Would You Give Up Your Birthday Presents?

    Claire knew exactly what she wanted for her 12th birthday. She would have a sleepover with 11 of her friends, pizza—and no presents. 

    Guests were asked to bring money instead of gifts. Afterwards, Claire would donate the money to a charity she cares about: the American Red Cross.

    Claire isn’t alone. More and more kids are giving up gifts so they can raise money to support important causes. Will no-gift birthdays become a new tradition?

    Claire knew what she wanted for her 12th birthday. She wanted a sleepover. She invited 11 friends. She served pizza. And she did not get any gifts. 

    Claire had asked her guests to bring money instead of presents. She wanted to give the money to a charity she cares about: the American Red Cross.

    Claire is not alone. Many kids are giving up gifts so they can raise money for important causes. Will no-gift birthdays become a new tradition?

    Claire knew exactly how she wanted to celebrate her 12th birthday. She would have a sleepover with 11 of her friends, a lot of pizza—and no presents. 

    Claire asked her guests to bring money instead of gifts. Afterwards, she planned to donate the money to a charity she cares about: the American Red Cross.

    Claire isn’t alone: An increasing number of kids are choosing to give up gifts so they can raise money to support important causes they believe in. Will no-gift birthdays become a new tradition?

    A birthday party without gifts might seem a little sad. Who doesn’t love a pile of brightly wrapped presents waiting to be ripped open?

    But kids who have had no-gift birthdays say they don’t feel like they’re missing out. Often they still get presents from family. That way, they don’t totally give up the thrill of receiving a new video game or headphones.

    And helping other people is a thrill of its own, says Claire. She’s proud to support a good cause—and get her friends to care about it too.

    During her sleepover, Claire tore open her birthday cards with her friends’ help. Then they counted the cash that was inside. “We couldn’t believe how much money we had collected,” she says. “We were all really excited.”

    A birthday party without gifts might seem sad. Who doesn’t love a pile of presents waiting to be opened?

    But kids who have had no-gift birthdays say they don’t feel sad. They still get gifts from family. So they still get to open a new video game or headphones.

    And helping others is a thrill too, Claire says. She’s proud to support a good cause. She also likes getting her friends involved.

    At her party, Claire opened her cards with her friends. Then they counted the cash that was inside. “We couldn’t believe how much money we had collected,” she says. “We were all really excited.”

    A birthday party without gifts might seem a little sad. Who doesn’t love a pile of brightly wrapped presents just waiting to be ripped open?

    But kids who have had no-gift birthday celebrations say they don’t feel deprived at all. Often they still get presents from family, so they don’t totally miss out on the thrill of receiving a new video game or headphones.

    And helping other people is a thrill of its own, says Claire. She takes pride in supporting a good cause—and encouraging her friends to take an interest in it too.

    During the sleepover, Claire and her friends tore open Claire’s birthday cards and counted the cash that was inside. “We couldn’t believe how much money we had collected,” she recalls. “We were all really excited.”

    The trend of no-gift parties is growing, experts say. But choosing to give up gifts is not for everyone. For millions of teens, a birthday is a big deal. It’s a once-a-year chance to get the things they need, like new clothes. 

    And what about the gift giver? We all love choosing the perfect present for someone we love. Is it fair to take that joy away from our friends?

    Plus, there are plenty of other ways to support a cause you believe in. You can try holding a bake sale at your school or running a race to raise money. Is a birthday party really the best time to ask people to donate?

    The trend of no-gift parties is growing. But this trend is not for everyone. For many teens, a birthday is a big deal. It’s a once-a-year chance to get the things they need, like new clothes.

    And what about the gift giver? It feels good to choose a great gift for someone we love. Is it fair to take that joy away from our friends?

    Plus, there are other ways to support a good cause. You can hold a bake sale at your school. You can run a race to raise money. Is a birthday party really the best time to ask people to donate?

    According to experts, the trend of no-gift parties is growing. However, choosing to give up gifts isn’t for everyone. For millions of teens, a birthday is a once-a-year opportunity to get the things they need, like new clothing.

    And what about the gift giver? We all take pleasure in selecting the perfect present for someone we love. Is it fair to take that joy away from our friends?

    Besides, there are plenty of other ways to support a cause you believe in—like holding a bake sale at your school or running a race to raise money. Is a birthday party really the ideal time to ask people to donate?