We've all been there... it's 5 pm on a Thursday and you get a text, phone call, or find a note in your child's backpack, inviting you to a birthday party... this weekend! I'm a planner... a major planner. When I plan a party, I send invites out 3-4 weeks ahead of the party date, and over-anticipate the number of guests. It's a learned behavior passed down from my grandmother and father, who come from large families. It's just how we do things. So, what's a frazzled parent to do with zero notice? If you've got a few dollars to spare and an Amazon Prime account, I've got you covered with some amazing gift ideas that'll leave you feeling like the Birthday Hero (or Heroine) on a budget!

Check out my top birthday gift picks for kiddos of all ages!


If I had a dollar for every kid's birthday party we were invited to last year, I'd be sitting pretty. Seriously- every time I turned around, we were being invited to parties, and I felt like I was going broke! I hate to have to turn down an invite to a party- it disappoints the birthday boy or girl, my kids, and the parent or friend planning the party. But seriously- I can't afford to spend $100.00+ a month on birthday gifts for family members, classmates, and friends.

I've been keeping a gift stash at my house for years now... you know, a drawer, bin or closet filled with cool items that make great gifts. I pick them up when I see things on sale, or hit up good deals on Amazon when they pop up. This way, I have these awesome gifts on hand for last minute invites. Today, I'm sharing a few of my favorite gift picks for kids of various ages & I think you're going to love them. They're unique gifts, and they cost a fraction of the price of what you're probably used to spending on gifts.

SoapSox for Babies & Toddlers

Disney Baby SoapSox

My top gift pick for babies and toddlers is a SoapSox bath toy. If your toddler is like mine, they probably have tons of books and toys but are lacking in the bath toy department. SoapSox is a cute, cuddly bath lovey- a stuffed animal and washcloth in one! Now parents and kids can play with a fun bath pal that has a cute little pocket for soap and suds up when wet! You can get clean and play all at the same time. Double the bathtime fun!

Product Description: The new SoapSox® Disney Baby line of bath toys feature some of Disney’s most beloved characters including: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Ariel and Flounder from The Little Mermaid, as well as, Nemo and Squirt from Finding Nemo. SoapSox® drenched the bath toy market in 2013 when it introduced its lovable 2-in-1 stuffed animal washcloths. Now kids can cuddle their favorite stuffed Disney Baby companions during the day and then play with them during bath time at night for added fun in the tub. Snuggle, cuddle, and play together all day and when it’s time for your bath, bring them with you! A patented soap pocket transforms lovable SoapSox® into sudsy washcloth – just add soap and scrub.

Product Features + Benefits:

Easy for Parents and Fun for Kids

“Feed” SoapSox liquid or bar soap

Built in finger pockets

Eases anxiety for nervous bathers

Soft terry cloth exterior and an antimicrobial sponge interior

Machine washable

Age Range: Birth +

Available Characters:  Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Ariel, Flounder, Nemo and Squirt

MSRP: $12.99


Plus Plus for Big Kids

Plus Plus gives kids the fun and excitement of building- in a mini form!

Look how cute and tiny!

Plus Plus Building Sets are so much fun! These little tubes contain 70 pieces of little puzzle pieces, which fit together any which way you choose! You can build the projects that come with the sets or free-build, letting your imagination run wild! I love how small these sets are. They are perfect for a travel activity. My son is going to love playing with these in the car on our next trip out of town! They're perfect for gifting, great for stocking this holiday season and are even perfect for older kids and adults.

Plus Plus Building Set

Product Description: This 70 piece travel-friendly tube is a screen-free boredom buster for the whole family. Use the enclosed idea guide to build a spinning top, people, trees, flowers and more! Or, use your imagination and build in 2D or 3D. It's one shape with endless possibility!

Product Features + Benefits:

Travel-friendly

Made in Denmark

Inspires open-ended creativity

Engages users for hours

Age Range: 5+ Years

Colors Mixes Available: Basic, Neon, Pastel, Camo, Patriotic, Grayscale, Water and Earth

MSRP: $6.99-7.99


Playfoam Pals are a fun surprise for little and big kids!

Let's get creative with Playfoam!

If you know a child who loves to squish, mold, and play- plus be surprised by cute little hidden trinkets and treasures, Playfoam Pals are a gift-giving match made in heaven! Each container is filled with the same great Playfoam kids love- in various colors... but, surprise... there's a special and cute little friend hiding in the Playfoam! As a mom, I love Playfoam because it doesn't stick to things, and it doesn't dry out. My kids love to mold with it, and they are so excited to find the hidden pals inside! This is such a cute gift for kids!

Playfoam Pals

Product Description: Open this pod of Playfoam® and find a surprise inside -- hidden within each pod, you will find a wild animal friend! Playfoam is Educational Insights’ best selling squishy squashy molding compound that never dries out.

Collect all 12 Playfoam Pals to find the RARE GOLDEN animal critter, and use the squishy, squashy pods of Playfoam to sculpt nests, beds, perches, and other play props. Get to know Playfoam Pals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxa7WGL2lRE

Product Features + Benefits:

Pretend play develops social and communication skills

Sculpting with Playfoam encourages creativity and imagination

Playfoam is a no stick, non toxic modeling compound

Popping, swapping, and sculpting develops fine motor skills

Each pod contains a pack of Playfoam, a pop-apart Playfoam Pal and a critter fact with collection guide

Pop the Pals apart and swap their heads and bodies to create mixed-up combo critters

Collect them all to find the super-rare golden animal

First in a series (new series to be released in summer 2018)

Age Range:  5-10

Available Sizes: 1-pack, 2-pack, 6-pack, and 12-pack

MSRP: $3.99 (1-pack); $7.99 (2-pack);  $21.99 (6-pack); $47.99 (12-pack)


Education & Fun all in one from Highlights!

Practice handwriting and more in this fun write-on book!

I loved Highlights magazines when I was little, and now I have the pleasure of seeing my own kids enjoy them just as much! Now Highlights is offering a super fun Write-On Wipe-Off book which helps kids work on writing skills! This book is filled with fun puzzles and more to help encourage kids to keep practicing their writing skills! It's great for practicing at home and on the go!

Write-On Wipe-Off Let’s Write Words

Product Description: Write-On Wipe-Off Fun to Learn Activity Books feature reusable pages and a Highlights-branded marker (with a wipe-clean eraser) in a hidden wire-o spiral binding that lays flat. Kids love that they can write, draw, and puzzle all over these books, and parents and teachers love that kids can keep practicing essential skills—again and again! With the Write-on Wipe-Off Let’s Write Words kids can practice tracing and writing words while enjoying the book’s fun activities.

Product Features + Benefits:

Little ones who are learning to write will enjoy this activity book’s mix of puzzle fun plus writing practice.

Each 2-page spread is an amusing puzzle on one side and related words to copy on the other.

It’s a dry-erase book, for reusable practice, and spiral-bound so it lies flat for no-hassle writing.

Each write-on wipe-off page features a variety of puzzle types: Hidden Pictures® scenes, matching, mazes and more, to make it fun to write and learn sight words.

Parent guide on the front inside coverage gives parents tips on how to use the book so kids become more comfortable with high-frequency words.

Age Range: Ages 3-6

MSRP: $12.99

Want them? Get them!

Are you loving these gift ideas as much as I am? They're perfect to keep on hand during the year for quick gifts that kids will love! Click on the links above to purchase these gifts on Amazon.

What are some of your time and money saving ideas when it comes to quick gifts for kids? I'd love to chat with you in the comment thread!

Happy gifing!