Panic - no gifts for 3 year old DGD

[Notthatmouseiain]

Ahhh so in a list minute change of plans we are going to be seeing DS, DIL and DGD on Monday. Initially we weren't going to be seeing them at all until January but a change of plans means they are actually going to make the trip to see us on Monday.
Issue is we have no gifts at all for DGD right now. DGD is 3 years old.
We have spent around £100-£125 on the other grandchildren and would like to keep it even. Since we weren't going to see her until mid January I was planning to sort her gifts after Christmas to ease the Christmas pressure as we have 6 grandchildren and it's a lot to think about.

DGD loves ballet, it's her favourite thing in the world, all she talks about is going to ballet class, or she is twirling around in the living room. Toy wise she already has a lot of things.

What can we get DGD before Monday, really has to be next day delivery on Amazon or easily available somewhere like Waterstones/Smyths.

I was looking at the story orchestra books but DIL has already bought them.

Any and all ideas appreciated

Music jewellery box with dancing ballerina from amazon. It’s one of my grandaughters presents and is really nice. Came the next day

Hope you got your gifts bought OP.
I absolutely love the suggestions! They are the cutest little girl things! Now, all I need to do is get my DGodD interested in ballet so I can get some of these for her 😂

Maybe a tutu or a book, leotard, and make a little voucher for her saying you are going to pay for some bullet classes. This allows time to spread cost into jn as you say they can find a place and you will book a few to see how she likes them.

I've got my 3yo a toddler digital camera. They're simple enough that they can use them independently and we get to see the world through his eyes. Amazon has a few around the £20 mark.

Ballerina Barbie?

Sparkly tutu? Not sure...I had to quit ballet due to health reasons, and never got past a black leotard, I would have liked a pink costume even if just to wear at home.
Probably a silly idea though.
A book about a ballerina that is supposed to be good called Ballet Shoes.
A build your own bear. She can put ballet clothes on it.

Horribly boring for a toddler. I would get her a nutcracker costume and there is a really cute movie Ballerina but maybe she’s already seen it

You're going to spend £100-£125 on a 3 year-old?!

Ella Bella books - beautiful.

@MsAmerica Why not? Plenty will spend far more. A Barbie dream house alone will set you back more.

I’d do build a bear voucher, tutu skirt with wand and wings, some hair clips and bobbles and bath bubbles to open, a couple of ‘mess free colouring’ crayola sets and a kinetic sand set. All useful and if she already has them then it’s fine as you can’t have too many clips colouring sand etc

I’d get an experience ticket

That's your argument? That others are worse? Why anyone would buy a Barbie house, or anything wildly expensive, for a small child is beyond me.

A big main present like that is parents decision not grandparents.

So what? It's an insane waste of money on a small child who won't know the difference.

@MsAmerica

Every family will have different budgets for Christmas. There is no right amount to spend, we are able to spend that amount we do very comfortably and it brings us joy to do so, therefore it's not a waste.

I'm not sure I agree.

Money is finite. A tiny child is likely to get just as much pleasure from a less expensive gift as one that costs five times as much. So, logically, spending five times as much is a waste.

@MsAmerica People are allowed to spend their money how they please. You can feel free to judge but that seems like a waste of time to me. My mum has bought balance bikes and a Barbie dream house for our kids over the years. DH's parents easily spend £200 per grandchild. We've bought play kitchens and indoor wooden gym sets for small kids. If grandparents don't spend the same on each grandchild people can be wildly offended and accused of playing favourites.

@MsAmerica A tiny child is likely to get just as much pleasure from a less expensive gift as one that costs five times as much. So, logically, spending five times as much is a waste.

Sorry I don't get your logic.
It very much depends what those gifts are and every child is very different.
The Ops budget to keep things even in the family was about £100 for that she could have purchased a fairly big ticket item. Ans she probably has for the older DGC bought balance bikes, scooters, play kitchen, dolls prams fairly big ticket items.

Ideally kids need a range of toys, the doll to go with the pram, the food to go with the kitchen.
But you can't ride a bike if you don't have one.

But for a DGP it certainly makes sense to keep budgets the same within the families. Avoid any favoritism comments.

My MIL sets her budget then buys a gift and gives the rest of the budget as cash.

Well, maybe the budget were kept private, that wouldn't be a problem. As a child, I had no idea what my cousins received as presents.

And do you get we're talking about a 3 year-old?

Forget it. I'm done. People here seem to favor wasting money on tiny children. Fine. The children won't fully grasp the generosity when they're little, and they may will grow up being just as nonchalant about a relative's generosity. It wouldn't surprise me if in a decade or two the same people are posting about ungrateful recipients.

The little kids might not know what the grandparents are spending on their cousins but the parents will.

I used to see my cousins a day or so after Christmas it was standard kid conversation, what did Santa bring you, what else did you get??

@MsAmerica the op never asked your opinion on how much they’re spending, and Christmas was 2 weeks ago, the money is spent. Reviving the thread just to continue to be negative is unpleasant.

Not sure how the OP's budget affects anyone else. She sounds like a generous and loving grandmother who's comfortably off and enjoys treating her family with well thought out gifts. There's literally nothing to criticise.

Anyway, OP, I love the ideas that you went with - was your granddaughter pleased with them?