How Unique Return Gifts Can Make Your Kid's Party Memorable and 10 Return Gifts for 5 Year Olds

A children’s party has a few essential elements…balloons, colourful decorations, a birthday cake, presents both for the birthday baby and the little guests. Return gifts have become a vital part of every birthday party and when the guests comprise of little kids, it just adds to their excitement. When attending a birthday party, children are supposed to bring a gift for the birthday boy or girl. But kids seldom have the maturity or understanding to just give something without getting something in return. In fact, kids may sometimes throw tantrums when told to part with their precious gift. But when they get something in return, they become more willing to give. Return gifts make kids feel appreciated and rewarded. The main purpose of return gifts is making sure that the kids leave the party happy with something that they would enjoy or want to play with.

Five-year-olds love presents. They don’t judge a gift by their price or size, but by how much joy it brings to them. While choosing a return gift, do pay attention to kid’s trends and the likeability factor. Kids love bright colours, animals, cartoons, superheroes and basically anything which aids their imagination. Therefore always pick gifts that are high on the fun quotient. A toy, a box full of candy or colourful school supplies with pictures of their favourite cartoon or superhero is enough to bring a big smile to their faces.

If you are picking educational toys as return gifts, keep in mind one important thing…make it interesting. A child will not respond well to boring toys which focus on the learning part. You need to be a bit sneaky here; it’s like mixing vitamin tablets in a bowl of dessert. Pick out toys and games which are fun to play with but also helps in a child’s developmental process. You could do it through puzzles, art supplies, fun board games like scrabble which help with the development of vocabulary. You could have a little discussion with other parents regarding this. We are certain most parents are going to get on board with this idea and maybe also adopt it themselves.

You have to be little careful while choosing gifts for kids who are as young as five years old. Kids at this age are at the high point of cognitive development and are ready to pick things up rapidly. Therefore it’s vital what they are picking up will be good for them and benefit them in the future. Therefore make sure that the gifts are age appropriate. Don’t give out things that they can use to harm themselves or those around them. Things with sharp edges or negative messages should be strictly avoided. Don’t give things with pictures of violent or anti-social characters, even if they are popular in the media. Children at this age lack judgement, therefore they can pick up things which are both negative and positive, depending on what they are being exposed to.

The worst thing that can happen at a party is running out of return gifts. Not only is it very disappointing for the children, but also quite embarrassing for the host. To avoid this situation, make a proper guest list and order a sufficient amount of gifts. In fact, we would advise you to order a few extra pieces, because let’s face it, it’s a kid’s party and mishaps can occur. Children lose things and there are few unruly ones who are always a bit destructive. When there are extra gifts at hand, you can always be tension free and there is no disruption in enjoyment for the kids.

Budget is an important factor in any buying process and we would like to emphasise the importance of it while buying return gifts as well. Setting a gift budget not only helps you save money but also keeps the whole party expense in check. In fact, why not go ahead and plan the whole party budget in advance so that you don’t end up overspending later. The gift budget should not take up more than 20% per cent of the entire amount that you are spending on the party, because there are other expenses that you need to keep in mind as well. There is food, décor, party supplies like paper plates, glass and disposable cutlery, and of course the birthday cake. Even if you are baking the cake yourself, there is the cost of ingredients and cake decoration. To stay within budget, buy in bulk or go for DIY gifts. Look to Pinterest, online tutorials and blogs for ideas.

We have compiled an interesting list of fun and affordable return gift ideas that your 5-year-olds are sure to love.

Getting children ready in the morning is a daily struggle that parents have to face. One of the vital parts of the morning routine is getting children to brush their teeth. Children can get fussy when it comes to getting up in the morning and brushing their teeth on a regular basis. When the long lectures on dental hygiene don’t work, these fun animal-shaped toothbrush holders are sure to do the trick. These brightly coloured toothbrush holders are shaped like your kid’s favourite cartoon animals like bears, cats and rabbits. They are sturdily built and can be easily attached to a smooth surface with the suction cups that come with it. They measure around 13 x 4 x 15.5 cm and are made of lightweight plastic. Buy these from Frirstcry.com for Rs.87.50.

Getting a child to eat and drink healthy is another colossal task. But with this cute Hello Kitty Sipper from firstcry.com, your child will readily gulp down water, fruit juices and health drinks without any fuss. This colourful bottle comes with a detachable strap which makes it easy to carry to school, activity classes and play dates. It measures 6 x 6 x 24 cm, is made of durable food-grade plastic and can hold 600ml of liquids. It’s also extremely easy to clean and store. Buy it for Rs.158.

