50 most outrageous birthday presents for children

"For my birthday I wish for..."

Are we spoiling our children more than ever? Would you ever give your pre-schooler an iPad or £200 to spend at Toys R Us? Certainly some parents are, according to results from our recent MFM survey about birthdays, which we carried out with the Scotch brand.

While nearly half of you spend between £40 and £99 on your child’s birthday presents, another 34% do spend over £100. But it seems that the most outrageous and extravagant presents are given by other parents.

And there are clearly some very lucky (or you may say over-indulged) children out there. Spa weekends, diamond jewellery, and a whole field of ponies were some of the gifts that raised your eyebrows (and got some of you tutting under your breath).

But amongst all the laptops and designer labels, spare a thought for the child who was given a teabag…

We’ve collected our top 50 outrageous gifts as seen by you given to young children. Wrapping paper and a second mortgage at the ready

Too much too young

It seems children are never too little to receive big presents these days. While many adults would love an iPad, designer clothes and an electric ride-in mini car, some children merely need to reach their 4^th birthday with their arms outstretched. You were equally outraged by ‘age unsuitable’ gifts, from make-up to some rather nice hardware making its way into teeny hands. 

• 23 ponies
• 18 laptops
• 45 electric ride-in mini cars for toddlers
• 15 iPads (including four for 4 year olds and one for a 2 year old)
• Too many ipods for under 6s to even mention
• Personalised football kit for a newborn
• Ear piercing for a 2 year old
• Full sized piano for a 1 year old
• £2000 rocking horse for a 1 year old
• Xbox for a 4 year old
• Nintendo DS for 3 year old
• Laptop with internet access for 3 year old
• Blackberry for 10 year old
• TV for 1 year old
• £300 camera for 8 year old
• Designer cardigan for new baby (‘probably never worn’ muttered one parent)
• £250 designer jacket for baby’s 1^st birthday
• Versace jeans
• £110 Uggs for 3 year old
• Designer shoes for 2 month old
• Princess carriage bed for 9 month old
• High heels and make-up for 3 year old
• £40 perfume for 6 year old
• Georgio Armani perfume gift set for a 6 year old
• Stretch limo ride for 6 year old 

Outrageous (but we wouldn’t say no)

Gifts that make you wish you could be a child again, if it means you can have your very own one of these – and play on it all day!

• 8 quad bikes
• Snooker table
• Table tennis table
• Plasma TV
• Helicopter ride

Erm, no thank you

It’s not all joy and laughter when the wrapping paper is ripped off. You considered these five ‘presents’ to be outrageous in more of an ouch way.  

• Half-eaten box of chocolates
• £1 lucky bag
• 1000-piece puzzle of HRH The Queen (already opened) for a 5 year old
• Padded coat hangers for 1 year old
• A teabag – seriously!

Now that’s just showing off

These are the ultimate competitive birthday presents. No doubt more appreciated by the parents (and the green looks from other adults) than the little children themselves. Seriously, when you’re three would you rather a cuddly Peppa Pig toy or a silver Tiffany comb?

• Tiffany necklace
• Silver Tiffany comb
• Diamond tiara with real diamonds “that the Queen would be proud of”
• Diamond bracelet for 4 year old
• Solid gold customised iPhone for a 4 year old
• Caravan for 6 year old
• A shed in the garden with a fully-fitted children's kitchen installed by a professional kitchen fitter
• Uggs, Burberry coat and Ferrari ride-on toy – for a 2 year old
• Bike, scooter, tractor, skateboard and roller skates - all from dad
• £100 Disney store vouchers
• But then… £200 Toys R Us vouchers for 3 year old
• Ponies at a birthday party for a 1 year old
• Spa pamper day for friends of an 8 year old
• But then… A weekend away in a hotel for 10 friends with pampering session for a 10 year old
• And then… A birthday party abroad – all children’s flights paid for by child’s parents