Kids get invited to a LOT of birthday parties. If your child has a big class you could easily be buying gifts every other weekend from September through June — and that adds up fast.
Here is my trick I used to use a lot — four themed gift kits you can assemble for under $10 each using items you can buy in bulk and divide across multiple parties. Buy once, make several gifts, save a ton.
4 Inexpensive Birthday Gift Ideas Kids Actually Love
1. Little Gardener Kit
Start with a terra cotta pot and dish — Dollar Tree usually has these for a dollar each. Fill a small plastic bag with enough soil to fill the pot and tuck in a packet of marigold or herb seeds. Add a few acrylic paint pots and a small brush so the child can decorate the pot before planting. Throw in a mini watering can if your budget allows.
The whole kit runs about $5-$8 and you can buy paint sets and seeds in bulk to spread across multiple gifts. Kids love it — parents love it even more because it actually gets used.
Best for: Ages 4-10 — works for boys and girls
Cost: $5-$8 per gift
2. Art and Craft Box
Start with a plain undecorated pencil box — wooden ones are great because the child can decorate it themselves as part of the gift. Fill it with small bags of stickers, rhinestones, buttons, feathers and pompoms. Add crayons or colored pencils, a small pad of paper, a tiny bottle of glue and a few chenille stems and wiggle eyes.
Buy all the supplies in bulk at the start of the school year and divide them into individual gift portions. One big bag of rhinestones fills ten gift boxes. This is the gift that gets discovered on a rainy day six months later and keeps a kid busy for hours.
Best for: Ages 5-10 — especially great for crafty kids
Cost: $6-$10 per gift when buying supplies in bulk
3. Nature Explorer Kit
This one is my favorite for kids who like to be outside. Start with an inexpensive small backpack or fanny pack. Tuck in a bug collection jar, a magnifying glass, a small hand net, and a notebook and pencil for recording discoveries. Dollar Tree carries most of these!
For a bigger budget add inexpensive binoculars or a compass. For a smaller budget skip the backpack and use a divided plastic box — tuck in some interesting rocks, seashells and a magnifying glass and you have a Treasure Box instead.
Best for: Ages 5-10 — perfect for kids who love the outdoors
Cost: $8-$15 depending on what you include
4. Cookie Making Kit
Fill a mason jar with the dry ingredients for sugar cookies or brownies — flour, sugar, baking powder, salt — layered so it looks pretty. Print out the full recipe and tie it to the jar with a ribbon. Add a cookie cutter set and a small bag of sprinkles and you have a gift that the whole family will use together.
For a nut free version fill the jar with trail mix ingredients instead — dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, chocolate chips, granola — and label it as the child’s personalized trail mix. Great for sporty kids!
Important: Always check with the parent about food allergies before giving any food-related gift!
Best for: Ages 5-12 — a family activity gift not just a toy
Cost: $5-$8 per gift
Tips for Making These Work All Year
- Buy in bulk at the start of the school year — one trip to Dollar Tree and Amazon in September sets you up for the whole school year. One bag of craft supplies becomes ten gifts
- Pick a theme for the year — rotate themes by season so all the nature kits go out in spring, art boxes in fall and cookie kits around the holidays
- Keep a gift box stocked — a small bin in a closet with assembled gift components means you are never scrambling the night before a party
- Add a personal touch — a handwritten card or the child’s name on a label turns a simple kit into something that feels special
- These work for ages 5-10 — adjust the size of the pot, the number of art supplies or the complexity of the cookie recipe based on the child’s age
Looking for more budget friendly gift ideas? Check out my 50 free kids party games post and my Living section for more Don’t Buy It Make It ideas!
