"When my 6-year-old gets invited to a birthday party, the first thing I always ask her is âwhat does so-and-so like?â For a few friends, she knows them well â Garrett loves unicorns, Rosie loves outer space, and Levi loves dinosaurs. But in preschool and kindergarten, kids birthday parties usually mean the entire class is invited, with kids she doesn’t necessarily know very well (and parents I don’t know either).
So I find weâre often stuck when it comes to gift ideas for kids birthday parties. I donât want to overburden the other parents already planning the party with texts and questions about their childâs interests. I also donât want to be too assumptive with interests based on gender. Just because the child is a girl doesnât mean she likes princesses and mermaids; just because the childâs a boy doesnât mean he likes Ninja Legos and Nerf. I also know what itâs like to be a parent in a house overflowing with toys, so I do a quick assessment when looking for a gift.
- First, would any child like to play with this?
- Second, would I want this in my house?
- Third, I give my daughter a few options so she can pick the gift she wants to give.
- Finally, I usually purchase it online because, well, convenience, and my children have been known to throw a fit in Target when they donât get to immediately open the toy we just purchased â even when it’s not for them (I’ve found involving them in the gift-wrapping helps).
We’ve rounded up some gender-neutral birthday go-to gift ideas for every budget, including some fun throwbacks to our own childhoods.
Under $20
Under $30
Under $40
