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please help me! My dd (going to be 5) is sharing her party with her best friend. They are having a 'pirates and princesses' party at a local facility. I hate party bags and the tat that comes in them. I wanted to give the big swirly rainbow lollipops instead but I have only found one place that sells them at about £3 each. I have considered lollipop cookies as a possible alternative. Any other brilliant suggestions as a nice little treat to go home with?

Probably not as much fun or as decadent as you are looking for but how about a book?

The Book People do sets which you can divide up to share out.

I have also found inexpensive necklaces on ebay in bulk before. eg kitten ones when we have had a kitten themed party.

You can even buy watches in bulk online.

Although my DS1 did say that his favourite bit of going to birthday parties was the party bag (whatever was in it - tat or otherwise)

I did a party for 35 (eek!)... Went to local £1 shop and got loads of Disney mugs and money boxes that they had. I split them into boys & girls lucky dip tubs then each child a a dip as they left. All were v happy!!

I recommend The Book People also - you can often get 10 god books for £10. Also, Thorntons do nice childrens chocolate. I've brought children's mugs in the past and filled them up. For girls, why not buy hair accessories. I 've also seen comics given out as party gifts.

Agree with the Book people, but have also used Baker Ross. Their craft kits work out very cheap and are great fun www.bakerross.co.uk/category.asp?cat_id=ARTSCRKI&pf_id=&jump=0&sfile=1

One suggestion we pinched off here that went down well was inflatables - guitars/parrots/swords etc. Still tat, but big tat rather than lots of little bits.

www.robertdyas.co.uk/P~155242~Disney-Cars-Dynamo-Eco-Torch
www.robertdyas.co.uk/P~148276~Uni-Com-Ladybird-Wind-Up-Torch

I am thinking of these - although I'm hoping to find them cheaper!

99p shop had medium size rainbow lollipops. I usually raid 99p shop or poundland. We have had buckets from there and little craft kits in a bag. They have lots of plant kits in at the moment. We have also given books. This year they are making fairy houses and I am adding a pipecleaner fairy doll and some fairy snow dust (magic snow with glitter), and going to give small cone with mini 'fairy size' sweets - some mini smarties, mini mini eggs, mini mashmallows etc. You could do a celephane cone of little sweets tied with ribbon.

moomoo, my dd is just the same. As soon as she sees a party bag, she us ready for goodbyes. It breaks my heart that most of it ends up on the floor if the car by the time we get home.

Love the wind up torches, SnowyEyed!

You have given me a great idea with your lucky dip suggestion, Hairybaby... I'll make some kind of chest or old case for the party favours.

All I need to do now is decide what to give. Thanks for all the ideas

I just used two big plastic toy box tubs, then added shredded paper on top.

The £1 shop often has torches, great idea...i got my boys some good ones at xmas that are torches one end but like glowsticks if you press a different button. They think they are mini lightsabres!

I also had a big tin of sweets so they also took a couple of those as they left.

clearly, I need to check out the pound stores!!