Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Got scammed, now have £100 for daughters birthday, help!

59 replies

Chocolateemergency · 28/05/2021 20:34

My daughters 1st birthday is next week and we decided instead of wasting money on a proper party we’d invite all her cousins round for a small gathering in the garden.

We also decided to buy one of them pikler sets as her present so it would last her a number of years and it would be good for all the children to play with at the gathering.

Unfortunately it seems like I’ve been scammed and it’s not actually going to arrive. I’ve raised a dispute with Etsy and am waiting a resolution but in case I can’t get the money back we cannot afford to spend anymore than £100 on something else.

So wise people of mumsnet what would you buy as a present for a one year old that would be able to keep a number of children up to 3 years old entertained for a few hours?

OP posts:
MadMadMadamMim · 28/05/2021 22:48

I've never spent £100 on a birthday present for any of my kids - and at 1 she won't know whether you've bought a present or not! Honestly, she'll be happy with some bubbles and water to play with.

FiddlefigOnTheRoof · 28/05/2021 22:49

Spend £60 on a present

Spend £40 on balloons, face paint, some poundshop toys and plastic medals or sweets for prizes. Then make pass the parcel (use newspapers or old wrapping), musical statues with prizes, and research party games. done.

That play frame thing would never have entertained a load of children for more than 15 minutes in my experience.

Lavender201 · 28/05/2021 22:50

I read the title thinking “god, £100 is plenty for a child’s birthday”, thinking of an older child. A 1 year old!? She’s 1! She has no idea what’s happening. Buy her a noisy book, a wooden puzzle and a toy of a tv character she likes. Other people will presumably buy her presents too.

For the party have a picnic in the park with a birthday cake, buy a bubble wand from Poundland and bring a ball. They’ll have a lovely time.

SleepingStandingUp · 28/05/2021 22:50

Buy her something to unwrap - a teddy, a book, some bubbles etc. Then pursue your complaint with Etsy and once it's sorted just get the pickle from somewhere else. It won't matter if it's a month late, it's for her not the party

For the party, couple of little prizes and some sweets wrapped up for pass the parcel. Bubbles. Get everyone to bring a cuddly toy and do a teddy bears picnic with her new teddy. Get some soft outdoor balls. They'll love it

BackforGood · 28/05/2021 22:54

Like everyone else, you don't even need £100 to spend on either a party or a present.
If the thing you were ordering is like the thing pictured, then it wouldn't entertain a number of children anyway - so it won't be missed in that case, as you'd either just let them play, or be providing other entertainment (don't know how old the cousins are).
There is no need to get a 1 yr old anything, but if you feel you need ot - for your own feelings - it really won't matter that it doesn't arrive on her birthday.
She won't be interested in presents, but presumably her cousins will each bring her something.

Original poster
Chocolateemergency · 28/05/2021 22:54

I’m sure Etsy will resolve the issue, they are usually pretty good but we can’t risk spending more until we know for sure. I paid through PayPal so again I’m confident it’ll be fine but would be silly to take the risk.

We’ll be getting the paddling pool out but I don’t want to rely on that as the main entertainment and then it not be warm enough. Your suggestions for the sandpit got me thinking though, we have a tuff tray so could always get some sand and fill that up. Maybe get some “treasure” they can discover.

OP posts:
PASStheCAKEandCHOC · 28/05/2021 22:55

I have spent similar in fact more but that's my choice and I've always got things to last
But until its resolved, what about a sand and water table. Don't need entertainment just some treat foods.. Even if just pizza, nuggets and cakes etc.
Do you have a garden..
Chepa bits in pound shop. They do a hook a duck. You could put in a bowl. Of water. Buy a set each.
Plastic footballs.
Frisbee.
All that sort of stuff will entertain them.
Asda have loads of cheap stuff too.

purplebagladylovesgin · 28/05/2021 22:57

@SleepingStandingUp

Buy her something to unwrap - a teddy, a book, some bubbles etc. Then pursue your complaint with Etsy and once it's sorted just get the pickle from somewhere else. It won't matter if it's a month late, it's for her not the party

For the party, couple of little prizes and some sweets wrapped up for pass the parcel. Bubbles. Get everyone to bring a cuddly toy and do a teddy bears picnic with her new teddy. Get some soft outdoor balls. They'll love it

We did this once about 20 years ago and the children absolutely loved it.

I did tiny picnic items for the teddies. Sandwiches cut out with mini cutters and tiny petit fours wrappers to make mini cup cakes. Ask mums if they have picnic blankets they can bring.

