What is a Fiver Party?

You may have seen the discussions going around on Mumsnet about the phenomenon of fiver parties. Hailed as a great success in America with the $5 party, the hype soon reached our shores and amongst even the most British of us, the topic of fiver parties has got parents' tongues wagging.

So what do parents think? One parent wrote on Mumsnet “It’s more sensible and less wasteful than loads of £5-£10 presents some of which will be duplicates, some never played with.”  And another commented: “I love the idea of it. No child needs, and parent lack space for, 20 odd gifts – if I received an invite worded well it wouldn’t bother me. Sometimes I’d rather give money than hunt for something that might end up in charity shop asap.” However, we know that there are also parents who worry about whether it seems rude to ask for or to give money.

What’s the benefit?

Let’s break it down, for most of us parents children’s birthday parties can be an expensive affair and a fair bit of hassle. If it is your child, you are expected to host everyone else’s children and you often end up with a pile of unwanted clutter. If your child is invited, you have a panic dash round the shops to find something only to worry how it will compare to the rest of the guest list's gifts, whilst in the back of your mind knowing that by tomorrow it will be forgotten about at the bottom of the toy basket.  It is no wonder the adults have rebelled!

Plastic Pollution

But perhaps inadvertently, the fiver party has actually hit on another critical factor, and that is the environment. A doll in a box, a set of cars, those mini figurines that end up stuck behind the sofa cushions; we are adding to the damage caused to the planet by the sea of discarded plastic. Many gifts will have a minimal life span because, frankly, they were not wanted anyway and children often have more toys than they ever need. So, by purchasing something cheap and plastic, we are contributing to the landfill problem. Fiver parties help parents earn their eco-friendly badge and do their bit for the planet.

What do we think?

What do we think at Little Futures, well, we think it’s genius…but there’s a better way to do it. We know that us Brits may need a little more prodding to truly accept asking for money is better for us, better for the person you’re asking…and ultimately better for the planet. We believe a cleverly worded link, where you can see the clear purpose of your contribution, is a more discreet and polite way of switching people's mindsets and getting the best for your child.