How to give money as Christmas presents?

[BlackLantern]

Usually amazing at giving Christmas presents, really take the time to plan and pick things. Will have a newborn. So thinking about just giving cash for ease.
What age from is suitable for a child to get cash and will understand/be excited and not disappointed? 2/4/6years? I’m thinking still need a gift for the 2 year old, how about the 4?

How do you wrap it so it’s not just a card and is still a thing to unwrap under the tree? Add to a selection box? Empty box weighted with beans? Help!

You can get money cards, where you slip the money into the card. Can you ask parents of DC to get you presents then you will pay them. Failing that, definitely add a selection box or small toy/game to money.

Give the cash to the parents in a card and give the child a small gift like a couple of Hot Wheels cars or whatever they are into.
Children are usually happiest with small collectable toys.

Thanks, I don’t really want to make more effort for the parents buying things. Maybe I’ll ask what they’d like. Don’t really want to do something in a card as would still like something to wrap, even if just chocolate

@BlackLantern I meant it as give cash to the parents and they can put it in the children's bank accounts.
They don't need to use it to buy a present.

I know that’s easiest, but I still wan the children to know we’ve thought of them and have something tangible to unwrap/read a gift tag etc

Just give them something small - a book and something like a Hot Wheels car, packet of Pokémon cards, My Little Pony (or whatever they are into obviously 🙂) and a chocolate santa.

Cash is absolutely fine for all them ages. I appreciate people gifting money as they can save it for later in the year to buy something they want, they get loads at Christmas from Santa. Wrap it up with a book or some chocolates, or put it inside a cracker.

Get some money cards. They are like little wallets. Add a selection box and that is fine. Children get so many presents at Xmas. Tell parents to buy them a gift from you in summer.

The last few times I've given cash as a gift I've bought a money box for it (as in a piggy bank but to the theme of what the gift was for).

For a wedding I bought a wedding car pottery one from Amazon and another one was a birthday Winnie the Pooh one from card factory.

Just make sure they know to look inside 

I’m not sure how the effort of buying and wrapping a small token gift to give with money is any easier than buying a gift? Not being picky or nasty, but if you’re not a “cash in a card type” then just buy and wrap the gifts now before baby is here?

Book tokens! They can be spent at any bookshop and are more of a thoughtful gift than straight cash IMO.

Just do as you said, cash in a card.
If you feel you need to give something else, tape the envelope to a selection box... no need to wrap.

As for ages, depends on the child but 5-6 should be fine. They'll understand that they can go shop and buy something.

If I put cash in a card I put it in a Christmas card wishjng the person a happy Christmas and tape the card to the token gift.

I think it would probably be just as easy if you ask the parents"can you suggest something I can order online for niece around £25" (or whatever your budget is.

If they live far from you and you won't see them before Christmas order it for delivery to their house or another relative close by. Ask if they would mind wrapping it from you under the circumstances.

I've done origami cubes to put money in.

You can also get a jam jar and put money in with tinsel. Or you could use smarties or whatever.

Or, why not buy a purse / wallet as the present with the cash in?

Things like this https://littlebearstudios.co.uk/products/personalised-happy-birthday-money-holder-gift

You can also get keyrings with a, well it looks like a bullet. It might be a bit tricky for a very small child.

You could also give a money box.

I wouldn't send cash at all, as it's easily misplaced during the Xmas excitement and mess.

Token gift for the recipient - Lindt chocolate reindeer or a bag of shiny chocolate coins - and a card. Money transfer straight to parent's bank for distribution or spending.

Amazon everything and get it delivered to them. Cut yourself some slack, your friends and family certainly will. Having a newborn is hard!

My kids love opening a Christmas card and finding some cash. I wouldn't feel the need to do anything fancy with it - money in a card is fine. But for the very young ones I'd just get them a toy.

I agree with this. I think better either to just stick cash in a card (or do a bank transfer and say so) and accept it’s not that exciting to unwrap, or just buy your gifts now. Doing something like an empty box weighted with beans seems the worst of all worlds- a faff for you and the child will then think they’re getting a gift and open it to find it’s just cash which I think will just be confusing at that age.

Selection box idea is ok as at least kids like selection boxes.

Just order something now, get them wrapped and then you're ready to go at Christmas.

We do bank transfers for our GC and produce personalised dummy cheques for them ‘from the bank of grandma and poppa’. We pop these in a card. The money goes into their own bank accounts. We do the same for birthdays. Even their parents admit they don’t need presents anymore (teenagers).

I had a newborn last Christmas - I bought and wrapped all Christmas presents for children in November and put them in cupboard. This might be an option?

if not I’d go gift cards. To be honest 2 year old is less likely to notice. But I kind of this they’re the magic age for gift buying so is it worth making an exception for kids?

Kids in my family get lots of presents and don't notice one more or less. Age dependent but started with giving parents envelopes with cash so they could save/help children buy something/ dole out as appropriate, kids got chocolate money/selection box/ chocolate reindeer poo to unwrap then when a little older parents still given envelope but kids also got some wrapped pound coins.

If the children get loads of presents, cash and a small thing to unwrap is fine. If they don't get a lot I would try to get them something nice.

I'd buy piggy banks and give them the cash gift in coin form- either £1 or £2 coins, stuck to the card. The kids can then enjoy adding the money to their piggy banks.

I used to tape a note to a chocolate bar