Birthday gifts for children

I've just surfaced from a string of birthday parties ranging from 4 to 7 years (including my own kids) and here are a few lessons I've learnt:

• cheap plastic toys, no matter how flash looking, do not make good presents
• the latest craze toys do not make good presents (the birthday boy is left holding 4 identical transformers and 3 robotic Darth Vaders)
• age guidelines for "craft projects in the box" have to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

So what's a good birthday present for a child who's simultaneously receiving 20 other birthday presents bought, like yours, the day before? I've come up with:

• books (with exchange cards)
• comics (the old favourites like Asterix and Tintin)
• makeup and jewellery for girls (if the parents are ok with it) - a girl can never have too much makeup or jewellery
• things to take apart for boys (an ordinary toaster will do)
• high quality felt-tips, paints and paper
• and then I cheated and looked up more gifts.

I'm a bit rusty on presents for babies, and I need to come up with one by next week. Ideas, anybody? Preferably something that hasn't been posted online? I can google too!