I'll second, third? Lisa and Sov. Six years old is too young to teach a charity lesson at birthday time IMO. Their birthdays are about silly fun with their friends. Lisa's statement in regards to gifts (optional but please be sure to bring yourself blah blah) is as far as I would go. As the mother of a small child who has too much, I use these experiences to teach the gift of giving. The joy of finding a special toy (and a matchbox might be all that is for some but it's still special to a six year old) is a lesson I don't get to give very often so I really take advantage of it (our son is 4 and not yet in school). At 8 or 9 plus it's a fun idea to discuss giving a party for charity, but only as an idea for the child...you know when they're ready for this or if they ever are :) I bitterly remember the birthday where my father taught me about charity. I opened all the gifts and then they were given to the "less fortunate" (I had no idea who those people were because we didn't learn that lesson). It was really more about control (now that I look back on it) verses a lesson in charity, but to a small child...do they really know the difference? I think we often forget the "joy of giving" and focus on the receiving too much :) So I get where you're coming from, but for a child of six...it's a party :) Let them enjoy it as a six year old should. Goody bags aren't a tradition in our area of the country. But I think the cookie and balloon sounds great. Great for table decor and enjoyable for the kids to take home. Or you could go with a matchbox given the theme of the party (those cheap ones). I don't mind cheap crap...it makes DS smile. The fact that he does not know the difference between a one dollar car and a twenty dollar one actually pleases me. And I don't mind the matchbox's anyhoo...at least they're metal :) My DS is afraid of birthday cake (or was until this year when he's braved the frosting) so I guess we're not overly birthday focused, but he has enjoyed the parties he's gone to as long as we avoid the cake. I don't remember getting any party bags...wait maybe one, but perhaps that is just our circle of friends. I don't think a lecture on how to throw a party is necessary :) Family, friends, it does not matter. Kids should have special birthdays be it with their school friends or family or both. Special does not have to mean much. We had our favorite couple over with their two kids for DS's 4th. Then we repeated a simple dinner with grandma the next week (we were moving to her state). He enjoyed both parties immensely and both were quite simple. DS would love to attend by the way....do you allow 4 year olds? I promise to limit the plastic LOL

Jodi, See where the lable is, there is a 3 sided opening under that. It opens like a door. Just cut the 3 sides with an exacto knife. Flip it back and put the stuff in. I put a strip of packing tape over it then taped the lable over that. You can't see the slits until the lable is removed. Since he is 6, I really wanted to put something to embarrass him a bit, like a pair of underwear. I settled for sox. I put in small toys and dollars and change, and some candy. The person who introduced this on here, sent it in the mail, without wrapping it (just the lable.)

Will the girls be sharing for the rest of the time that you live in this home? If so, I would recommend planning for matching twin beds or bunkbeds now, so you can be sure you can match when it's time for little sis to have a big girl bed too.

Agree with the somewhat misplaced emphasis on gifts in our culture. I have never really liked the idea of giving guests gifts or favors at weddings, a custom that has seeped into adult birthday parties, christmas parties and even ordinary dinner parties. I do think that anyone in a position to do so should establish an investment account for their kid and have them read the statements and follow their stocks or mutual funds. Eventually they will appreciate it. We used to say our DD pinches pennies until Lincoln’s face bleeds— I don’t know what’s on a penny now, but she’s still at it. She had many merit scholarships and grants and basically paid for her own education, all three degrees. We contributed in a small way to her living expenses for her undergraduate degree, but once she was working she paid for the second and third without asking us for a dime. Some kids are just made that way. But she never turned down a clothes shopping trip! In her junior year of college I surprised her with a one day trip to the Mall of America. We flew up and back and bought her a new spring and summer wardrobe in a day.