Birthday present for 6 yo?

[jamesong55]

I was wondering what everyone would spend? MY 6 yo 1st grader Myra has been invited to a birthday party for a girl in her class we have never went to anyothers parties because this is their 1st year in school. My daughter goes to a private school with 10 kids counting her in her class and they are all very close. This is the only private school in the whole area so the kids come from very far away and not even the same towns so they only see each other at school and some after school functions. I don't want to under or over buy, you know. That being said it is a stretch for us to send her down there with our income so I don't want to go over board

TIna

[mightymoo]

Generally for birthday parties, I try to buy something that appears to be around $20-25 for about $10. $10 is my general budget for kids birthday presents, but I am always on the lookout for good presents I can stock up on, that are really generally sold for more money.

Things I've stockpiled before - Playdoh and playdoh kits (I found a fun "breakfast time kit" - good sized box, retail price was $20, which I picked up for $10). I found a bunch of pink gap backpacks at the gap outlet one year for $1.77 (seriously!) and I filled it with some stuff I found on sale - a puzzle, some playdoh toys and playdoh, etc. The total price was $10, but it felt like it was worth a lot more.

I also try to apply the same standards I have for my own kids toys to the gifts I give. I love giving playdoh because with my kids its a consumable, over time it dries out and gets ruined, so its always good to have more and it appears to most kids, you don't need to worry about whether they already have it, etc. For that reason, I like giving craft kits, things that the kids can do and use up, rather than more cheap toys that clutter up the house and/or they may already have.

[SuzyLee]

I agree that 20$ seems to be the typical birthday party gift budget. I would try to spend 10-15 but make it look like 20.

Webkinz are SUPER popular with that age group, right? Don't they cost about 15$?

[Cheshire]

I try not to spend more than $5 but I buy everything on sale. I stock up on $20 gifts when they are on clearance.

Right after Christmas, Target had a Playmobile dragon and knights playset on sale for $4.98 and it was regularly $19.99. I picked up six of them. They also had a bunch of High School Musical and Hannah Montana CD game sets regularly $20 for $5. I got about three of those for the little girl parties my son gets invited to (they are popular with the girls in his class).

When summer sales start I stock up on sidewalk chalk and bubble sets. Target usually has great clearance prices on those and they are great for boys and girls. I also like to pair them with $1 kites.

When school starts and all of the school supplies go on sale I try and stock up on craft stuff, crayons, markers, etc.

I love the Playdough ideas but I hardly find it cheap enough for my budget.

By stocking up I don't have to spend a lot on a gift and I don't have to rush out and buy anything. We go "shopping" in our closet and I love knowing what a great deal we've gotten on really cool presents.

I also stock up on wrapping paper when it is on clearance. I save every gift bag and pieces of tissue paper we get. I have three plastic boxes full of bags and paper for every occasion. This also saves a fortune because I'm not spending $5 on wrapping paper/gift bag for the gift, too.

I don't buy cards. I have really nice card stock cut into 3"x5" postcards and I pull out my son's markers (when he's able to write he can do this, he's 4 right now) and decorate the paper. I usually put "Happy Birthday!!!" in bright colors and then "from your friend, son's name." on the card. Sometimes I'll draw a little something else on it or draw confetti to dress it up. I put that in an envelope and have saved another $2 or so.

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by SuzyLee

Webkinz are SUPER popular with that age group, right? Don't they cost about 15$?

This is what we usually give as a gift for the kindy- 3rd grade crowd. They all love them and dd usually knows which ones the child wants. I have seen them as low as $13 and as high as $19.

Another gift we have given is the name thermos. It is in a lot of speciality toy stores and you can get several different colors. Also no name ones like princess etc. This is a nice gift for the age 4-7 group.

[annethcz]

I usually spend $15 or so on birthday presents.

[mightymoo]

Originally Posted by Cheshire

I don't buy cards. I have really nice card stock cut into 3"x5" postcards and I pull out my son's markers (when he's able to write he can do this, he's 4 right now) and decorate the paper. I usually put "Happy Birthday!!!" in bright colors and then "from your friend, son's name." on the card. Sometimes I'll draw a little something else on it or draw confetti to dress it up. I put that in an envelope and have saved another $2 or so.

I don't buy cards either, I have blank cards and my daughter generally draws a card for the child. I always do make sure to put the to/from on the gift though in the form of a small wrapping paper-made card because as a parent I know how frustrating it is to have the card fall off and not know who gave the present. (Especially if you are opening after the party)

[zacharysmom]

Ig your looking for webkinz try wal greens has had the lil kinzs for like 699 and some have been buyone get one free

[chaos_pie]

When my dd turned 6yo we threw a princess party. I made tutus for the girls out of tulle ($3) and made crowns ($1). Then I made wands (cut out hearts glued to dowel rods $0.25) that the girls decorated for during the party. I made wings by bending wire coat hangers and stretching white-knee hi panty hose from the dollar store ($.50), girls also decorated. I made extra sets for my nieces and then boxed them up into a spray painted gold "treasure" box (Shoebox-- with wings and wand decorating the top)-- a fairy kit. These gifts were BELOVED.

So, the less than $5 fairy kit. Here are some links:
FAIRY SKIRT:
(I cut 3 yards of tulle into strips...cheap! no ribbons) http://lazymamadesigns.blogspot.com/...iry-skirt.html

Wings:
I only made one set of wings and let the girls use glitter glue
http://hubpages.com/hub/fairywings

Crown:
http://bitterbettyindustries.blogspo...ce-crowns.html