Need help with incentivizing birthday gifts

Question/Poll

My daughter’s third birthday is in a few months and she already has plenty of toys. I would prefer people gift us money toward experiences/memberships to places around town and was trying to think of a creative way to get people to be interested in that sort of thing. I was thinking like a reverse raffle where I have different boxes decorated in the various membership options (science center, zoo, etc) and people can put in cash or a birthday card. Folks would “vote” then I tally up to see which membership was most popular. But then… what? Then I thought well maybe I could set it up beforehand then decorate the cupcakes in whatever won (kind of like a gender reveal) but then I’d have to count on people to remember to do it timely.

Anyone have any ideas? Has anyone else gotten people to contribute to memberships or other non- tangible gifts? Or did you simply go the no gift route (which I’m also considering).

I’m asking this group specifically because I imagine most of you are as sick of excess as I am. Last year she got probably close to 30 toys for her birthday. For a two year old. It’s too much. She doesn’t need all this crap.

Posted Aug 14, 2026, 12:33 AM UTC

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