I find that boys and girls at age like squishmallows. Sometimes I'll get a bigger gift and then supplement with one of those.

Anonymous wrote:Holy moly whole class parties should be no gift parties. No kid needs 25 birthday presents.

This! Who asks for gifts at a whole class party? Get a squishmallow or Lego set and move on with your day.

Squishmallows (especially if you can get the huge one at Costco for cheap - this might be something you ask the parent about first, though!). Target or Barnes & Noble gift card.

Go in with some other families you are friends with in the class and get the bday kid something bigger and nicer together. That's what a lot of families where I live do. Starting in like 3rd grade we often have one mom collect $$ from all the attendees and then get the bday kid a few big things they specifically requested. It's great -- easier for all the parents (all you have to do is send a venmo, and the kid gets something actually nice instead of a bunch of crap). And often the bday kid will request to donate some of what is collected too.

Anonymous wrote:Holy moly whole class parties should be no gift parties. No kid needs 25 birthday presents.

Honestly, I wouldn't bring one and would assume I'm doing them a favor. I'd have my child make a card

Board Games. Sleeping Queens, Dragonwood.

Holy moly whole class parties should be no gift parties. No kid needs 25 birthday presents.

Set a $ limit and let your kids pick out the gift. They will have a better idea of what the bday kid will like, or at least will pick something they like themselves, which is also a good approach to gift giving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always ask the parent for ideas/suggestions when I rsvp.

Isn't that kind of a faux pas?

Why? I do the same. I’d rather the kid have something they enjoy.

It's fine if a couple parents do this, but I'm already exhausted having to supply ideas to family members with detailed ideas every year. And you need to take an idea and run with it, not come back to me again with links asking which specific products DC would like more.

For real, but this is why whole class parties should be "no gifts" Does your kid really want/need an extra 28 presents on top of the gifts already received from parents, grandparents, other relatives, BFF? 3/4 of it will be re-gifted or donated.

Anonymous wrote:Kids that age love rainbow loom. The downside is that might already have one.

Pokémon figures in the poke balls are universally liked by everyone.

Slime kits

Tie dye kits

Sidewalk chalk kits (depending on time of year)

Mostly, I take my cue from the party theme. If it’s a Harry Potter party I’ll bring something related. If it’s a mermaid party, same deal.

Goodness gracious, do not buy a kid a slime kit unless you hate the parents. Same with tie dye. No messy, easily staining activities that require direct parent supervision! And maybe chalk for a kindergartener, but my second grader hasn't played with chalk in years. Mine would love a rainbow loom kit or Pokemon stuff, but I don't think those are universal gifts, particularly for both genders.

For a generic classmate gift, Lego is universal for a reason. Liked by most, easily regifted for the others. We also do generic science related kits - gemstones, science lab, magic, etc. We got this one once and it seemed better quality than a lot of the cheap science kits and my kids pulled it out a surprising amount. https://www.target.com/p/popular-science-sound-and-music-lab-kit/-/A-82722612?ref=tgt_adv_xsp&AFID=google&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012544494&CPNG=PLA_Toys%2BShopping%7CToys_Ecomm_Hardlines&adgroup=SC_Toys&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=1027266&targetid=pla-617074036797&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj5mpBhDJARIsAOVjBdrIJICzUkHa2AdceT60LVfwN_5uKZR381I346qZeTdNuQq0JxxrsqEaAiMQEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always ask the parent for ideas/suggestions when I rsvp.

Isn't that kind of a faux pas?

Why? I do the same. I’d rather the kid have something they enjoy.

It's fine if a couple parents do this, but I'm already exhausted having to supply ideas to family members with detailed ideas every year. And you need to take an idea and run with it, not come back to me again with links asking which specific products DC would like more.

Then you say "No gifts" or "DD's favorite charity is X" like a classy person.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always ask the parent for ideas/suggestions when I rsvp.

Isn't that kind of a faux pas?

Why? I do the same. I’d rather the kid have something they enjoy.

It's fine if a couple parents do this, but I'm already exhausted having to supply ideas to family members with detailed ideas every year. And you need to take an idea and run with it, not come back to me again with links asking which specific products DC would like more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always ask the parent for ideas/suggestions when I rsvp.

Isn't that kind of a faux pas?

Nope, not at all. What would be a faux pas is if on the invite the parent of the child wrote "Cameron's favorite color is aqua and he loves Billabong and Baskin Robbins." That would be hinting at what people should get Cameron and that's bad.