I tunes card on hand. I also buy a few smaller gifts on sale (apples to apples to go, etc.). So, I can either give a $10 card, or a smaller game with a $10 ITunes, or the $20 Target--so no running to the store--sometimes we get last minute invites from busy parents who "last minute" a Bday party--and the stores are across town for me. Plus, I always have a giftcard to pop in the mail for nieces, etc.
.

 

[PHXscuba]

For my older-elemntary kids, if they can't decide on an idea, we've done beach towels wrapped around a water bottle (this is Arizona and everyone needs another towel and water bottle in the summer).

My daughters have bought purses or small totes and filled them with a bag of individually-wrapped candy or some hair accessories.

We've also done the gift card attached to movie candy boxes, or craft supplies.

It's not always that my kids don't know what their friends like, it's that the choices get too overwhelming. And even if you know a boy likes Legos, which ones doesn't he have? I don't even know exactly which ones my own son has!

PHXscuba

 

[pjlla]

A goldfish or beta fish in a bowl. If you buy the bowl used (the GW is usually over run with them) you can usually do this for under $10, including good. I usually get it a few days ahead of time so that I can get the fish into its water properly and all that. Then on the day of the party I lower the water level in the bowl a bit, cover it tightly with cling wrap and tie a ribbon around it. I place it carefully in a large (recycled) gift bag along with the card and a small container of fish food. It has been a hit...............P