Please comment why or why not!

My sister is going to give her kids gift cards for Christmas instead of presents. She says this way, the kids can get want they want. I honestly find it quite strange. I feel like gift cards are super impersonal and should be reserved for people you don’t know that well or aren’t close to (like a co-worker). Also, real gifts are more sentimental (for me anyways). I can pretty much remember every gift someone has given me. But the gift cards....I don’t purchase something and then remember ‘Oh yea, I bought this with the gift card such and such gave me.’

Bonus question: if you WOULD give your child a gift card, at what age would this be appropriate?