School trips: How much spending money?

[MerylStrop]

DD(Yr1) had a school trip to the zoo recently and the letter that went home said that children could take a "small amount of spending money" in a named envelope.

I sent DD with £3. She's come home with a little soft toy of a lemur with a label that says £4.25. The TA that has a soft spot for her gave her the difference so she could have the toy she liked. £1.25 dutifully sent to school in an envelope to pay her back.

Soooo, my question is: how much should I have sent? Was £3 a bit mean? I thought a pencil and postcard or a few sweets would suffice. Some of her mates bought CDs and posters of One Direction (baffled emoticon...not getting the zoo connection). One kid had at least a tenner. Isn't that just a bit extravagant? Shouldn't the school say how much?

(normally I'd have texted her mates mums to ask how much they were sending, but I forgot)

IMHO schools should say no money on trips. They only come back with some crappy toy/souvenir.

Well, yeah, I would have thought that would be the standard. Certainly was in reception and on DS's trip last year in YR2 (though not much to buy at the synagogue...)

I'd send them with £5 I think. Although I do think someone should have explained to her that she didn't have enough to buy that and to look for something else.

Our school normally says how much tbh. IIRC they used to say £2 or £3, I guess now it's more like £5.

IMO they should say no spending money as all the kids do is take ages deciding what to buy, as if that's the whole point of the trip!

I have been as a helper on several school trips at the school where I volunteer. The letter home to parents about the trip always says maximum £5 spending money, although there are always some that bring more! From my limited experience, the visit to the shop and deciding how to spend whatever they have is always the highlight of the trip!!

I would never give a child money to make up any shortfall though, and think the TA was wrong to do so. If she did it for your DD, then surely she would have to do it for every other child and I bet most wouldn't give her a refund!