Invited to 1st party

My DD started Pre-K this year and was just invited to her first birthday party. She's very excited and we plan to go to the party. Im not too sure on what I should do about a gift. Money is tight right now so I cant go out and spend $20+ on a present. I was thinking about getting the birthday girl a gift card at Claires or something girly like that for like $5 or $10 and then get a couple of little toys or something. Does this sound cheap? Is giving a gift card to a kid "wrong" or "tacky" I know If my DD was giving a gift card to a kid-related store I would think it was neat and I know she would love going to the store and picking out whatever she wanted. Its still the beginning of the school year so all the parents are still in the getting to know you stage, so I havent had a chance to get to know the girls mom that much. Its hard to get a gift for a kid you dont know. anyways...any advice would be appreciated.

THANK YOU!!!

When my older daughter was asked to her first birthday party, I was in pretty much the same predicament. I flat-out asked the mother what her daughter was "in to". Then I looked for something inexpensive that fit the list. There's always something reasonable, whether it's a $5 Littlest Pet Shop animal or a $10 Fancy Nancy playset.

(I have found that a lot of parents want to impress, so they'll go for something big...but it's sometimes the small things that really win out. Another party, my daughter picked a Star Wars Darth Vader Bobblehead doll ($5) for the birthday boy. I thought to myself, "lame". It turned out to be his 2nd favorite gift...beat only by the bicycle his parents gave him!)

I'm sorry, but when it comes to kid parties...it's all about the gifts. I will agree with you, tho, that my girls don't mind gift cards either.

If you're not sure what the child would like then I'd ask the parent for suggestions. In this way you will only get to know people better. Then I try to make sure my kids are involved in the shopping trip. I give them the ground rules (Ex. it has to be less than $15, he likes Legos and Hotwheels, and we are ONLY in the toy department to buy a gift for Jacob).

I like some of the ideas running around in here (especially consumable gifts.. if only I baked well). I hate feeling sort of shamed into buying pricier gifts when I just cannot, especially if it concerns children. Why? Children are so basic. Even if they ask for this, that and the other... they'll still most likely be satisfied with any and everything they get. When I couldn't afford much for my niece or nephews, I'd buy them artsy things like the markers and things brought up by Robin'sEgg (chalk is CHEAP!) and they loved it. Kids love things that allow you to spend time with them, doing things which means you don't have to spend a lot in order to make them happy. But, when you go to other children's parties... I don't know. I have yet to have this kind of experience outside of my own family, so I'm really trying to pay attention in this thread!

I love the idea of giving art supplies at a party.

Friends of mine with young children (ages 5 and under) have told me, though, that they dread their kids getting anything "runny, sticky, spilly, gluey, or glittery". But hey... those things are part of what makes being a kid FUN. You've got your whole adult life to try to avoid getting into messes!

My suggestion: dollar stores! Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollarama, A Buck or Two.... whatever's nearby. They're great. What with not everything being a dollar, and the tax they tag onto items, you can still get 8 to 9 small, cool items for a child - colouring books, coloured pencils, funky erasers, pretend lipstick, things that make noise, you name it... and you can package it all up in a very fun gift bag with lots of tissue paper. Kids tend to be mostly creative and visual. They like bright, fun colours and the possibilities that items have for later.

My sister always bought stuff in the sales and kept a store of things for parties. It then looked like she'd spent more than she had.
As a parent I would prefer someone to ask me what my ds is in to as there are a number of toys that I really don't want him having. Also I would prefer him not to receive a gift card unless it was for somewhere that I agreed with.