Reception bday parties, please help me shortlist a few gifts?!

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We have recently attended our first couple of reception bday parties for the whole class and I am quite shocked that we have 8 more coming in the next 7 weeks!
I am still new to the school parties game so would appreciate your help. These are a few gifts I have shortlisted (it's a mix of boys and girls that we are buying for). Logic is that I would like to get things that don't occupy too much space, no plastic toys, no board games that will end in a charity shop, anyone can enjoy and use or regift etc. How would the options below be received:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plus-Plus-Building-Blocks-300-Piece-Multi-Colour/dp/B007SNMH62?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1 (in several colors, for boys and girls)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Floss-Rock-Rainbow-Strawberry-Activity/dp/B0BV255JND/ref=asc_df_B0BV255JND?mcid=5f8b65ab55913c2eaa828a6cfd1776ea&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697323600425&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1555463039573414056&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007156&hvtargid=pla-2295767349057&psc=1&hvocijid=1555463039573414056-B0BV255JND-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skillmatics-Magical-Scratch-Book-Kids/dp/B0BZZCGRMT/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2GVTQ9HFB0DSP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ER_U1--636KZu3Qp8RNV--EejqkKTSIn3bpoLtjt5QYrFU_L4RfCfMI881_Ri5yZX8WnhOa0g4oa5C4BgggCrjxo-bWqoFFMRzmWOTIjgpy9krkl3_ZPj_NSuVWOzl6hiLdcPod3DtutQPxRkW3M2n-LC_8dvlsoWRpgNUYWFfWgVKH4jBKnH7ZqotoraJnta2Jpjk1dWPwHOlqaqkLtaRQvA6Df3o2Wnal6ozHZV_-zJKx3PAyOSopkd4PbivMPoB6dmXevZVT1tKjro3DH6UjtoQRGb_nWsMfhJos1krg.DpfzLU1rieEY5uOGlXhbLA_cKyHjQbrgGyIrwDLq4cs&dib_tag=se&keywords=scratch+book&qid=1773402674&s=kids&sprefix=scracth%2Ctoys%2C263&sr=1-1-spons&aref=ICooVeLAtz&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Does it feel aligned with what people usually gift/receive? I honestly have no clue!

DD1 is in reception. I've been doing:

Lego small sets
Dobble
Colouring book plus set of new pens / pencils
Orchard toy games / asda happello equivalent
Book or national book token

I usually aim to spend £5-10 inc a card.

I’ve been stocking up on Lego. Argos has some good deals at the moment:

LEGO Marvel Spider-Man Mech vs. Anti-Venom Marvel Gift 76308 2 for £20

LEGO Marvel Mech Battle: Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock Set 76338 2 for £30

LEGO City Jet vs. Car Toy – Vehicle Model Kit for Kids 60489 2 for £30

Sorry to jump in, but are people generally spending around £10?

We have been to quite a few parties recently as the size of the wrapped gifts some children arrive with are massive! I feel like I’m underspending, but obviously don’t see what they’ve bought them.

I normally spend £15-20 but we are in SW London and I think people probably spend a bit more than average here.

I do a book voucher and some sweets

Fiver in the card. Job done

I am surprised by how many fiver in a card I see here on MN. The parents community at my DC’s school doesn’t seem much “fiver in a card” type, judging from the crazy amount of gifts I have seen at bday parties so far!

We had a reception birthday party a couple of months ago so got 30 gifts! Obviously we massively appreciated all the though and gifts but I think the less good ones were anything messy or that involved a lot of supervision (paint your own money box, clay etc). We had duplicates of aquabeads and make your own jewellery sets. Best ones were a little patterned next t-shirt and pack of sweets (I thought that was a great idea), a jewellery box that you could wind up and played a tune (in that she loves it!), a couple of nice sticker or activity books, foil scratch art, that type of thing.

£5 note in a card plus a bag of Haribo is my standard primary school birthday gift! I remember having a whole class party for mine, nearly an entire class of 30 kids, so many presents and no room for them, crafty things, slime etc my worst nightmare basically.

That's why I made the move to money and sweets, so much easier! Plus a job lot of cards from Card Factory, I think you can still get 10 for £1 so I always have a good mix of cards available.

This is the exact situation that the Argos two-for-£15 deals are made for. I usually went with a playdoh set but there are lots of options.

Usborne ‘My first story writing’ is my go-to for Reception parties later in the year (so around now) and Year 1 parties. Currently £7.35 on Amazon and 5% off if you buy 4+!

I found that parents whose kids had older siblings tended to do the fiver in a card with a pack of sweets/pez dispenser/ bar of chocolate, gradually everyone else cottons on over the next couple of years that there is good reason that is actually the best gift. Getting 30 presents - or even 10 - is completely overwhelming, it's too much to take in so they often go unused whilst taking up a lot of room

Edited to add: some people put a tenner in!

its sooo exciting for kids to open presents though! Can you imagine them going home from the party with absolutely no gifts from their friends? And I’m not talking expensive things.

I am that parent 😁 took me a while after my first to cotton on but second DD has always gone with cash in hand. I get it's more exciting for kids to open presents, but for whole class parties 30 presents can be overwhelming. First big class party we did my DD lost interest because she'd had such a full on day (although I was impressed with the Next pjs she got, that's a boujie present in my book 😂)

Not the blocks as they are a choking hazard for younger siblings.

I’ve given Polly Pocket sets, Hama beads, jewellery making kits and Lego.

If it’s a whole class party I give £10 in a card but for smaller parties I’d get a gift.

We do either a little board game and a book, or a Barbie (for the girls I know love Barbie’s), or a craft set.

Sorry but all you have mentioned is also a chocking hazard as far as I am aware?!

That’s true, I was thinking the blocks would be easier to lose/ go missing where as once a Lego sets put together it might sit on a shelf/ polly pockets are in a case so locked away/ once jewellery is made it’s no longer little pieces and Hama beads are safe if accidentally swallowed.

I usually just give £10 in a card to be honest as 15/ 30 presents is overwhelming for the child and parents, but if theres only a few children going I like to send a present.

My DC would love the diary or scratch art kit though.

Tenner in a card. Or a Lego set. 2 for £20 deals always half decent in Argos.

I'd be eye rolling at a voucher. Kids don't want to open a voucher and I don't want to spend my weekend taking a 5yr old to a toy shop but telling them all the toys they want they can't have (just after a birthday!), but to find something for £10. It's a ballache.

Painting kits - rock/seashells that sort of thing are great. They're anywhere between £7-10 on amazon, kids love them. They do glow in the dark ones and all sorts. The kits come with everything you need, including stickers and transfers in some of them and doesn't really matter if you get 3 of them - it just means more stuff to paint!