Gifts for 11 year old girls.

[OldGrannyish]

DD recently had a birthday. One girl gave her a £30 😮book token plus extra bits like face mask and sweets. Another girl gave her a voucher for a cinema ticket (£17)plus sweets, pen. These girls are having a joint party. Three days later another girl (who gave what I'd classify as a reasonable present!) is having a party.

I'm a bit stuck as to what I'd get them. DD doesn't know, whilst she's friends with them, she has completely different interests e.g. she thinks none of them would be interested in a book token. I also feel I can't just get a book token back. I think I need to give them all something similar don't I? And although 30 is really much more than I'd like to spend per child, I can't exactly give a lower value voucher can I?

Is the Body shop still an acceptable voucher gift for this age group? I know one girl is into make up etc, (she'll be 12).
The other, DD's bf, wants either some art stuff, toys or shampoo - so a voucher for the local department store would cover this, or also a cinema voucher so she can go with DD. But is it ok to give kids hosting a joint party wildly different cost gifts? It's not, is it?

Or do I get them each a voucher for the department store. If so, I suppose I have to give 30 for each, I can hardly give one 30, one 20 and one 15 (my usual kids gift max) can I? They are a small group of friends, each invited to each other's party, in the same class and all meet together out of school.

I'd find something nice within your usual budget. You don't have to spend £30 when someone else has. That's a lot of money.

Don’t try and match their gifts for value. They gave what they wanted/ were able and you should do the same. Now they are in secondary I give mine a budget and they decide what to buy for their friends. I give regular school friends £10, and bf £15-20 budget - but that is what I can afford/ chose to give. It could be less. Elder dd has become very good a putting together a bundle of beauty bits (face masks/ bath him a/ lip balms/ jewellery) from Superdrug and sweeties from Poundland - all wrapped separately to make it exciting and then she often makes a card or friendship bracelet to make it more personal. Don’t overthink this and importantly make sure you children feel confident to give what they can not what they feel they should.

Mine is still primary. Two girls are turning 11 and the one who is turning 12 has stayed back a year at some point due to moving/health reasons.

For all you know the £30 book token was an unwanted Christmas gift?

Just stick to your usual budget for each. So £15 in a card or a boots voucher or something.

They won't all open their presents together will they if they are having a party so they don't need to the same value.
It was DD's 11th birthday recently, it looked like most had spent £10/15 which seems plenty.
I wouldn't be spending £30 especially if you don't really know what they'd want. I'd give each £10 Amazon voucher and some sweets but I wouldn't worry about what the kods.or parents think of me/us..

I agree, you don't have to spend £30, just look for something that's within your budget. Cinema voucher sounds good, so do sweet treats or maybe you can find some unusual snacks in a gift box or something similar. If your DD knows their interests or artists they like, could be a birthday collage with pictures related to what they like. We replaced a birthday card for my niece's classmate with one and the girl (13 at the time) loved it