To give 8yos I don't know Amazon/book tokens

[tangerino]

At my daughter's school, people tend to invite the whole class to parties- very kind of them but it means that she goes to quite a few parties of children I don't really know very well.

Is a £10 Amazon or book token a really awful present? I don't usually give people vouchers as it's not v personal but how personal can you be with a stranger?

no, its fine, prob just easier to stick £10 in a card though.

If it were me, and I were giving vouchers to a youngish child, I'd give vouchers for a high street shop so they could have the pleasure of physically going in an choosing their stuff.

Plenty give cash at birthday parties round here (I have DDs of 9&11).

The sentiment is fine btw.

Thank you x

Actually my 8yo would love this. Anything he could use with other birthday money / vouchers to buy something he really wanted lego would be gratefully received. I think it's fine.

I have a child that age. A voucher would be a bit of a pain unless everyone gave the same sort. Some people have moral objections to Amazon so that would put the parents in an awkward position. Similarly iPlayer or other branded vouchers where they might not have that particular device/subscription.

£5 note in the card is something they can understand and get excited about.

My ds was given an amazon voucher for his 8th birthday and was made up with it. He bought a sweat band (?don't ask), new pencil case and a book. My son enjoyed looking at everything and, with my help, working out what he could afford to put in the basket. Most children are grateful for any gift, including vouchers, and I think £10 for a child that you don't know is generous and kind (albeit I understand that it's kind of expected as part of all of these parties that seem to be on every weekend )

YABVVVU to give Amazon tokens - tax cheats cheats that they are

We've always just stuck a £10 note in the card and the kids are very grateful, because they'll normally have something they're saving towards.

But yes, your idea is still fine imo.

Wouldn't you have to pay postage on a £10 Amazon order for most things now? My DS does love shopping on Amazon, but I think cash would be better in case the child is putting their money together to buy a bigger item.

If possible give a Smiggle voucher, they will think you are the best person everrrr!

I also think Amazon vouchers are a great present, but not so much since they got even more grabby with their delivery charges.

I got a $10 voucher for an online only store for my son's last birthday. Cheapest item on the site was $20, plus a $10 delivery charge. So it cost me $20 to get the birthday gift that was given by someone else.

The problem with a voucher is that the parent usually has to add to the gift voucher to buy whatever it is that the child wants. Buy an actual gift, or just put cash in the envelope.

My kids have been given a couple of £10 Waterstones vouchers over the last Christmas and birthday period (they're 6 and 8) and they were ecstatic! Loved choosing their own books together. More ethical than Amazon and you can never have too many books

a national book token is fine - can be spent in any UK bookshop and might encourage them to go to an independent.

not Amazon for obvious reasons.

I think it's fine but I'd either put £10 or a voucher for somewhere like The Entertainer.

If definately do book tokens/waterstones. Book tokens you can spend in any bookshop but it's just on books. Waterstones one's you can get anything in the shop, so if the child loves books - winner, but they also sell Lego

Was DD's 7th birthday at the weekend, and she got £50 in cash from cards given to her by her friends. I was surprised, because it didn't strike me that money in cards was the way to go...

She also got a £10 Amazon voucher which she'll enjoy spending as she got a Kindle.

Book tokens would have been good too.

My kids love money/booktokens/vouchers, they enjoy buying themselves something. I buy book tokens all the time too

My eight year old would hunt you down and hug you if you got him an Amazon voucher. Considering he has ASD and isn't fond of most folks you can take that as bloody high praise :o

I often put cash in a card for children of this age, but that is only because the children I know are very fussy.

I know that I would have loved a voucher at that age though!

I always tried to avoid cash/vouchers but I think it gets increasingly hard to find something suitable for older children that isn't too expensive. My DC love getting some money to spend and when I give it as a gift, it's usually £5 in a card plus some sweets/chocolate and perhaps a small token gift, eg Pokemon or match attacks cards (if the child collects them).

DD was given an Amazon voucher this year and she loved choosing books for her Kindle with it.