Gift Giving Alternatives for Birthday Parties
Written by Lisa Kothari From Peppers & Pollywogs
How often have you opened a kid’s party invitation and the host parent has requested No Gifts Please? It’s happening more and more these days and it often leaves the guests’ parents in an awkward position. If you don’t bring a gift and do as you are asked, often you arrive to the others all having brought a gift anyway!
Alternatives to Requesting No Gifts at Kids’ Birthday Parties
To relieve the awkwardness of this situation for your guests, use one of these creative ideas as an alternative to requesting No Gifts:
- Host a book exchange and organize it in a few different ways:
- Guests bring a wrapped gift and everyone takes one home.
- Some open the books on the spot; others wait until the kids have gone home.
- Give your child an experience rather than a party. If you allow friends to be invited, let the experience be the celebration, not the stuff.
- Hold an inexpensive gift exchange (under $10) so that every child receives a gift.
- Request art supplies and donate them to a shelter.
- Hobbit Practice – Better to Give than to Receive! Each child receives a gift, although they do not bring one.
- Request a donation to a great organization like http://www.heifer.org/.
- Contact a charity that is a favorite and ask for a Wish List, i.e. a list of stuff the organization really needs. As an example, the humane society may need leashes, collars, toys, etc. Request guests bring these items in lieu of birthday gifts to donate and make the wishes come true!
- Whatever donations are brought to the party for a favorite charity, have the birthday child deliver the donations to his chosen charity.
This is a great round-up of ideas that are alternatives to traditional party gifts. Also, keep in mind if you are concerned about the amount people will spend on a party gift for your child, it is appropriate to write in your invitation, Gifts under $__ would be appreciated. Putting a price limit guideline on the invitation can help to keep gift-giving budget friendly.
Happy Gifting ─ or not!
I wonder if there is an organization that could match the birthday up with another child whose birthday it is (or might be close) and who is less fortunate. Kind of like “Toys for Tots” – but for birthdays…
This is a creative list! I have mixed feelings on the charitable giving request, though. I think it’s important to state that gifts will be donated on an invite so guests aren’t insulted, but I also think it’s actually more awkward to specifically request items to donate. I think those are nice gift ideas if they are chosen by the giver, but less so if chosen by the parents of the recipient. If I’m going to your child’s party, I want to bring something they will enjoy, even if it’s something small/consumable. I also like the idea of bringing gifts related to the party activity. We did spooky gingerbread houses for my son’s last party, so we could have suggested that people bring their favorite candy to include. Or for guests to bring a small item for a relay race prize. Or a craft item to make birthday hats. Or a dress up item so the kids can dress up and take silly pictures. That way, we can still choose something we think the birthday child will appreciate and families aren’t adding too much to their overabundance of stuff.
I am in this very dilemma for this weekend. Birthdays which say bring item for food pantry only or no gifts please have each had everyone bring a gift anyway. We don’t want gifts but I would hate to put anyone on the spot to feel odd and not have gifts if others bring it.
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I am in this very dilemma for this weekend. Birthdays which say bring item for food pantry only or no gifts please have each had everyone bring a gift anyway. We don’t want gifts but I would hate to put anyone on the spot to feel odd and not have gifts if others bring it.
Who does that? We’ve never been invited to a birthday party where a gift wasn’t expected / required. I think that’s kind of mean, not only to the birthday kid, but to the kid giving the gift. One of the big highlights of a party for kids is watching the birthday kid open your gift. If I were invited to a party like this, I might not come just because of it, but if I did go, we would probably send an invitation for the birthday kid to join us for a night of bowling, movies, or video games. That would avoid the awkwardness of being the only one WITH a gift or the only one WITHOUT one!
My son had been to a party where gifts were not required. Matter of fact no one brought any, but in honor of the little birthday girl we all pitched in and gave extra money for the fun machines for them to play. The party turned out great!