Gift Ideas for Kids

I was just thinking about what the best gifts are for the first few years of life. As a mom with three small kids, I feel like we have plenty of toys. So I try to think of gifts to give that are:

1. Non-cluttery

2. Useful or disposable

3. Something that kids love

4. Cost effective

So far I have a pretty solid plan for the first few birthdays, but I am still thinking on it. I am sure my list will continue to grow as my kids get older. So here is what I have so far:

First birthday: A helium balloon. It doesn't have to be a fancy milar balloon, just a balloon that floats. This makes every 1 year old I have ever met happy. Plus, it eventually loses air and can just be thrown away.

Second birthday: Tape or bandaids. (I got this idea from designmom.com). Those are both things that little kids LOVE to use, but are usually restricted in. 

Third birthday: Small flashlight. All kids love flashlights, but once again it's something they usually aren't allowed to use. Also, as a parent I like having extra flashlights on hand, so it's not something that I am annoyed to make room for in our home.

Fourth birthday: Art supplies or real kid size tools (small shovel, kid scissors, etc). It helps them explore their creativity, and once again it's something that is useful to have. 

Fifth birthday: Disposeable camera. It's really fun to give kids a camera and see the world through their eyes. This does have the stress of getting it developed, but if there is a walmart near you that isn't too bad. And it's just fun to let them be in charge and see what "develops" (sorry, couldn't help myself).

So, what are your go-to kid gifts? Any suggestions or ideas to add?