Kids don’t need presentation. Tie a gift card to a candy bar and your gift will be the highlight of the party! I let my kids do the decorating. They get into the word play and often make giant cards or boxes to hold the gift card.

CAUTION: Make sure you gift an amount the child can use without needing parents to pitch in on the purchase.

See what’s available in the GCG Store.

The Basics

Get Inspired: My step-daughter gave this gift to my son during his Star Wars phase. She knew he wanted to get something for his collection, but didn’t know what he needed. So she got him a gift card to Target with a placeholder toy. This is my basic recipe for any kid gift card. Get a small gift to play with now and a gift card to spend later.

Accessorize!

Get Inspired: Get her a gift card to that tween-trendy hair and jewelry store in the mall. Attach it to a ring pop and a candy necklace. She can pretend accessorize now with the candy and for real when she gets done shopping! Or deliver the gift card with accessories she’s always losing–hair elastics, bobby pins, nail polish, etc.

Zoo Review

Get Inspired: A zoo membership is a great gift for a young child and it can be enjoyed year round. Deliver a zoo membership with Animal Crackers, plastic toy animals, plush cuddly animals, or a book about animals. Give mom a bottle of hand sanitizer to stuff in her diaper bag.

The Gift of Apps

Get Inspired: If you’re buying for a teen or tween who has a smartphone, get a gift card for new apps or new tunes. Deliver either gift card with a new set of ear buds, CD’s to burn a custom mix, or just a list of songs or apps you think he’ll enjoy. For example, deliver the iTunes App Gift Card with your “Top 10 Favorite Apps!” Simple and personal.

Goin’ to the Movies

Get Inspired: This is a simple idea that works for any kid who loves to go to the movies–simply get a gift card to the movies and put it on top a box of movie candy. If mom approves, you could offer to drive and chaperone a group outing. For younger kids, get a gift card to the movies and partner it with a licensed toy. I picked up this Fandango gift card and toy car at the grocery store. Gifts for kids has never been easier.

A Magical Gift

Get Inspired: Treat kids to an amusement park in your area (or ask mom where they’re headed next). If they can’t go to the happiest place on earth, perhaps they can visit the Disney store instead. Deliver a Disney gift card with the start of a pin collection or something simple from a favorite Disney character.

Ice Skating

Get Inspired: Get a gift card to the ice rink and deliver it with a pair of inexpensive gloves, a carton of hot chocolate, or a fluffy pair of socks. This activity isn’t just for the holidays. Kids love to cool down at the ice rink during the summer as well.

To find an Ice Skating Gift Card: Search online for “public ice skating rinks” open year-round or select a popular outdoor rink open during the holidays.

Roller Skating

Get Inspired: Get a gift card to the roller skating rink and deliver it with glow stick necklaces or a pair of roller derby socks. Or get a roller skating cookie cutter and deliver a skating gift card with a plate full of roller skate cookies. What kid wouldn’t be delighted?

Roller Skating Gift Card: Find a roller skating gift card at the local rink.

Bowling

Get Inspired: Get a gift card to the bowling alley and deliver it with toy pins, a bowling card game, funky socks, or hand sanitizer and deoderizer for those rented shoes!

Or borrow the roller skating idea and make a plate full of bowling pin cookies as well.

Dough to Spend

Get Inspired: Refer to the gift card as “dough” and deliver it with Play “Dough” and a few inexpensive cutters. Or deliver a toy store gift card with any small toy–just something that a child can play with immediately while waiting for the chance to go shopping.

Extreme Teen

Get Inspired: Add a gift card to any XTREME, EXTRA, or a SUPER snack and you’re ready to deliver well wishes: Hope your birthday is XTREME! You’re EXTRA Special. You’re a SUPER Teen! Putting a Target gift card with a pack of XTREME Sour candy is a favorite with my kids and the birthday parties they attend. (Plus it’s easy for me!)

Book and a Movie

Get Inspired: For the kid or teen who loves to read and go to the movies, get a copy of the upcoming blockbuster book and deliver it with a movie gift card. Think Harry Potter, Twilight Series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Or get a movie gift card and pair it with a DVD of the first movie in the series. For example, get a DVD of Shrek I and deliver it with a movie gift card so he can watch both in the same day.

Cosmetics

Get Inspired: Get a Tween or Teen girl a gift card to a trendy cosmetics store and attach it to an eyelash curler, new lip gloss, or inexpensive make up brush. If she’s newly wearing make-up, she’ll want to experiment so select a place that allows her to get samples or try a few testers.

Clothes Horse

Get Inspired: Whether it’s back to school time or the wardrobe needs an update just before summer, kids enjoy getting new clothes just as much as adults–at least in my house that’s true. Get a gift card to a clothing store they like and deliver it with new socks or flip flips for the upcoming months. (Or candy. Did I mention kids love to get candy?)

I Scream You Scream: Ice Cream!

Get Inspired: Deliver a gift card to the ice cream parlor with his favorite topping. (My kids like gummy bears.) If he’s a younger child, attach the gift card to a travel pack of wet wipes so mom doesn’t come after you later. We’ve gift carded several birthday kids with ice cream or yogurt store gift cards and it always gets a wonderful reaction at the party.

Pizza and Tokens

Get Inspired: Here is an easy gift card idea, but you’ll have to make a trip to the store yourself. Get a gift card to his favorite pizza place and attach it to a baggy full of tokens or quarters for the arcade games at the restaurant. (Honestly, he won’t even care about the pizza.)