$20 tops, sometimes less, like $10, I almost exclusively buy art supplies/ kits bc I don't know if the kid already has a paw patrol stuffy or 300 other cars. So I stick with consumable type items. If they don't like them surely they know another family that would.

For a close family or friend, I'll go higher but I also know the family and child better

Almost every party, they put "no gifts please" on the invitation. If I spent $25 per gift for every party my 2 early elementary age kids went to, we'd be spending hundreds just on bday gifts every month! haha. On the rare occasion someone doesn't put "no gifts please" and we need to bring a gift we bring something like a LEGO kit or Barbie set or arts& crafts set and spend about $15-$20. But for the majority of parties that are "no gifts" parties, my kids just take a card maybe w/ a little homemade gift inside like my daughter will frequently make a beaded bracelet/necklace to put in the card. My son my put in a piece of candy or something like that.

When we host parties, we always specify 'no gifts please' and people usually do as we do at the no gift parties and just bring a card w/ maybe a small thing inside like stickers or temporary tattoos or similar.

Kids don't open gifts at parties. The gifts go on a table for the duration of the party then are opened later afterwards. The parent usu keeps track of who gives what so a thank you card can be written. $20-25 is about right.

$15-20

They never open them at the party place.

Anonymous wrote:I've not yet been invited to a party that is not "no gifts, please!" We make a card. It's great, I'll be so annoyed if I have to start buying birthday gifts for a bunch of kids.

+1

I haven’t seen presents opened at a party because all the parties we’ve been to (and hosted) so far have been no gifts. If people insist on bring gifts the host generally disappears them as quickly as possible since that was explicitly not part of the party on the invite.

When it gets to be smaller groups and the children are old enough to have manners (eg say thank you and pretend to like the present no matter what) I would like to let kids open at the party since seeing someone open a present you choose is always fun. But not at 3.

$15-$20
I’m not spending more than $20 on a classmate gift.
I do however always ask what the child likes or for a theme. That way I know I’m getting something useful or that the child will like/use.

I've not yet been invited to a party that is not "no gifts, please!" We make a card. It's great, I'll be so annoyed if I have to start buying birthday gifts for a bunch of kids.

I usually do something around $30. And yes, I haven’t seen kids open gifts at parties since I was a kid in the 90s and early 00s. I always hated opening mine in front of people though, so I don’t mind.

It seems like $20-30. I think this is too much if a class party yields 15+ kids, but I am clearly in the minority.

For a close friend (or twins) we’ve done $40-60, otherwise 20-30. I’ve never seen a child open presents at a party. Ours did not either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We do $20-25 but the vast majority of the invites specify no gifts. I have never seen any child open gifts at the party.

+1 hate opening gifts at a party and so glad it's isn't the norm at kid parties anymore. How can 3yos sit and watch that and not have their own tantrums? And it's awkward bc ppl spend different amounts

I think $15-25 is the norm (from what we've gifted and received as well).

Agreed

Anonymous wrote:We do $20-25 but the vast majority of the invites specify no gifts. I have never seen any child open gifts at the party.

+1 hate opening gifts at a party and so glad it's isn't the norm at kid parties anymore. How can 3yos sit and watch that and not have their own tantrums? And it's awkward bc ppl spend different amounts

I think $15-25 is the norm (from what we've gifted and received as well).

We do $20-25 but the vast majority of the invites specify no gifts. I have never seen any child open gifts at the party.

Depends. “No gifts please!” is becoming way more common than not in our circles. I’d say somewhere in then $25 range is adequate for that age. I usually get a book or two.

I have actually never seen a child open gifts at a party (my kids are 6 and under so I don’t know about older kids). I’ve seen plenty of gift opening at family-only events but never at a party where lots of friends and schoolmates are invited. It’s boring to watch people open gifts so I don’t mind!

My 3 year old is starting to get invited to classmates and family friends’ birthdays. What is the average spend on a gift? At the few we have attended the birthday child did not open gifts at the party (which is also weird…? Or just a new concept to this millennial parent?)