Pocket money gift ideas

A child buying a gift with their own money is learning something worth more than the gift. The job of the adult is to keep the budget honest.

Set the amount, take them to choose it, and resist topping it up at the till.

Under £5, for friends

• A card they choose themselves and write in properly.
• Stickers, a pack of gel pens or a notebook.
• A single bar of the specific chocolate that friend likes.
• Hair clips, badges or a keyring for the school bag.

For grandparents

• A printed photo in a cheap frame - reliably the winning answer.
• Seeds or a small plant they can help pot up.
• A drawing, framed, which costs the price of the frame.
• A voucher book of jobs: washing up, weeding, making tea.

For siblings and parents

• A handmade coupon for a chosen film or a lie-in.
• Their favourite biscuits, wrapped properly.
• A jar of folded notes: one nice thing per note.
• Something they made: a bookmark, a painted stone, a friendship bracelet.

Free but not cheap

• A written letter, which lands harder than anything under a fiver.
• A drawing of something the two of them did together.
• A promise coupon with a real date written on it.
• Teaching them to wrap it properly - it turns £2 into something that looks considered.

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How to write it so it lands

• Set the budget out loud before you go in the shop.
• Wrapping turns a £2 gift into a considered one.
• Let them write the card unaided, spelling included.

Where to shop next

• Free gift ideas
• Time coupons printable
• Teacher end of year gifts
• What to write in a teacher end of year card
• Class party ideas
• Sleepover games
• Sleepover party planning
• Sticker reward chart ideas
• End of term class gift ideas
• Kids and school guides
• Printable school and party sheets
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas

Frequently asked questions

What can a child buy for £5?

A card, stationery, stickers, a chocolate bar, a keyring or a small plant - and the wrapping matters more than the item.

What can kids give as a gift with no money?

A letter, a drawing, a jar of notes or a coupon book of jobs and favours with real dates written on them.

Should children buy gifts with their own money?

It is a useful habit, as long as the adult sets the budget and does not quietly top it up at the checkout.