gifts or money-which is best?

Yes older children prefer to have their own money to spend. With younger ones it's always difficult to know what they already have unless parents help. I usually stick to money or tokens and small stocking filler gifts.

We only give actual gifts to the little kids now and very small gifts for the rest of the family at the Boxing Day gathering.

My mum has resorted to money/gift cards for everyone now though and something small for under the tree.

Unless I have been told exactly what is wanted, it is money. But with the proviso that I get told what it was spent on :-)

Much better IMO to give money, with maybe something little to open, rather than spend more on something that won't be what they want.

I do this now for niece and nephew's kids, two of whom aren't even teens yet, since I wouldn't have a clue what to buy and one pair have so much stuff anyway.

For the girls' 'something little' I will often get something small from e.g. The Body Shop. Boys are more of a headache, I will admit, esp. having none of my own.

I gave up giving gifts many years ago so it has to be money.