My soon to be 6 year-old daughter has too many toys (thanks to grandparents, friends, etc.). I'd like to have a party wher we can ask guests to bring something other than gifts. Any ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks!

well shouldn't u be happy that she gets gifts??? it is kind of greety to ask for something "ummm please dont get my daughter toys but anything else is fine??" y not just say "can I have 100$ for my daughter?"

Listen, I don't even have kids, but I can completely relate to the "too many toys" issue. The poor woman wants her home back. She is not being greedy (not greety). The guests would definitely bring gift regardless.

Ask people to bring a letter to your child for a time capsule to be opened on their 18th birthday, or some other occasion. Ask people to include in the letter a special memory of your child when he/she was small, and perhaps a photograph of them with the child. We did this for our son's first birthday, and the result was wonderful - much better than a gift.

What a great idea! I think many parents will understand that situation all too well!

I, too, had the same idea. What could folks possibly bring my one year old who needs nothing, when there are children who DO need? My solution:
I called a nearby church to get the name of some possible organizations to donate to. The one I selected is a women and childrens' shelter in my county serving those who need to leave a situation quickly. As it was put to me, these women have no time to take anything with them except what they can throw in a paper bag. I called them and they mailed me their wish list. Many items on the list are things that the guests can bring from home without having to buy anything, and I liked that, too. (Gently used clothing, etc.) A Feb. bday is too close to the Xmas season you are still trying to pay off! Depending on my child, I have every intention of continuing the tradition for each birthday. If I am able to raise a selfless child (good luck, I know) she will be proud to have been a part of this and look forward to contributing every year. Right now at age one she will be too little to open gifts, anyhow. I mailed the wish list with the invitations, and a note that said, "If you are so inclined as to bring a birthday gift, please consider the following option: In lieu of a gift for [child], you may choose to donate items for other children who may not have everything they need." I included a copy of the wish list and explained a little bit about the shelter, including their business card in invitations going out to my county. I also put up a sign at my workplace and have already gotten donations from there. I'll collect all through Feb. and up to the party before delivering the donations. I have gotten good feedback about the idea. I hope to make a difference to a few people!

I did the "no gift" birthday parties for my daughter twenty some years ago when she was young. Each year we both went to social services and she picked out a person that could not afford birthday presents and was born around the same time as her. We then mailed out invitations stating whether the child was a boy or a girl and the age. (That is all the information we were given. The childs name was private.) We had the guests either bring a gift for the other child or money to buy a gift. My daughter was involved the whole time. I thought I was raising her to be socially concious. She did not see it this way. To this day she talks about the excitment she felt she missed in not receiving her own presents and even though she had huge parties she always felt she missed out on the most exciting part. She did not become a more caring person by having me decide that she would reach out to someone in need. She became a caring adult who now works for an non profit organization, by the other activities she became involved in as she grew. She is 25 now, an amazing woman but she is adament about her children having their own special day that is truly their own.

That is interesting information. Thank you for sharing your experience of years. I can tell you are proud of your daughter and her choices, even though she was disappointed at the no gifts. To update the posts, at my daughter's one year old party she got gifts, anyway, and the organization I collected a ton of stuff for never contacted me even though I asked them to email me their updated want lists from time to time. I have had no updates or anything and I probably would not do that again. Maybe there's a medium ground between what you did and the overload of toys some kids get at parties. I think my next thing will be to sponsor a child for Xmas or something. It's time to start thinking about that. Perhaps instead of not letting my child get bday gifts I will involve her in helping me in sponsoring a child each year for bday or Xmas, in addition to getting her own gifts. The donation idea seemed like a good one at the time, but most of the party attendees seemed to want to give the birthday child something regardless of the request. I will pursue other avenues to try to make a difference in a child's life. And you know, thanks are not needed, but just a little bit of feedback via the grapevine to let a sponsor know the goal was accomplished, would make one want to achieve that goal again. I got nothing at all with my first try. I will try again. Any suggestions are welcome.

We had this same situation with our daughter a few years ago, but a little different. She wanted a huge party, so we rented a cabin to accomodate everyone - all 64 of us. On the invitations, which went to her friends, I simply wrote on them, "No presents please. Just your presence."

okay my best friend did this and it was THE BEST.
okay, you recieve all the presents wrapped and number them with a permanent marker, write down the numberes again on a piece a paper, and blow up balloons and rip out atiny piece of paper on it with the number on it. fold it and put it in the balloon and so on with the others! let ur friend pick a balloon and make them pop it! then they recieve that present that they popped with the matchin numbers! it was really fun! p.s make sure that on ur invitations it says that its a present swapping party!

Here's a couple more ideas, how about guests donating toys to Little Tots or food to your local SPCA.