Deposit a Gift is a great tool for wedding and baby showers; but it’s also perfect for throwing a kid’s birthday party, where experiences are requested over gifts! You might balk at the idea of choosing not to buy gifts for your child’s birthday. After all, we remember celebrating our own birthdays as kids, along with the anticipation of receiving gifts and how much fun we had at our parties. Why would we want to take away that joy from our children? Truth is, most of us won’t be able to recall exactly what we got for all these birthdays; what sticks for years to come is the experience of spending time with your loved ones, not the trivial stuff you accumulate. This is why lots of parents are shifting their preferences toward a birthday with a greater emphasis on experiences, not things.

There are tons of great experiences you can put on your child’s birthday registry. A fun trip to Disney World or Universal Studios comes to mind. A cheaper alternative would be a day at the local zoo or amusement park. And what better gift can there be than helping your child find a hobby or passion they love? Sign them up for swim or dance lessons!

This is also the perfect opportunity to teach your child a valuable lesson on being a good citizen. Consider donating part of the birthday proceeds to a charity of your child’s choosing; if your choice is local, allow your son or daughter to personally present a certificate to the organization for a great way to make them proud and eager to help in other ways in the future!
A cash birthday registry based on experiences is a win-win for all; parents won’t have to worry about their house being cluttered with toys and children will have great memories to last a lifetime. Furthermore, with the current state of the economy and a growing emphasis on going green, guests will be thrilled to be spared that annual trip to Toys”R”Us. If you want to see some great examples of how it’s done, check out these registries for Ethan and Moses or Cheyanne!