Children's Birthday Parties

odusgolp
odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
edited December 2024 in Chit-Chat
Looking for your creativity...

My son is turning 6. Every year we have a party down at our private neighborhood beach - swimming in the lake, full playground, volleyball for adults, pavillion w/ food, and even mini pony rides one year for the kidlets.Not many kids - usually 10, this year will be a tiny bit bigger and with older kids (he insists his 15 & 19 year old babysitters are really just his best friends).

While the party itself is always super fun, I hate the gift part (the child's favorite, surely :) Is there a more creative way to minimize the tearing open of gifts in a massive chaotic frenzy? Minimize the gifts all together? Have a gift exchange so all kids get something other than a goody bag??

I'm open to any suggestions.

Replies

  • 5stringjeff
    5stringjeff Posts: 790 Member
    Why not put on the invitations, 'presents not necessary - just come enjoy the fun' or something like that?
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    Why not put on the invitations, 'presents not necessary - just come enjoy the fun' or something like that?

    Presents might not be necessary to you, but they are totally necessary for a 6 yr old.
  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,576 Member
    When we had our kids' party (they have the same birthday but aren't twins), we opened the presents after the party so it wasn't a big crazy show and the kids weren't all cracked out.
  • morganhccstudent724
    morganhccstudent724 Posts: 1,261 Member
    We don't open presents during the party. Some people like it....some don't.

    I usually go to the dollar store and get one "not goody bag" present for every kid. Wrap it. Everyone gets a present.

    My mom does this for her BIG Christmas party every year. Every kids gets a present from Santa. My mom buys girl, boy and some neutral presents. Depending if you have non girly girls and what not. And she keeps any extras and uses them for the next year.
  • AwesomelyAmber
    AwesomelyAmber Posts: 1,617 Member
    People (most) try to be thoughtful in picking out presents for the birthday child, and each present costs $ that the giver may not necessarily have had (or planned) to spend... I don't think you can get out of it with opening them later or whatnot. I usually do cake and ice cream prior to gift opening so that the other kids have something to do. My son has always been happy with a small serving before opening presents or waiting until after to eat... I mean after all, yeah the other kids get cake, but HE IS OPENING GIFTS!! :wink:
    Of course what works for some, may not work for others :flowerforyou:
  • jplord
    jplord Posts: 510 Member
    When I was a mere pratt of a lad, we played a birthday party game called "Spiderweb." Each guest had a string and you started at the end of the string and began to gather it up, following wherever it went. After a lot of going in and out of doors, bushes, trees, underneath tables, etc., you would get to the other end and there was a goodie bag attached to it. Each guest has their own string, and each guest gets a different pathway or labyrinth or spiderweb...

    Yeah it is a pain to set up but it sure is fun to watch, and you can put the little brat you can't stand into psychotic spins by making THAT string a real doozie. Like up around the bannisters and then out the 3rd story window....and woven into the cyclone fence of the rabid dog's pen.... It's all about giving the kids a good time, right?
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    I once went to a party where the child DIDN'T open his gifts and I didn't like that at all... found it just bizarre! But it's not customary round these parts :)

    I think I just need to come to terms. Put some cake in the kids and make it work...
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    When I was a mere pratt of a lad, we played a birthday party game called "Spiderweb." Each guest had a string and you started at the end of the string and began to gather it up, following wherever it went. After a lot of going in and out of doors, bushes, trees, underneath tables, etc., you would get to the other end and there was a goodie bag attached to it. Each guest has their own string, and each guest gets a different pathway or labyrinth or spiderweb...

    Yeah it is a pain to set up but it sure is fun to watch, and you can put the little brat you can't stand into psychotic spins by making THAT string a real doozie. Like up around the bannisters and then out the 3rd story window....and woven into the cyclone fence of the rabid dog's pen.... It's all about giving the kids a good time, right?

    I like this. I like it a lot.
  • healthycrane
    healthycrane Posts: 5
    Personally, I'm not a fan of goody bags or presents. The goody bags are usually filled with junk that gets thrown away as soon as my son comes home, and he really doesn't need another 10+ toys scattered all over the house. I usually say "no presents please" and hope most parents respect our wishes.
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