Help! Birthday! Is this true???

[Vitallyli]

Hi I'm planning a little Birthday party for my 1yo in a kids cafe. There will be 10 kids age 6m-4yo. I am not from the UK and just realized they might be expecting guests presents? Not a thing where I'm from! What sort of thing would be appropriate and how much money do I spend on it per child? Does everyone get the same thing?

Not necessary at all and shouldn't be expected anyway, especially not for a one-year old.

They're not very environmentally friendly either in their traditional sense, ie cheap plastic toys. I only did them once or twice when we're about 6 / 7 and refused to buy plastic toys, the kids had a small book from a bulk buy pack, a piece of cake and small pack of sweets.

But really don't worry about it be brave a begin the fazing out in your social circle, you can use your non English status wisely many parents will thank you for it.

Pleas don’t hand out balloons in party bags.

They are a choking hazard, and impossible to remove once blocking the airway.

www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/education-store/choking-hazard-safety

See if you have a branch of the works on your high St, and buy them each a little book.

Don't stress with party bags at this age.

If you can, just never do them. Cake, ballon. Job done. It's better fir the environment.

I agree with a pp, bubbles, cake and a little book if your budget stretches. You can get books more cheaply in sets and give one each out from the set. I would say shop around as prices vary. Perhaps something like the gruffalo board book set (£5.39 on Amazon for 4) for the younger ones and Paddington suitcase (£11.75 on Amazon for 8) for the older ones. Maybe you can get cheaper books if this is out of your price range. This was just a quick Google and your dd gets to keep the spares.

Oh, yes, not un-inflated balloons!

A piece of cake is more than enough.

Our Asda sells party supplies like little bags of cheap tat toys that you bung in a party bag.

We usually stick a party blower, unblown balloon and cake in.

Honestly, start a new tradition- which is modern day version of seeing how things were before everything had to be a sodding industry and just give everyone a slice of cake no plastic, no waste

Oh thank you for your thoughts and ideas! My plan that all cake will be eaten by parents and kids, we're paying for parents coffees/teas and the cake isn't massive. The party is only for 2h as it's in a cafe and that's the limit they have for such parties. I might brave not having party bags or get a little balloon on a stick. So glad I asked!!

@ThePug

My eldest's first party was when he was 2 and instead of party bags I did a helium animal balloon for everyone (bought from Amazon and filled ourselves with a canister we still have and use for a couple each birthday, he's now 5!). For one year olds I think they'd love a balloon to go home with - maybe one of those small foil ones on a stick, you can get them at Card Factory. Or a book, which you can get in Poundland

Please don’t do this They are really bad for the environment

Kids of all ages love a little pot of bubbles and they are cheap to buy. They can't really do much with a balloon on a stick.

Every parent I know HATES those things!!! Just trash toys

I find it ridiculous. The kid having a birthday has the presents. Full stop

I wouldnt do party bags for a kids party if under 5 years old, no point then past that it's just a slice of cake and something from poundland type stores like a yoyo or toy cars etc

Buy them each a book from the works

Party bags are usually awful thing which just fill a house with plastic tat which then needs to be thrown away. If you don't feel able to resist one, the least worst when my kids were little was a book and a slice of cage.

@MzHz

Honestly, start a new tradition- which is modern day version of seeing how things were before everything had to be a sodding industry and just give everyone a slice of cake no plastic, no waste

Well I remember party bags in the 1980s so it's not a modern thing!

I’m older than you @Comedycook, we got a bit of cake in a napkin in the 70s, the bs plastic tat in a bag strayed in the 80s and then it’s been a game of one-up-mums-ship ever since

Started, not strayed

Do people actually eat the cake? I can't bring myself to eat cake after a kid has just blown spit all over it. It's usually put in the party bag and chucked in the bin at home.

@gamerchickisn't the cake for your child not you

The Works does a wonderful choice of10 books for £10. So much better than cheap tat that you usually get in party bags 😌

Please not balloons and less plastic tat. A slice of cake and a book?

You can also get mini tubs of playdoh, or for older kids some bubbles or a bouncy ball. Really shouldn’t cost much. But you don’t need to do anything for a one year old - I think three was the age it started at our nursery.

We did a Bouncy castle for my 2 year old, this year in the party bags for the younger one we did:
Paper bag
Piece of cake
4 different chalks - bought a box of 12 and split them
A plastic cup with a straw - these went down really well and people said how useful there were.
Small bag of chocolate biscuits