What do people think of party bags?????

[MrsChristianTroy]

When we were kids, back in the 1970's, we used to get a balloon, a 'blowie thing' and maybe some crayons, and a bit of birthday cake wrapped in a serviette. In recent years I have experienced my neices and nephews parties, which have party bags with stuff in that costs between £10-£15 each??!!! We are talking Beanie baby teddies etc etc. Personally I think this is ludicrous.....as if bringing up kids isn't expensive enough. I would be happy to do 'traditional' party bags for my DD's 1st birthday in May, but fear I will get them thrown back in my face by the little brats...!!!! I once read an article in good housekeeping about how it was now like a competition between mums to see who could go one better than the last party bag.....is this true??!!!!!

[BizzyDint]

you are doing party bags for a 1 year old party? crikey! maybe the guests are older.

[LilyLoo]

I think a nice book costing about a pound is much better.

[Hulababy]

I did party cups this year. Girls got a pink plastic beaker. Half filled it with crepe paper. On top of that I put on a little necklace, bracelet and ring (little plastic flower ones), a mini iced bun, a mini chocolate bar and a balloon. This was then put in a cellophene bag and tied with curcling ribbon. Boys cups were priate ones and had pull back cars in. Not expensive overall. They did look prety good, compared to traditional party bags.

Last year I got books from The Book People.

[paulaplumpbottom]

I love doing party bags and I love putting nice things in them but would never put something worth more than £2 in one.

[MrsChristianTroy]

bizzydint -it is a family party, her cousins are 3, 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13!!!!!

Hulababy -sounds like a good idea.....might have to copy that one

[MrsChristianTroy]

I would love doing party bags if I thought they would be appreciated. I'm afraid I'm a bit old fashioned and I think SOME kids get far too much these days, and therefore expect so much more.....

DD's cousins are brats unfortunately, I am sick of going to the effort of making homemade cakes to be told they taste 'disgusting' (probably cos they are not full of e numbers and preservatives!!). By the way, my cakes most certianly are NOT disgusting.....Delia would be proud!!

[Hulababy]

MrsChristianTroy - I got the beakers and bags/ribbon from Party Pieces online. The toys came from an ebay shop.

[crunchie]

I did them this year witha budget of £1 per bag. Thsi included a couple of toys a glow stick, choccy bar, bag of sweets and cake.

Look at Baker ross, I got nice colourin sticker sets for 40p each, glow sticks were 12p each, freindship bracelet 13p, bounching bals 18p each etc.

[pointydog]

everyone loves party bags on mn.

[stitch]

only do party bags if a you can afford it, and b you want to.
if the invitees arre likely to throw them in my face, then a i wont be inviting them ever again, and b i certainly wouldnt be giving them party bags intially anyways

[zippitippitoes]

yes party bags and gifts are great

[Clary]

Did anyone else see that piece in the Daily Mail (ahem) about how the average party bag costs £7.50 yeeeeesss

Love em myself. DS2 4th party tomorrow (well today actually) bag is pirate notebook, pirate balloon, a few gold coins, party popper (DS choice) pirate stickers (including gun lolol) and cake. Plus a book from Book people. Total cost about £1.50 (party bag bits very cheap from monsterparties website). Excellent.

[TKMaxx]

yes i too got a set of books from a book people type catalogue - worked out at 90p each, kids (aged 6/7) were really excited to have a book, a choc bar and something i can't remember in their bag. and my son enjoyed choosing which friend would get which book, and giving out the bags. but for toddlers a big bowl of sweets/raisins/whatever treats to choose one or two from is just as exciting.

[Tillyboo]

The works do fabulous choice of books for 99p each. Thats what I gave some of dd's little 3yo friends - a couple of little girls got a handmade little wall hanging for their bedrooms.
I was a bit horrified to hear one 3yo ask where the party bags were upon getting ready to leave.
I think you need a bit of imagination these days as there is so much cheap tat that gets put in the bags and it's such a waste of money as it just breaks and gets binned.
Competition is inevitable with some mums so best not to get sucked into it all

[wheresthehamster]

Party bags for a family party????

They're all different ages!! Isn't it hard enough to think of what to buy them all at christmas and birthdays without worrying about party bags!

Wouldn't occur to me to do them.

[tasja]

My dd is turning 1 in May. I'm part of a Christian Group and another mother's baby is also turning 1. We (8 families with altogether 24 children) are going to a park and everyone is packing their own picnic basket. Instead of party bags we are going to take the SMA milk tins and decorate it with paper and things and put every child's name on (children vary from 1 to 16years old). The tins include:

crisps
packet of mini chedder cheese biscuits
2 rolls of sweets
packet of haribo jellies
Kit kat
fruit juice

All costs me under 20 pounds. Every one gets a party hat aswell.

We are baking a chocolate cake and white cupcakes for everyone.

[newgirl]

for dd's parties age 2 and 3 we gave cake wrapped in a napkin and a balloon - no problems at all

for dd aged 4 we did a treasure hunt and the party bags contained the treasure they found - no more than 2 quid each i think - hair clips, stickers, mini chocs and piece of cake popped in and that was it.

I find that when stuff comes home it is forgotten within a minute so is a complete waste of money. also small plastic things, mini erasors, bouncy balls, etc just seem to end up on the floor or in the car and i pick them up and throw them away in the end - what is the point?

[maisemor]

Please whatever you do don't put balloons in the party bag. I would fully support your decision in NOT making a party bag (but then again I am just a foreigner), and I love organising and planning my children's birthday parties (I even make the cake myself ).

[maisemor]

I mean balloons that have not been inflated.

[Spidermama]

hate them, but tend to do them anyway so am a total hypocrite.

[DontCallMeBaby]

I don't even know what went into DD's 3rd birthday party bags ... Mum of other birthday girl did them, I just contributed MASSIVE slices of my lovingly created and ludicrously over-sized birthday cake. She got one on Sunday that contained cake, sweets, a yoyo and a glow-in-the-dark rubber bat. 'Baby Bat' has been napping under a blanket on the sofa ever since, and has gone to nursery in a Disney Princess handbag today. Odd child.

[Tigana]

Ds's friends at his future parties will have to live with a slice of cake, a balloon, small pack of crayons etc I'm afraid. It is a small token for little children NOT a competition in conspicuous consumption.

[SoMuchToBits]

I don't really like them, as they usually contain small pieces of plastic rubbish that are forgotten after a day or two. Ds went to one party recently where they were all given a book instead of a party bag, + piece of birthday cake and a balloon. I thought this was a much better idea, and may do something similar for ds's next party.

[Weegle]

I know there is a backlash against doing party bags because of the competitiveness but I love them! I'd be chuffed to pieces to get a bag with just the cake in and a "blowie" thing. I hope that as DS grows up (he's not old enough yet) he can still get excitment out of such simple things, or I'll feel he's missed out.