Then afterwards do pass the parcel with teddies, then musical teddies, lots of bubbles and balloons to bop about.

Icing cup cakes is always an inexpensive popular activity. If you can get some rice paper teddies for them to stick on even better.

RJnomore1 · 28/05/2021 22:57

£100 is masses for a one year old who doesn’t know what’s going on.

I’d agree focus on the party fun and the present comes next. A sandpit is a great idea my to had loads of fun from theirs.

PASStheCAKEandCHOC · 28/05/2021 22:57

Google. Tuff tray ideas.
Weve dyed rice before and buried stuff. (food coloring rice a vinegar., stinks at 1st but then it's fine)
Again done the hook a duck on it.
Made a pirate Island with sand etc

thequeenoftarts · 28/05/2021 22:57

If you made the payment by debit card it is protected under the chargeback scheme that the banks operate. You email the seller asking for your money back or you will be instigating a chargeback through your bank.
After 15 working days when no refund is given, you send off the email along with paperwork to your bank ( its usually on their website) and your bank refunds you

Hope it helps you to get your money back x

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 28/05/2021 23:01

A pup up tunnel and some cardboard boxes

Arbadacarba · 28/05/2021 23:03

I paid through PayPal

That's good - bear in mind there's a time limit of 180 days from transaction on PayPal claims - hopefully Etsy will refund you long before then, but keep it in mind just in case.

SpiderinaWingMirror · 28/05/2021 23:04

Little Tikes rocking horse. 30 quids.bought for my eldest for her first xmas in 1996 and used on and until 2017 (had big age gaps between my dc)when it was gifted to next door neighbour

ExitChasedByABee · 28/05/2021 23:06

@Chocolateemergency Op, sorry if I missed it, but how old is your daughter?

EarringsandLipstick · 28/05/2021 23:06

I think the OP's dilemma is that the climbing frame was meant to double as the party entertainment.

This is daft. Birthday child is 1. Other children also v small.

No party 'entertainment' needed other than the aforementioned bubbles, if even.

SleepingStandingUp · 28/05/2021 23:10

@Chocolateemergency

I’m sure Etsy will resolve the issue, they are usually pretty good but we can’t risk spending more until we know for sure. I paid through PayPal so again I’m confident it’ll be fine but would be silly to take the risk.

We’ll be getting the paddling pool out but I don’t want to rely on that as the main entertainment and then it not be warm enough. Your suggestions for the sandpit got me thinking though, we have a tuff tray so could always get some sand and fill that up. Maybe get some “treasure” they can discover.

If you have a Poundland nearby they do the play sand that you can actually build with rather than the super fine soft dry sand. It works much better
MinnieJackson · 29/05/2021 00:03

Oh yeah my kids love kinetic sand. You could set up mini station's maybe? Decorate a digestive biscuit with squeezy icing is really cheap. Freeze some plastic animals into some blocks of ice with glitter?

AlwaysLatte · 29/05/2021 00:08

A fun thing we did once during one of our children's birthday parties was to buy a roll of lining paper and some safe paints, and we rolled out the paper all the way across the lawn, they had so much fun (warn the parents in advance not to send them in pristine party gear). Ditto bubble machine. Enjoy the days that £100 covers LOTS of great part ideas!

AlwaysLatte · 29/05/2021 00:11

Maybe check with other parents about the balloons though. Some are traumatised by the pops so best avoided if so! My son used to like biting them with his teeth but we couldn't have them if his cousin came as he we was terrified of balloons.

Custardo · 29/05/2021 00:18

she wont know as most people have said - so in essence this is about you - how you feel.

if you wrapped up a £1 teddy from poundland she would be chuffed - im telling you get packet of chalks and let her colour on the pavement. a packet of balloons - plenty of fun.

sorry you were scammed though

in terms of a party - pass the parcel wrap up sweets, musical chairs - again wrap up sweets, balloons balloons balloons kids love em, ...just food with sugar in it ...kids will be fine, tell your friends and family presnet is in the post didnt arrive on time

Kinsters · 29/05/2021 03:50

How about some plastic eggs and fill them with little things like stickers, plastic animals, sweets and do a treasure hunt for the bigger ones. They'll have fun finding them, opening them and then playing with the little toys inside. I agree with others who've said balls and bubbles.

I understand wanting to get your daughter something good for her first birthday though, it sucks that it hasn't worked out.

DownWhichOfLate · 29/05/2021 07:40

Have skim read so may have been suggested already: freeze some toy dinosaurs in a big tray of ice and let the children pour warm water on to set them free. Hours of strange entertainment.