Good generic present for 5 year olds?

[AndiMac]

So I have this thing. For any age of child so far, unless I know them really well or are a relation, I get every child a variation on the same present. So far what I have is:

1st Birthday: A sippy cup, bowl & bib from Ikea
2nd: A play cooking set
3rd: A cookie mix in a jar (sounds lame, looks really good)
4th: A piggy bank, ideally the paint-your-own-piggy-bank variety

The reason I do this is it saves me a load of brain-wracking, trying to think of what to give to different children and I can buy a set of them and not find myself caught short the day before the party with no ideas and nothing to get.

But now I find the first of the 5th birthday parties is creeping up to me and I don't know what to get. Any great ideas out there?

lego - works for boys and girls and doesn't matter if duplicated!

Ooh, that's a good one. I wonder if they even do generic sets of Lego nowadays...

Any other ideas?

A set of books from the Book people

Lego. I think the last 4 or 5 presents I've bought have all been Lego and it's scaleable, so anything from a fiver upwards.

You can get a £10 generic box of Lego (I've bought it from Tesco & Amazon) which is a very satisfying box shape to wrap and a good, cheap starter set or will go with whatever they have already.

I am currently buying every 4, 5 and 6 year old in my life modelling clay. Brightly coloured - a bit like plasticine. Always goes down well.

These are good. Perhaps I can build up my stock to 6, 7 and beyond birthdays!

Colouring book

My generic present used to be sets of the Usborne 50 things to make and do cards - there's a science set, baking set, rainy day set, crafty set & poss others. Possibly slightly young for a just 5 y/o, but definitely good for a 6 y/o. (Cooking & science ones most 'neutral' I would say, others more likely to appeal to a child who enjoys art/craft.)

Hama beads - Argos do a set that is in the 2 for £15 deal.

how the heck am I posting as someone else????

try again

yay - that's me!

I have given craft boxes, only a few quid from pound shop as well. Things like 'make your own wooden spoon puppet, or soft toy or something.
Mr Maker also do craft kits which were £4 in asda last time I saw them, brilliant as they have everything you need and make cool sock puppets. Am just about to run out after a year of parties.

What budget? DD is 5 and we've (DSs 12 and 10 too!) had a lot of fun with Lego's Shear a Sheep game. it's about £8,

Shrinkles - bought loads of them - both sexes LOVE them £9.99

I think paying more than £10 for a kid's present is just plain silly, so that's more or less my bar, but I'm comfortable spending less too.

I'm loving these ideas - my only problem will be making a decision and sticking with it! One of the other reasons I give the same present for everyone at a certain age means that the following year I don't have to desperately try and remember what I gave the year before to not copy it! So I better not get tempted to just go through the list of ideas and give a different one to each kid this year...

A football.
Lego
Frisbee or skipping rope.
Paper aeroplane kit.
Light up glittery bouncy balls.

Board game
Books - summer/holiday activity types
OUtdoor toys
Craft stuff - pens/paper/stickers
Jigsaws
Sweets!

In case anyone is interested, I chose the Lego starter set for the 5 birthday present. But lots of ideas for future birthdays, thank you very much everyone who contributed!

I often get book people sets, and my latest phase is character jim jams

I give books, I'm an usborne organiser so they're either from my free allowance or cheap!

I love this concept.
I've given quite a few jigsaw puzzles and also a set of cinema tickets (twins so I gave a voucher that was enough for one parent and both twins).