Playing board games have been scientifically proven to benefit a child’s memory and help in the development of cognitive skills. In the age of computers and the internet, we have started to forget the simplistic fun that board games used to bring. By gifting board games as return gifts you will not only help with a child’s all-around development but also encourage an alternative form of entertainment which is any day more wholesome in nature. We recommend the Word Perfect Junior board game from Virgo Toys which helps in the development of vocabulary, improves grammar and enhance the child’s language. It’s priced at Rs.267. If you want a game which is less educational and heavy on the fun factor then go for the Funskool Kids on Stage Game which is basically a multiplayer charades game aimed at boosting a child’s creative skills. Buy it for Rs.303. You can find both of these and a lot more on Firstcry.com.

Children are always excited by goody bags and that’s why they are the best return gift options for a kid’s birthday party. A goody bag presents new treasures that they can uncover and explore. The Parteet Stationery Set contains 1 pencil case, 2 pencils, 1 ruler, 1 sharpener, 1 eraser and a dairy. Printed with motifs of their favourite cartoon stars, these goodie bags are sure to send your little party guests into a frenzy. Buy these from Amazon.in; a pack of 12 will cost you Rs.719.

It’s never too early to teach children the value of money and the importance of saving. Five-year-olds are beyond the stage of swallowing coins, plus they are also starting to learn Math in school. Buy giving a piggy bank as a return gift you will not only be encouraging them to save money but also help them develop their mathematical skills. Buy the classic pig shaped Speedage Piggy Money Bank from Firstcry.com. It’s made of plastic and is available in a selection of bright colours. It measures 18 x 11 x 12.5 cm and you can buy it for Rs.84 only.

Kid’s love bright colours and fun shapes incorporated into their daily lives. This cute little Fab N Funky Lunch Box with Sunflower Pattern from Firstcry.com will hopefully put a stop to your child bringing back half eaten lunches from school. This two-tiered flower shaped lunch box is small and cute enough to fit snugly inside your child’s backpack and comes with a plastic spoon and a fork. It’s lightweight, made of high-quality plastic and is available in a variety of bright colours. It will definitely make your child more excited about going to school. Buy it for Rs.117.

Reading to children and encouraging them to read is a practice which should be encouraged more. It helps the child develop a healthy imagination and also increases their vocabulary. If you want to introduce your little party guests to the joys of reading then give books as return gifts. You could give books from the Ladybird Read It Yourself Level 2. This series has all the well-known children’s classics like The Gingerbread Man, Princess and the Frog, Rumplestiltskin and many more. They are brightly illustrated and will hold the children’s attention until the end. Buy them from Amazon.in for Rs.89 only.

Let the children unleash their inner artist by giving them a jar of modelling clay. Play-Doh from Funskool has a variety of activity kits for children to try their hand at. The Funskool Play-Doh Shape Maker comes with plastic Cutters in the shape of a teddy bear, a car, an aeroplane, a cat and 2 cans of modelling compound all packed into a sturdy plastic jar. The clay is soft, pliable and non-toxic in nature. Buy the set for Rs.151 from Firstcry.com.

All you need to keep kids occupied for a couple of hours is a pack of colourful felt pens and some sheets of paper or a colouring book. Most children love drawing and colouring to their heart’s content which makes this pack of 15 multicoloured connector sketch pens from Faber Castell the perfect birthday return gift. These pens use child-safe non-toxic food-grade ink which makes them extremely safe to use. Buy the set for Rs.75 from Firstcry.com.

Children love cute and colourful things and these Cute Doggy, Teddy & Cat in a Basket Keychains from Oytra fit the bill exactly. Kids can use it to adorn their backpacks. These key chains are handcrafted and look extremely adorable. Buy them from Amazon.in. A set of six costs Rs.419.

Planning and executing a children’s party is easier said than done. But don’t give up hope yet. We have some expert tips that will help you sail through the day without facing too many hurdles. You just need to plan everything well and you will succeed in making your child happy.

To make the party fun and interesting for everyone, plan some amusing activities. You could play party games like passing the parcel, musical chairs, scavenger hunts, etc. or have fun completions like a talent show or three legged races. Include the parents in the fun by planning some parent-child activities as well. You could have a costume party with a small prize like a box of chocolates for the best costume.

The menu for a kid’s party should not be too complicated. Children are not fond of gourmet foods and it would not be wise to serve them things which are too spicy. Serve simple easy to eat food which does not create a big mess. The star of the menu will, of course, be the birthday cake. You can serve some delicious snacks along with it like finger sandwiches, chicken or fish nuggets, French fries with ketchup, fried fish fingers, fruit salads, ice cream and popsicles. You could also serve mini pizzas or penne pasta which is easy to eat with a plastic fork. Avoid noodles or spaghetti as they tend to be messy. We suggest that you skip caffeinated soft drinks and serve cold fruit juice instead.

Whatever return gifts you choose, make sure that the packaging is attractive as well. Children get attracted to the packaging first and a brightly coloured gift immediately attracts their attention. You could use colourful paper goody bags or decorated plastic jars. You can also find pre-packed goodie bags for sale. Buy these if you are short on time.