What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Birthday Party?
For me it’s simple: Cake or Cupcakes.
Ask a kid, and you’ll probably hear “presents,” but what do we really love about presents?
Here are 5 reasons why I think traditional birthday gifts should be a thing of the past.
No Kid Enjoys Watching Another Open a Pile of Gifts (whether they brought the coolest one or not).
You’re eyeing a mountain of sparkly wrapped gifts in the corner of the room. If it’s your party you’re probably trying to figure out how to get them to your car without having to open them in front of everyone. If it’s a party for your kid you probably know boredom strikes all kids just as the birthday boy/girl reaches to open gift #2 and if this isn’t your first birthday rodeo then you’ve probably planned a gift bin that will be delivered to your house so the birthday girl or boy can open them later.
Picking Out the Perfect Gift is _______. (hard, stressful, time-consuming, D. All of the Above).
You delay gift shopping, stall at all costs, but when you finally have to make a decision you second guess green or blue, will she even like this? Once you decide on the gift then there is wrapping paper, tape, bow and a card to consider. You agonize over which toy, the perfect toy and are happy with your selection. You wrap, sign cards and head off to the party only to realize party kid’s not even opening the presents here, they are just going in a bin. Feeling a bit taken, you surrender the gift and never think of it again.
Sometimes You Get Something Cool, but then You Get 3.
There are such thing as cool gifts. It just so happens that the cool gift is usually on everyone’s radar. The popular game, action figure, water gun is popular because all kids are asking for it. The most disappointing thing that can happen is to open one really awesome, had to have gift, for it to be followed by many more of the same gift. Host parents are now thinking, what are we going to do with all of these (blanks).
You Never Really Get What You Want (Unless You Have Awesome Parents)
I remember parties where I was excited to open my beautifully wrapped gifts, sometimes they were great and other times I cheerfully smiled and thanked the giver but thought….really? A sticker collection? Thanks but what do you do with them? My friends would bring dozens of surprises most of which I probably never played with, but I always knew my parents would give me something I loved! There’s always something a kid wants, but their friends may not know about it or it may be unlikely that friends will gift it due to price.
There’s a Better Way To Give
There’s been a rise in presentless-parties also known as “charity parties.” You’ve probably started to hear that kids are asking for animal supplies for a local shelter, can goods for a food bank etc, but have you heard of Kids Can Give Too? KidsCanGiveToo.com allows kids to invite their friends to give a monetary donation instead of a traditional wrapped gift. After the party, the donations are split between the birthday boy/girl and the charity they chose. Teaching the kid to share a little with a cause they love, while still allowing them a perfect gift. Something that they can pick out for themselves with their own VISA Gift Card that KCGT mails to their home with a certificate congratulating them on their new super-hero status!
Long gone are the days of rushing out before a party to buy a gift, wrapping it in the car, throwing it in a bin…for a mom to later have to shove in a closet. Let kids celebrate with their friends, pick out a great gift and help someone else at the same time!
