How to Have a Giftless Birthday Party

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Giftless Birthday parties are a growing trend. Parents see that their children's rooms are filled with toys that they don't play with and there is no room for more. They also want their children to focus on having fun with their friends and not on gifts or gift giving. Here is how you would give a Giftless Birthday Party.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Invitations
Cake and Ice Cream

Step1

Talk it over carefully with your children and tell them that this year all their friends will be coming to the party to celebrate and won't be bringing gifts. Have your child come up with ideas on how to celebrate with their friends and what games they would like to play.

Step2

When you are making up the invitations include a line that says “No Gifts, Please".

Step3

You may opt to have guests donate to charities instead, but there may be a conflict if your guest does not support the cause of the charity that you have selected. Plus, it may complicate and confuse your guests and they may feel as though they are be "hookwinged" into giving to your charity.

If you still want to have them donate to a charity, there is a website now that helps you prepare invitations and guide your guests called Echoage that may be a better, less confusing option.

Step4

Be prepared for questions as you will have parents that when they RSVP will question you about no gifts. Explain to them that the goal behind a no-gift birthday party is to get a group of kids together to celebrate their friendship.

Step5

Cake and food should still be served and gift bags are not given for the guests as this is a giftless party. Fill the time that would have been alloted for presents to have a magician perform or play old fashioned games, such as sack races and apple bobbing.

Step6

Do not be surprised if several guests still bring gifts. You can either insist they take the gift back with a big smile or thank them and put it out of sight from the other guests so they will not feel uncomfortable.

Step7

After the party, and your guests have left, have your child open up the presents that you and other family members bought for them.

Resources

Echoage.com

Comments

vikki9 said

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on 6/30/2008 This is a great idea - and reduces the amount of clutter built-in to a traditional child's birthday party. As an expression of gratitude, a packet of flower seeds might be given to each guest w/ a note of thanks for attending the party to celebrate the very special day. Thank you for this forward-thinking article! Five candles!

amylaine said

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on 6/25/2008 I have found this to be a great way to do things with friends. With family we have set up a college fund for all the kids in the family and money is donated around gift giving season's. Only the parent's give gifts to the child. Well, sometimes grandma too.