Present or no present at this party?

[hidinginthenightgarden]

DD is attending a party this weekend. First since xmas and it is a joint party for 2/3 kids. There is a note saying no present necessary but if you want to gift, please make it unisex so they can share between the kids.
All sounds great. Thing is, I can't decide whether to take one!
As a parent I would hate for my kids to be receiving another pile of presents just after xmas and I am struggling for unisex ideas other than books which won't excite the children all that much. (Bit beyond colouring books and playdough).
Going with no present seems very unbritish!
What would you do?

I'd bet a book. Lots of stories/series unisex & well in your budget, easy to wrap too. If they wanted they could all take a turn to have it & read it.

That's a pretty strange idea. What if they receive 10 presents? how do they split that between 3?

I'd go for a card game.

If the timing and ages weren't off I would think this might be my son's party! He's having a joint party with two friends in a couple of weeks - they all turned 5 over the Christmas break. We wrote the same thing on invitations. Honestly I don't think we will notice whether they get gifts or not from each attendee and we're really not fussed. But if your child is particular friends with the birthday children they might want to pick something out? Books are always welcome in my experience.

I would definitely buy 3 cards and a fiver each! Someone suggested that above and i think its reasonable.

X

I'd stick £3 into each card!

OlaEliza - I don't know but its too much faff to do money seems as none of the machines give £5 notes round here and over budget anyway to spend £15 on a party, especially as there is another next weekend.

@RachelElenR I really would be the height of gossip!

A voucher for an ice cream trip to a local ice cream shop?

OP why would it be too much faff to get £5 notes?
Just ask for cash back in the form of fivers in the supermarket? Surely that's a hell of a lot less faff than choosing, buying, wrapping 3 low-cost gifts.

I’d take a gift for all three, colouring or activity book and pens or similar. I’d assume it’s not the children who have asked for no gifts so would ignore the request or assume it means they want cash which I don’t gift.

Holly that would mean I would have to go to the supermarket and buy something in order to get cashback. I have cards at home so don't need to buy them.

I would put £5 in a card for each child.

£1 over budget,but: www.argos.co.uk/product/6984333

Plus you can buy two and stash one for the next party... making the gifts £7.50 each

Stick a tenner (or even £5) in a single card with happy birthday on the front.

Cheds thanks for that. DD wasn't impressed but chose something else from the offer.

I'm going to see what sainsburys have in.

that would mean I would have to go to the supermarket and buy something in order to get cashback. I have cards at home so don't need to buy them.

If you are going to Sainsbury’s anyway, as you have said above, that is a supermarket and will give you cashback in £5 notes.

God they have not made it easy for themselves and saying that my kids birthday party was three days before Christmas I didn’t want to get 30 presents but it’s not fair on the child to stop people from bringing them for him it’s his birthday

over budget anyway to spend £15 on a party, especially as there is another next weekend.

If they'd had single parties would you have been spending 8-10 pounds each on a present? If so then you are actually saving money. Take £20 out of ATM, buy something small and ask for 3 x £5 notes back in your change. That's what I do. We always just give each child a fiver, regardless of how many are sharing the party.

@2020BetterBeBetter I’m going in to buy the toy. I’m not going to go and buy something I don’t need in order to then get cash back.
@Drum2018 no I wouldn’t. We couldn’t afford to go to 4 parties in a month so would have to tell Dd to pick 2 to go to.

I’ve reserved a toy now and sent DH to get it. All sorted!