I totally agree that kids have way too much stuff and I really don’t want my kids to get 30 presents for their birthdays. We only have kid parties every few years. On the off years, we have just the family party (that we have every year), or a small get together at a park with just a few friends and no gifts.

My daughter’s birthday is next month and I think we will do a book exchange this year. I have done this twice in the past and it has been a hit with the kids and their parents. Each child brings a wrapped book instead of a present. I usually make up a game – some version of duck-duck-goose or musical chairs or steal the bacon – to randomly distribute the books. Kids go home with a nice book instead of a goody bag full of plastic crap. I buy my own child a nice birthday gift. Everybody wins.