I don't want to do party bags

I find this almost impossible to believe. Haribo is a standard sweet given to children in lots of scenarios. If no one at your child's school gives out haribo to celebrate a friend's birthday what do they give out?

I'm not in the UK but people where I live do party bags so it's not just a UK thing! I like them because they get little kids distracted and out of the door.

I don't like plastic tat either. I did paper bags with snacks and a colouring book.

Actually yes. It would be embarrassing handing out a bag of cheap sweets as the party favour and I know across my kids schools and parties no one has ever given this out.

Like you, I teally didn't like the concept. However, I've now come round to it after going to numerous birthday parties, and having hosted a dozen.
They're a sweet little thank you gift for turning up and helping the birthday girl or boy celebrate their special day. Don't spend a lot of money on them, and avoid plastic (easier said than done but it's doable). Seeds to grow, a little wooden fidget toy, some sweets, a keyring , some stickers and that should keep them.happy.

I like the book idea and mentioned similar but everyone you know hates Haribo? Really?

Please do not do this crap effort. Everyone I know loathes these horrible cheap sweets and it just goes in to bin.
The works does 10 for 10 books, such a better alternative. Amazon has loads of party bag fillers too. I think the party bag is one of the highlights too.

Thank you for bringing this up, OP. I’m filing this away for the next time someone on here starts complaining about trick or treating, Valentine’s cards for primary schoolers, or “gender/sex reveal” parties.

Party bags for children!! 😲Somebody better go fan Al Gore.

My now 25 year old went to a birthday party as a 6 year old and left with a piece of cake and £1 kite. We had a great time on the beach a few weeks later with that kite.

It's absolutely fine to just put the cake into a bag and give it to the children.

People say 'this has to be done' and keep doing something that is totally unnecessary because everyone else does.

Someone has to be the first person to do things differently - and put up with the bitching and moaning about it.

When in Rome ... Party bags will be expected. A slice of birthday cake, a few pencils/crayons, colouring book, rubber bouncing ball etc. Nothing expensive.

Oh and balloons on sticks too 😃 the first year I made the mistake of blowing balloons up but boat loads burst and I got very sore fingers. The year after I found the balloon sticks on eBay or Amazon and stuck one in the bag with a balloon their parent could inflate for them 😃 They were a massive hit according to a few of the parents who messaged to say thanks for the party

You cut the cake and give it to them in the party bag to take home as presumably they will eat biscuits etc and hopefully some proper food at the party.

I think you need to give something. You can do party bags cheaply - cake, sweets and something toy like (bubbles, stationary, amazon bits) OR as PP says give a book OR a sweetie cone or bag of sweets. I've seen selection boxes and Easter eggs done which is a bit naff but the kids would be happy with it.

Im another one who liked making up party bags 🙈 I’d usually get bubbles/bouncy balls/those little pull back cars from a pound shop or amazon. Tesco was good for stuff IIRC. Then stickers, a party blower thing 🥳 and a couple of sweets options.

Those mini kinder bars were good as you got packs of eight or ten for not a lot of money, and mini packs of millions sweets were quite cheap too.

I did avoid mini haribo though as DS had several Muslim kids in his class.

One year I had a pile of bits and pieces left over from other years so wrapped them and did a lucky dip.

One year he had a tennis party which makes us sound dead posh 🤣 but the local tennis club were trying it out so I got a good deal. That was also when Poundworld went out of business so I got 30 ‘tennis sets’ for about £12 or something which was a bit different.

I always thought the ten pack of books thing sounded great in principle but that only works if you have thirty bookworms and none like my DS who has sadly always been indifferent about reading. And the ‘fun of picking a book’ is great for the first in the queue but less so for the ones getting the rejected books at the end.

It’s not compulsory of course, no aspect of a party is compulsory, but it is normal and expected. I would have been cringing myself inside out if kids were visibly waiting for their party bags and I’d had to tell them there weren’t any. I think the hysteria about “waste” is misplaced (and largely posturing). It’s possible to be mindful about what you put in them if it’s important to you to eschew all plastics - but in my experience kids love bubbles/bouncy balls/stickers/whistles, even if their parents like performatively sneering at “tat”.

Noooooooooooo!
We're relying on people like yourself to help break the grip that party bags have on the national psyche!
Be a maverick! Be a renegade! We, the planet, and wallets all over the country will thank you. A statue may be raised in your honour!

I was to trying to be a snob, but I see why it came off like that and it wasn’t intentional. I was trying to say that people I know who are quite affluent, some don’t bother at all, some it’s a book, some it’s a bag with something home made. I’ve not experienced plastic tat, so I don’t think it’s mandatory or anyone would think you’re cheap if you don’t do it.

An ex SiL of mine once dished out Swatch watches to her dc’s 5 year old party guests.

Just one reason she was an ex not long afterwards! Spend, spend, spend….

The party bag is the signal the party has finished. If you don't give them, everyone will stand around not sure what to do, and it will feel awkward. It doesn't have to be expensive, a slice of cake, maybe some stickers or a little tune of bubbles. Can be done for about 50p

OP, I hate to add to the “fresh hell” that is party bags but when my daughter had a couple of “whole class parties” I did a few extra party bags on top of the number of kids that were invited. I knew there were approx 2/3 of these kids who had (CF) mums that brought (uninvited) siblings and they would ask for party bags too!! 😱
Hence why my daughter only had two whole class parties (the cheeky f*ckery of a couple of mums, and also COVID meant for two years running she couldn’t have birthday parties)
Thankfully my DD is at the age now it’s only a select few friends for a meal, mocktails and a giant cookie shared between the girls afterwards at my house.
Good luck OP!

Both my children had birthdays nearish Easter and I use to give out an Easter Egg to each child as they left.

I refuse to do them. We just put cake in boxes and give that out. There’s so much waste around kids already, you don’t need more

I am also (nearly) 55 i can only remember getting cake home.

Im 55, and we had them.

My twins' birthday usually falls around Easter. I once did an Easter egg hunt and that was their treat instead of party bags - party activity and gift in one. It was when they were in Reception so they'd all just learnt to read their names, and they were super cute running around our garden helping each other find their eggs! Big success.