How to Have a Book-Birthday Party
Books for Your Child, the Guests or a Charity
How it works
Guests do not bring a gift, but instead purchase books to bring to your party.
You choose who these books will be for.
- Books for your child,
- Books for the guests themselves, or
- Books for a charity of your choice.
Why do a Book Birthday Bash?
A friend came to me with a dilemma one day. She had just returned from a birthday party attended by her 3 year old son.
She was overwhelmed at the extravagance of the party and all the gifts the toddler had received. She told me, “The whole class was invited! What will I do when it is time for his party? I would like to invite the whole class, but I honestly do NOT want all those gifts in my house! Toddlers don’t need all those gifts!”
That is where a child book-birthday party idea comes in.
Have a Birthday Book Bash! You chose how to celebrate (3 ways) without loading up your home with too many toys!
How this child birthday party idea works:
Send invitations to guests explaining what to do.
You can recommend book titles for your home, a charity, or suggest they choose their own title for their child attending the party. Books are purchased ahead of time.
This is a great toddler party idea because usually toddlers do not yet have a full library, so you, the parent, has the wonderful problem of choosing what books you should get for your toddler! Consider book titles for your toddler to grow into!
It’s Better to Give than Receive
There are two options where the birthday child will be giving more than receiving and your child should be at an age where he/she can understand this concept.
- Build the Guests’ Library Party Option: Each guest purchases a book for themselves to celebrate reading. (Your child should be old enough to understand this, and let your child also pick a book for themselves.)
- Build a Library for Charity Party Option: Each guest purchases a book for a cause (classroom, organization etc.)
Suggestion for Invitation Wording:
“Abracadabra, hope you’ll appear! _________________ (child’s name) is turning _______ (age) this year! Please only bring a book for our home library. Skip traditional gifts!”
or
“Your child’s presence at the party will be the best gift of all. Please do not purchase a gift to bring. ___________ (birthday child’s name) is celebrating this year by helping __________ (organization name, classroom etc. – whomever your child wants to give books to) get educational books. Please bring a book to the party for ____________ (organization name, classroom etc. – whomever your child wants to give books to).”
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who provides and sends the invitations? You do. As the host you will pick out your invitations from a store as you would any other party. Our suggested text can be printed on a slip of paper and inserted inside the invitations to explain this unique child birthday party idea.
- How do the children choose their books? Guests can visit a local store, use any of our website links, or order from their favorite online website.
- Why is this child birthday party idea fun? You will be surprised by how enthusiastic a toddlers and tweens can be about receiveing or donating colorful unique high quality books! Children love picking out books for a good cause. Their hardest decision will be what book to give!
- What about the cake? What about the games? What about Party Favors? Of course, you need a cake and if you normally have games and party favors, you should still do all of this as well.
Why do this child birthday party idea, the Book Birthday Bash?
Birthday parties with a large attendance are very popular these days. When we lived in Texas, if you invited one tween in the class with an invitation, you had to invite the entire class of children! This can be a little overwhelming and makes one realize how affluent the world has really become (not to mention how affluent the school thinks parents have become!).
In Mexico, I watched a child fly his homemade kite made from a paper plate, string, and a twisted plastic bag for the kite’s tail. I couldn’t help thinking about how happy he was with his one “toy”.
If you find that each birthday means “WORK!” or each birthday means finding space for new items and a trip to goodwill with the old, maybe it is time to try this book-birthday party idea!
