Now, as someone who had got nursery party gifts down to a fine art (bulk-bought book £1 plus super cute wings and a wand so you don’t look like a tight arse) I was expecting school parties to be just as simple. Take it from someone who learned the hard way that leather-look leggings and soft play slides are not a match made in heaven, I can concur it has been a steep learning curve and you do indeed need a system. Why? Because there are approximately 2 million parties per term. Buckle up.
It’s a Saturday morning and you’re psyching yourself up for the 577th Ninja Warrior party of the year and somewhere between your third and sixth coffee, you realise you don’t have a gift. October-December is basically birthday party Olympics for us, relay after relay of school birthday parties and so, if you’re month looks like ours, here’s a handy post to bookmark so you can get your party present drawer stocked, locked and loaded. *joins Amazon Prime*
Don’t worry if you lost me at present drawer…
Birthday parties shouldn’t be stressful. After all, you didn’t go through the equivelent of the Hunger Games to get Harvest Festival tickets, reply to those 678 school WhatsApp messages and remember odd sock day to get bamboozled by this. You just need a few staple gift ideas you can bulk buy so you always have something prepared. Now. The present drawer. Those waffles and chicken nuggets you have in the freezer so you always have something to feed friends with for an impromptu playdate? Well, this is like that.
You will need:
Neutral bags and wrapping paper. Card Factory is your friend. Another genius tip here is to buy a huge roll of brown craft paper from Amazon and then you will have enough for the year. Buy a roll of cute stickers and you have your own DIY-decorated present wrap and 15 minutes with a cup of tea while your sticker-wielding child goes to town. Birthday cards with ages and presents. Cellotape and tissue paper if you feel fancy.
Gift ideas:
1: Design your own water bottle: This is cool because not only is it a good one to take out for dinner when you want to occupy little ones without a screen but it also doubles up as a fun travel activity while being useful. Also a good gift for school children who have to take their own bottle to school. They come with so many stickers that everyone can get a sticker tattoo. Lots of fun and only £11.99
2: Care Bear: There’s something super nostalgic about buying a carebear and they tend to be treasured for years. £16.99 is top end budget wise to each to their own.
3: Squishmallow: Want the same cute and comforting gift but for half the price? Squishmallows are a no brainer. £9 *applauds*
4: A kittycorn surprise always goes down a treat and budget friendly too. I tend to avoid these due to the high volume of plastic packaging and they are tricky to wrap so you’ll need a present bag.
5: If the child you are buying for has a sibling, walkie-talkies are an awesome gift. Hours of fun. More than two kids? Mutiny on the bounty.
6: A colour reveal Barbie will always get a squeal of delight!
7: Retro vibes: Can you beat a MR Frosty? WHO didn’t want one of these?
8: Photo Creator: SUPER COOL gift alert. You might want to add this to your child’s wish list because everyone who sees this is going to want it. Yourself included. Genius choice for a joint gift.
9: Arial dress up set: A firm fave in our house.
10: Super hero cape: Again, easy peasy.
11: Retro board game: Screwball scramble. Also monopoly, Ludo, or a Tamagotchi.
If you are ever in doubt: PLAYDOH.
Cheaper gifts need a few extras so pop a playdoh in and add some sparkle with a wand and some wings. Points if you colour co-ordinate with the tissue paper.
Bulk buy cards. Easy! You can get cards for 39p at Card Factory so buy in bulk so you never have to panic buy on the morning of. Forgot to stock your card drawer? Make one! Super simple and often is more personal plus people can’t be mad at a homemade card. It’s very clever.
Also, if you have a birthday girl or boy who is turning 4,5 or 6 this year, here are my slam dunk presents. The ones that are played with on repeat and treasured long after they’ve been ripped from the wrapping.
- LeapFrog Ice Cream Truck: Ages 2-6
- Bathtime Soap Bubble Machine Ice Cream Maker: Age3-6
- Cocomelon JJ doll: Ages
- Play Kitchen: 2+
What are your go-to presents?
