Parties

Birthday presents on a budget

By Tamsin Ryan Party invitations are a thrill for children, less so for presentbuying parents! However, fun does not have to be expensive. Here are some great gift ideas that will delight the recipients without breaking the bank.

The present box Buying gifts throughout the year (during the sales or ad-hoc promotions) and setting them aside saves money and avoids the last-minute panic shopping dash. Great gifts to keep an eye out for are the mini Orchard Toys games (www.orchardtoys. com), which are usually not gender specific, cater for a broad age range and retail at £5.35. Look out for craft or gardening kits, books and outdoor games such as skipping ropes, hula hoops, goalie gloves or frisbees, which have lasting play value.

Multi-packs Multi-packs can be divided up to create gift sets, which can be very cost effective. Mix and match the items to suit the age and interests of the birthday child. For younger kids, a bundle of ten books (The Works usually sell ten books for £10), a party pack of bubbles or a bumper pack of assorted playdough make a great gift.

Savvy shopping High street discount shops all stock very well priced toys, craft items and books. There are also some good resources online such as www.poundtoy.com and The Entertainer (www.thetoyshop.com).

Favourite ‘go to’ gifts Presents that get children outdoors or being creative are always a win; something like a magnifying glass and a bug identification book (which come in under £10), ‘scavenger hunt’ type cards, a kite, pavement chalks or a gardening or craft kit.

‘Non toy’ gifts Children are often inundated with toys on their birthdays, so a fun t-shirt or some funky socks can work well, especially if you can find something featuring their favourite superhero or TV character. These can be very reasonably priced in high street chains and most supermarkets and parents will be pleased you’ve bought their child something to wear.

Club together Club together with other parents in the class and buy one larger toy, voucher or experience. The birthday child will get a much bigger present and it will have cost you each less.

Creative gift-wrapping can zing up the contents and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. Use pages from an old magazine or street map, leftover wallpaper or personalise a brown paper bag with lots of colour.

For more birthday party tips, read Tamsin’s blog at www.icecreamandjelly.com or Insta @icecreamandjelly_uk.

Christmas gifts to give away!

Grown ups

Nature Curious Kids

Activity Box - Annual Subscription (6 boxes) Worth £120

Tinted Lip Balm Kits 3 available Worth £19.99

Grown ups

Empowering Book Bundle 5 bundles Worth £16.98 each Kids

Confidence Booster Book Bundle 5 bundles Worth £15.98 each