Reception class parties. What presents should I get?

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Posting here as well as figured it might get the right traffic.
Still new to the whole class parties game and could do with some ideas and tips. How much do people typically spend on a whole class party at reception?
I live in a nice London suburb area, if that’s a useful info?
Have recently purchased some small notebooks with stickers and some packs of scented gel pens on the sale, does it make a very sad gift? Conscious not all parents will be happy with plastic tat or more soft toys etc.

I bulk bought small Lego sets when they were on offer. I figured everyone liked Lego, boys and girls, and if they didn’t it was an easy regift. When we were given things DSs already had I could do a swap for something in the present drawer and on we went.

When they were older I did ask. And I didn’t trust my DSs (luckily with DS2 who declared the only thing his good friend wanted for her 7th birthday was a rosette ‘like they give horses for prizes’…her DM was as confused by that as I was and suggested something else, although I did also find a cheap birthday rosette to placate DS).

Get yourself to squiggle, the works and entertainer Jan sale. Can get lots of £5-6 gifts that look £10 plus. I stock up andsave lots than buying them as and when

Affluent is such a broad term these days. We are in a nice enough area of SE London and spend around £15-20. However we do not go to all class parties, I try to limit it to his friends as otherwise it would be too much. Lego/hot wheels/board games are usually my go to unless I know of a particular interest.

For close friends of the family I may spend a little bit more although a max of £30 generally.

Now my son is 7, I put a tenner in a card towards something or ask for an amazon link. It's just easier.

My daughter is 3, so parties are starting but at the mo easier to buy as all so small.

For example I brought her this water no mess colour set from squiggle last Saturday and she LOVES it. Went back yesterday and brought 3 more, we're reduced to £4 each from £10 and ideal presents..

£10 Waterstones vouchers always works too and a bag of haribo

I spend £10-15 if I’m buying a gift for a child we know reasonably well, where I have an idea of their interests. Otherwise I do £10 vouchers for the local book shop/toy shop. When DC2 had their most recent party (Year 1), he got a similar voucher and a few people did £10 in a card. I think what you’ve got for a reception party is fine!

We live in an expensive part of SW London and spend £20. Lego is popular. I also like craft sets and strategy games (like Connect 4 - there’s a nice wooden one on Amazon for circa £14).

I'm a cheapskate and I just stock up on generic gifts in the sales. Puzzles, stationery sets, crafty stuff, toys etc

We have like 40 parties a year, so am not spending £10-20 each time!

For example, recently I've got;

2 x remote control cars for £3.50 each in a sale (from £19.99)
Colour your own briefcase thing with stickers inside for £2 down from £9
Buzz/light games for £3 down from £10
Smiggle stationery sets for £4

Also I have a browse through charity shops
Have acquired;
3 In shrink Disney100 piece puzzles for £1 each from the charity shop.
Brand new, with tags, Spiderman baseball cap £2
Craft sets, new, still in shrink 50p-£2.50

Books books and more books is our approach

It’s that bad you’d chuck it away? You wouldn’t even use it or give it away? 😖

Goodness me, have you never taught your children about gratitude - what an awful attitude.

I usually bulk buy when things are on offer from Smiggle, Amazon prime days, Argos.
I have 2 kids - 1 in school nursery and 1 in year 1, usually spend £15-£20 on each child’s present.
the kids in year 1, we’ve mostly known for almost 3 years so have a decent idea of what they’re into, but some of us have also started just giving money/Smyths gift card with some chocolates.

For nursery & reception, I’ve gotten great deals on baking sets, Barbies, science craft sets and they’ve all gone down well.

Past the class parties stage now but I always used to get either a £10 smyths voucher or a small Lego set.

We are up north but the go to at my DD's school and a couple of my friends schools is generally gifts between £5 and £10. Lots of The Works gift sets that are on 2 for £12, 3 for £15. BnM/ home bargains craft packs, bubble bath or bath bomb, toys that are generally on the 2 for £20/ 2 for £10/ 2 for £15 sales at various shops. The unspoken theme of gifts at our school seems to be something that can be used up and quietly binned a few weeks later (craft and colouring sets, bath stuff, jewelry making sets, plaster of paris painting figures, colouring squishies ect). We have used a lot of the colouring sets up when out and about - holidays/ eating out.

At my friend's school - very middle class, leafy village it's £15-£20 presents or £20 in a card.

My other friends middle class, leafy village is £10 in a card.

Each school has their own culture of gift giving I find.

This 👆👆👆Shocking attitude!

£10-15 but if I can get a deal and a dear present for the same money, win win!! I usually ask what the child is into

My kids have always love receiving craft stuff. Notebooks, stickers and pens are always great because they will actually get used. If people ask me for ideas I always say ‘consumable art and craft supplies’. My daughter got 5-6 craft sets for her 5th birthday before Christmas and we are still working through them, they’re great to keep stored and pull out when we have a rainy day. One called ‘foil fun’ was a particular hit. She also loves receiving jewellery and Barbie type dolls. It is interesting to see how much people seem to be spending on birthdays for whole class parties. We have always gone with £ 5-10 and that seems to be pretty standard here (and more than enough).

Probably give away. But where I am - I don’t know anyone (girl!?) who would be interested in nice smelling gel pens and unicorn notebooks as OP mentioned. my little one is not into unicorns. So yes it’ll have to be put away for a long time until it is eventually chucked into recycling.

And to some posters claiming to be on a high horse about gratitude. Well my kid does say thank you upon receiving gifts. It’s after they’ve left the pile of things they don’t want - hypothetically notebooks and glitter pen in this scenario - would be for me to decide what to do with it rather than my 5 year old. Won’t it ?

And to them who only read half of my post - I always try to get age appropriate toy / game. Board game , Lego , etc.

Never a notebook and pen no matter how cute it is. 😊

£10-15 sounds right. I usually ask the mum if there is anything they might like. I have 3 DDs and have had many parties like this! We get a lot of one use craft sets which are great for rainy days, some parents give £10 smyths vouchers which go down well, my personal favourite gifts are new books but obviously you run the risk that they already have them. DD2 got a magic trick once which was brilliant and really different from all the other presents. A bunch of hair accessories is good. We have a million notebooks and pens so those aren’t particularly good for us but obviously would be grateful anyway.

SE, middling area.

I have a present box with small gifts bought from sales at Smiggle/Smyths/new in the box from Vinted - stationery, air dry clay, squishes etc, and a stash of books.

We don't do party bags as I don't like the waste, so for DD6's last birthday, I bought some of those 10 for £10 sets from The Works and each child got to choose a book at the end of the party. This went down really well with the kids and the parents, and the books left over got added to the gift box.

For close friends, we'll pick a present for £10-15 ish and DD will pick another gift from the stash to give to them.

Also, sounds obvious but I usually ask the parents what they want - often they will say can they have the money to save for a bike, garden toys etc and I'm more than happy to do that. I was very grateful to the parents who gave DD a tenner in a card - her birthday is just after Christmas and we're overrun with stuff that I'm having to put away for later in the year or give to charity because we've got multiple duplicates.

Lol the kids just want sweets.

Why wouldn't you just re-gift or out in charity shop instead of binning it??

Awe the kids in my DDs class love a stationery set!

Well, they got plenty of sweets at the party and seemed happy with the books so I'll carry on doing it. Thanks for the advice though 😉

I have boys age 10 and 7 and they would still enjoy and use a stationery set.

Some people on MN really live in a different world op. You’ve had some good suggestions but your present also sounds great. Not many people can afford to drop £20 on a present.