Gift Opening Tips by Heather
To a child, one of the most exciting parts of his or her birthday party is opening the gifts! While this can certainly be a fun activity, the excitement felt by all of the children can result in some less-than-desirable effects. Birthday in a Box has put together some tips that will keep things fun, reduce issues, and ensure that everyone has a great time!
Teach Your Child Proper Gift-Receiving Etiquette
The day before the party, sit down with your child and go over expectations. If your child is younger, practice opening gifts by handing him a small toy and having him pretend to open it. Then, coach him on ways to thank the giver. You may also want to have him practice what to say if he’s given a gift he already has or doesn’t like, such as “Thank you, this is a cool toy.”
Make Gift-Opening an Activity
Not only is it fun for the birthday child to open the gifts in front of his friends, but it’s also fun for the guests to see their gifts opened. Here are some fun ways to open gifts that help maintain a child’s ability to focus on one gift at a time:
Gift Hunt- Before the party, write clues leading to various locations in your home. For instance, “If it’s a gift that you want, it’s a gift that you’ll see when you are looking behind the living room T.V.!” After the guests arrive, have an adult gather up the presents and hide them in the locations corresponding to each clue. When it’s time to open presents, hand the birthday child one clue at a time. As he finds each gift, have him open it on the spot.
Gift Pass- Have the guests sit in a circle with their gifts in their laps and the birthday child at the head. Going one-at-a-time around the circle, tell each guest to hand his or her present to the birthday child, who stops to open each one before taking another.
Musical Gifts- Position an adult near a radio so they can start and stop a song periodically. While the music is playing, have the children pass the presents slowly around the circle. When the music stops, the birthday child opens whichever present he’s holding. Continue play until all of the gifts have been opened.
Consider Saving Gifts for an After-Party Activity
Consider the age of your child, how well you think your child will handle the gift-opening process, the number of your guests, and how long opening all the gifts might take. If after all these considerations, you feel that it would be best to wait to open gifts with just the immediate family, let your guests know beforehand. And don’t feel uncomfortable- waiting to open gifts is becoming more and more common. It also gives you and your child another fun moment to share together as a family.
Visit www.birthdayinabox.com for more tips and tricks for your next birthday party!
-Guest post written by my friend Heather, from Birthday in a Box
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