Is a book and crafts a lame gift for kids?

I’m spending my first Irish Christmas with my partners family. Both of his siblings will be there. One sib has 2 kids aged 3m and 3yr old while the other sib has an almost 2yr old.

I don’t think it’s expected for me to get anyone gifts as my partner is getting them all something but I’m still planning on getting his parents something as a thank you for hosting me. I also think it’d be nice to get the kids something small.

I’ve never spent much time around kids before so I’m not sure what to get them. Honestly they all seem to have more than enough toys, gadgets and stuffies to last a life time. So i bought them a few craft bits (chalk and moulding play dough). I also got them a copy of the book “Irish words for nature” by Manchan Magan as I just learned about him when he recently passed away and heard he was pretty popular.

However, I’ve been watching a lot tik toks of the Angel gifting trees in the USA and it seems people are really against these smaller kind of gifts for kids over there. It seems like people are spending hundreds of dollars on higher end gifts. Would it appear better to my in-laws if I got them something bigger/nicer? I’m still getting to know them all so don’t want it to look like I’m being cheap with their kids