Gift Ideas if You Don’t Want Physical Presents
When birthdays come around, many of us are fortunate enough to have an influx of gifts for our little ones, from generous friends, family members and birthday party guests. However, without meaning to sound ungrateful, I know it can also cause angst for some. Many of us are trying to cut down on the amount of plastic toys and/or unwanted toys that seem to accumulate, both in a bid to take care of our planet and to have less clutter in our homes.
It can be a tricky topic to navigate and I don’t think there is a perfect way to handle it, but I see no reason why you can’t specify on the party invite what your child would prefer as a birthday gift or that they would prefer no gift at all, or perhaps a small cash gift to put towards something they are saving up for, as long as it’s thoughtfully written and everyone’s budgets are kept in mind.
Membership
Membership to a museum, zoo, or aquarium: This is a great gift for children who love learning about animals, science, or history. Many museums, zoos, and aquariums offer annual memberships that allow the child to visit as often as they like. This is a gift that keeps on giving, as the child will have the opportunity to learn and explore throughout the year.
Gift Vouchers
Gift vouchers for a book, a favourite store, the cinema or a restaurant. This will allow them to choose something that they really want, and it’s a great way to encourage them to make their own decisions.
Experience or Day Out
Something that they’ll never forget. This could be a voucher for a theme park, a movie theatre, or an adventure park. The child will be able to look forward to the experience and create lasting memories.
Classes
Classes for music, dancing, sports or baking classes, depending on the child’s interests. A lovely gift that will give the child a fun activity to look forward to and also teach them a valuable life skill. For little ones you could consider Little Starts Gift Cards; The gift card for baby, toddler and preschool classes.
Subscription
A subscription is of course a physical gift, but one that will give throughout the year. A subscription to a kids’ magazine, a computer game, a craft kit, a gardening kit from Mud and Bloom, or how about a planet friendly subscription from It’s Our Planet Too. For younger kids, perhaps a toy swap subscription with Whirlior the Toy Box Club.
Online Classes
Online courses; with so many available these days, you can find one on just about any subject, such as a language course, a coding course, or even a course on how to create your own YouTube channel.
Tickets
Tickets to a show or event; a play, a musical, or a concert. If you’re not sure what the child likes, consider a gift card to a local theatre or concert venue instead.
Charitable Donation
Donation to a charity. There are lots of fabulous charities for animals and the environment that I am sure most children’ would be super happy to support.
Book Swap
Each child coming to the party brings a book that they have finished reading and swap it for another book from another child. While I admit it is technically a physical gift, this way everyone at the party gets a new book rather than the birthday child being inundated.
Fiver Party
Whilst we will probably all agree that these are not a very creative option, ‘fiver parties’ are growing in popularity and it’s easy to see why. Popping a £5 note in an envelope removes the need to worry about your budget and saves you time hunting down a suitable gift.
‘Fiver’ parties mean that the birthday child won’t be overwhelmed with too many presents and will have the opportunity to buy one larger gift that they really want and thus it saves the risk of duplicate or unwanted gifts.
For those planing to throw a ‘fiver’ party, do be mindful that £5 can be a lot for many families.
If you are looking for some Ideas on how to make these requests, the following may give you a good starting point:
“[Birthday child’s name] would love your presence at his/her party rather than a present”
“[Birthday child’s name] would be really happy just to have your time and company and there’s no expectation of a present. However, if you really want to bring a present, then [birthday child’s name] would be delighted to receive a small gift of no more than £5 to put towards [whatever gift they are saving up for], which they’ve got their eye on!”
“We’re so pleased you can make it. We don’t expect you to buy a gift, however if you’d like to, we’re doing something a little different this year; please put 3 coins in a card: 1 coin will be given to [birthday child’s name] to spend on a gift of their choice, the second coin will be put in their bank account to save for the future and the final coin will be donated to [insert charity].”
“Dear parents, please don’t buy a gift this year,
I promise, my child won’t shed a tear.
We’re blessed with plenty and have all we need,
Your love and presence is the greatest deed.
Your time and attention mean the world to us,
We value your love and care, it’s a plus.
So let’s celebrate with joy and cheer,
And cherish the memories that we hold dear.
Thank you for understanding our request,
Your love and support is truly the best.
Let’s enjoy the day, together as one,
And have a birthday celebration that’s second to none.”
You may also find some other ideas in my blog post on Eco-Friendly Birthday Presents for Children and you might be interested in Why It’s Now Socially Acceptable to Give Preloved Presents.
