10 Unique and Affordable Birthday Gift Ideas for Your Kids

Hip, hip, hooray! Turn a photo book into a treasured birthday present they’ll break out year-round.

Advice

Kids' birthday parties conjure up images of screaming children, half-finished party games and lots of sticky fingers all over your white couch—and while planning the perfect birthday party may make you want to rip your hair out and give up, it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s one thing you can take off your to-do list: Finding a fun and affordable gift for your kid. (And yes, great presents can absolutely be cheap birthday gifts!) The most important part about choosing the right gift idea for your kid is that it comes from the heart—bonus if it’s an affordable idea, too! Read on for the best gift ideas for kids when you’re working within a budget.

With birthday parties comes a laundry list of planning and organizing. And after all the cake, decorations and presents, your camera roll is absolutely full of amazing moments. After the big celebration (and let’s not forget the first birthday photoshoot if you’ve got an infant), you’re going to have a lot of photos you’ll want to display. Print your favorite photos in a super high-quality photo book, like a Layflat, and send your in-laws a copy in a Classic Photo Book.

Art Portfolio

Let’s face it, there’s not enough room on your fridge to fit all your kids’ beautiful art pieces. It’s hard to find a solution that both pleases your little artist and you. Don’t stress, because the solution to your problem also makes for an awesome birthday present. Take photos of all their artwork and print them in a Classic Photo Book, perfect for preserving the memory while saving the space. Imagine your kiddo’s face when they open up a personalized book filled with their art pieces, specially bound in a book just for them.

ABC Book

Add a new book to your toddler’s collection with an ABC Book of their favorite people and things! Print a picture on one page and add a text page to the other side with a word that corresponds to the photo (and a new letter of the alphabet). For instance, you can write the word “Grandpa” on one side, and print a picture of their grandpa on the adjacent page. Check out this video to see how you can create your own!

Hobby Highlights

Whether your child knocks it out of the park in little league or practices like they’re the next Beethoven at piano lessons, their hobbies are hard work. Creating a Classic Photo Book highlighting their big games and recitals, not to mention late nights practicing or rehearsing shows how much you care about such an important part of their life.

Custom Story Book

Does your little one have an imaginary friend, or a story they wrote at home or in school? Turn it into a book they can actually flip through! Add pictures of any art they’ve drawn, or photos you’ve shot of them “having tea” with their imaginary friend, and use text pages and captions to create a story they’ll want to read at bedtime every night!

Family Stories and Messages

Ahead of their birthday, gather photos, stories and sweet messages from family and close friends to compile a personalized book of memories and uplifting words for your child’s birthday. This way, they can be showered with love beyond one day of the year—and have a special photo book to look back on filled with great memories (and plenty of love) for whenever they need it.

Yearbook

From school photos and family vacations to annual spelling bees and learning to ride a bike, every day comes with a new milestone. Print their everyday moments in a Yearbook so no moment gets lost in your camera roll. They grow up so fast, and you don’t want to forget their excitement over losing their first tooth—and you definitely don’t want to lose the photos from the day your toddler accidentally shaved their eyebrows off, either!

Selfies

Let’s be honest, we let our kids play on our phones when we need a moment of peace and quiet. And sometimes they don’t stick to the games we allow them—they head for the camera. Save every candid, selfie and comical screenshot in a photo book they’ll never expect. Embrace the silliness!

Fairytale Story

Using pictures of your family in Halloween costumes over the years, place a picture on one page and a text page adjacent to it, and use that text page to create a fairytale where your kiddo is the hero. Get creative with the plot—your family will love how silly their new favorite story turns out.

Monthly Memories

Whether or not your child has their own cell phone, with a monthly photo book subscription like Monthly Minis or Monthbooks they can choose 30 of their favorite photos each month—and their choices will probably surprise you!—to print and display. When looking at printed photos, 75% of kids feel a stronger sense of identity, plus they’ll get to preserve their special childhood memories in real-time. Every month, you’ll see which moments were the most important to your kids.

Recipe Book

If your budding chef has a lot to say when it comes to the kitchen, why not whip up a custom recipe book? From their favorite spaghetti dishes to the interesting dishes they invent (like that time they insisted on adding marshmallows to their chicken noodle soup), your kiddo will be delighted to see pictures and instructions of their favorite recipes—both real and imagined!

Every birthday seems to fly by faster than the last, which is why a sentimental, not to mention fun and affordable, photo book is a no-brainer. And after all the time you spent picking decor, desserts and party invites, you’re going to want to save every moment from their birthday. After you gift your child with the best gift, take it won’t step farther and print every pic from their birthday party in a super high-quality photo book like a Layflat or a Classic Photo Book.