Oh, the birthday parties! You plan and work hard to make the day unforgettable, and usually things go really well. Then everyone goes home and you are left with a pile of presents to open. This is the part that causes me angst. We have so much already! My house is filled to the brim and my kids do not need to get one more thing. I used to collect the gifts and put them in the “gift closet” when they weren’t looking, usually to take out on a rainy day or give to our local toy drive every Christmas (sound familiar?). Then I discovered ECHOage! The answer to my worries of over-abundance. I wrote about this impressive company last year, but I wanted to mention them again because I think every kid should have an ECHOage party!
Basically, EHOage sends your guest list an e-vite that includes a way to donate to the charity of your choice. There are over 200 charities to choose from. This year my son chose Blessings in a Backpack, a charity that provides food for needy kids on the weekends when they are not in school. This is the fourth year my son has done an ECHOage party, and he always choses a food related charity (the kid loves to eat!). Since age four, he has been able to thank his friends for helping him feed hungry kids. I can’t tell you what an impact this has had on him. He’s developed an understanding that not everyone is as privileged as him, and that it feels really good to help and to give. The genius of ECHOage is that they split the donation so that your child gets a check for half of the money, making it possible for them to chose a gift for themselves. This way, the giving is associated with a good feeling, versus sacrifice (it is their birthday, after all).
Founded by two moms, ECHOage is a brilliant and easy way to teach your kids a little bit about being socially responsible. (This is not a paid endorsement or anything, I just really love this concept!)
Have a happy weekend!
xo Bar
{The poster my son is holding was designed by me, but ECHOage does provide “awards” that you can print and hang up at your child’s party.}
Very lovely idea. This is great. My daughter’s birthday is next week and I just went in yesterday to do the great toy purge to donate our out-grown toys. There are just so many. I’m curious as to how your guests responded to this type of gift giving. Do you do it for every birthday or is it an every other year thing? Do all your kids do this? What if one decided they didn’t want to? Sorry- so many questions!! You just seem to have this all worked out! Thanks in advance!
http://thisfineday.com
good questions! ok, so most guests are thrilled to donate money and not have to go out and buy a gift. there are always one or two who either are not computer people or just really want to bring a gift. i use echoage for the bigger parties and my kids LOVE it. they have no problem at all because they are still getting money for something they’ve had their eye on. my older girls now have small parties with just a few friends so we don’t do echoage for those. there are really no drawbacks to an echoage party other than the e-vite, which is just my own personal gripe. i love to make invitations! so now i send an invitation in the mail prior to sending the evite, it’s a double whammy. hope this helps. thanks rebecca!
Thanks for getting back to me! 🙂
I love your idea! It is very unique 🙂
I always donate toys, this also brings the happiness to me. How often do you do it?