Child birthday party gift etiquette

[RebeccaDWinter]

My LO has been invited to their first ever birthday party (bar family). What is the etiquette around gift buying - is there a ‘usual spend’£ for these types of things? There was no info re:gifts on the invite but we would still like to get something for the birthday girl.

Does anyone have any ideas of what to get a 4 year old girl in these circumstances? Book/jewellery/puzzle/something more flash?

Im new to all this and have no idea what is expected. I don’t want to go overboard nor disappoint 🙈 any help is very appreciated.

I usually spend about £10 plus a card. If I'm close with them then it goes up.
I tend to text the parent asking what stuff they're into.

£10-20 depending on how much you like them and what you can afford.

all good ideas - I wouldn’t go too flash, they can be overwhelmed with stuff. Jewellery making kits went down v well over here - GALT do some really good value ones. Stationery kits / other crafts etc

Tenner in a card is standard round here.

I used to spend a tenner at this sort of age, craft kit, book, sylvanian set (the little individual figures with their props were about £10), board game, toy that was the favourite of my dcs at the time…
This was about 15 years ago, not sure how far that tenner would go on those things now!

Sticker Dolly Dressing is my go to present for this age.

I would say £10 max and don't be afraid to spend less if you find a great idea! If your child knows what characters they like you can get a themed activity book/colouring set, maybe some play dough. A book is also great or a ball, think what the child will like rather than the price! Or get your child to choose it.

Busy books are great for this age. Lots of different character ones if you know what the child is into.

£5-£10 gift or money in a card. Nothing big, and ideally either something “consumable” that will be used up so that you don’t contribute to post-birthday clutter, or something useful or practical. Rainbiw bath bombs, bath crayons, bubble bath, colouring books, crayons, pens, stationary, water bottle, lunchbox/bag, gym bag…

I would avoid craft kits/stationary as we always seemed to get loads! Try to avoid what everyone else normally buys. Books are always well received at that age. Budget £10 sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on how friendly the children are. I always tried to get something useful, some are season dependent:
T-shirt/playsuit
Pjs
Lunch box/ drinks bottle
Hair accessories
Swimming costume
Beach towel with character on
Hat/scarf/gloves set
Personalised gift from Etsy
Have a look in TK Maxx and the sales, we used to buy a few things in when we found them reduced.

I'd usually spend about £10.
Orchard Toys do some great games. We often give Lego - I keep an eye out for multi buys and clubcard deals.
Smelly pens
DS loved the big bag of sweets a girl in his class gave him.
Bead and bracelet sets
Jigsaws

Up to £10. If I didn't know them well, something consumable - crafts, stationery etc. of a book with some sweets.

£10 and I'd buy a sticker dolly book as already suggested, play doh, galt craft set or an easy baker Ross craft set.

I have two girls and although we are of course so greatful and don't expect gifts, crafty things always get put on a shelf and not really used. Or used and they are crap. Painting money boxes, make your own bathbombs are the worst !

My DD absolutely loves those! She's forever planning which one she'd like next.

The norm is £10-£15, very occasionally you get people that spend £20. At 4 you usually get craft sets or orchard games unless you know what they’re into.

@UncleBryn and @marrybarry so interesting you would avoid craft and we would def choose. Entertains for ages and can also be got rid of and not add to the toy clutter.
Just shows, ideally you know the kid / family you’re buying for!

£7-10 here usually for that age - small Lego kit, Playmobil kit, game, books, puzzle, mini bag or purse, battery-powered nightlight, stationery, etc. always goes down well. Little girls love those TY Beanie soft toys and especially the keyrings (which you can often get cheaply in sales around this time of year, eg. in Claire’s). Bath bombs or bath bomb kits often go down well, but maybe more in the 6+ range. I used to stock up on good kid presents when I saw things in sale in eg. Rex London (for example, trinkets, mini nightlights, puzzles etc.)

If you have a Flying Tiger store near you, they are perfect for stuff for that age! Or National Trust shops are great for fun kids’ activity items. The Entertainer has loads of Ty Beanies, Sylvanians, toy and craft kits etc.

£10 for a friend £15 for a best friend. Agree with other poster that you get a lot of craft kits- they are great for a rainy day though!

some of the best presents DD has received have been:

a small Lego set
a bunch of hair accessories in her school colour
a fancy water bottle
a Julia Donaldson book (singing mermaid)

I always buy a kids magazine and a kinder egg. That way the magazine can go in recycling when done so not cluttering up the house, and the kids are generally overjoyed because its not often parents buy them. They are about £5-£8 which is outrageous for what they are but a good gift i think.

These are the Ty Beanie keyrings little girls love putting on their bags, rucksacks etc:
https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/fashion-and-dolls/ty-beanie-boo/ty-beanie-boo-clips-assorted-8cm/p/138303

I used to get one plus something else like a book or colouring kit, puzzle etc. A 4 y o might like the slightly bigger ones:

https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/fashion-and-dolls/ty-beanie-boo/ty-15cm-beanie-boo-soft-toy-assortment/p/105319

Some of them are a bit hideous, but trust me, the more garish the better - nothing does a little girl like more than a sparkly hot pink narwhal toy covered in gold glitter 😂

This. Parents seem to be so judgemental on what their kids are bought at that age. I don’t really give a shit about what the parent thinks, I want the child to unwrap my present with a smile on their face. Given that they’re friends with my child and they’re generally going to be into similar things, I just tell my child to pick something they’d like. Though be prepared to buy to to stop the tantrums 😂

Every one of my kids would have been devastated to receive school hair bobbles, a water bottle and a reading book over a craft activity. What crafts are your kid being bought??

Argos 2 for £15 and keep one for the next party?

Gifts well received here were

Lol dolls
Sticker or activity books
Barbie. Usually £10 in Sainsburys
Squishmellows
Washimals
Pens and crayons

Really? My DD absolutely loves to read so a new book is one of the best presents. Having the latest water bottle is a big thing at her school (usually smiggle or something that has a lid that pops up and lasts for about a week) and she’s very into hair accessories that she can show off at school. Like I said, the craft kits are great and she likes them but she doesn’t need 30 of them like she got last year!

Do not buy those craft kits that come with a billion tiny gemstones! Especially aged 4

😬

Or bathbomb maker kits -: they're still in the cupboard