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?

[quote toomuchlaundry]@gamerchickisn't the cake for your child not you[/quote]
Have you tried to get my kid to eat cake?

@gamerchick fair point. I used to love it when DS didn't like chocolate so I used to be able to eat his Easter eggs, unfortunately he now has acquired a taste for it

Mmm I'm inclined to not having party bags then as all kids are quite young. There will be o e age 6 but mainly 1-3 year olds.

@Vitallyli

Mmm I'm inclined to not having party bags then as all kids are quite young. There will be o e age 6 but mainly 1-3 year olds.

Yes probably not necessary for such young children. I might give them all a book to take home...the parents would probably appreciate that. Like a pp said, the works do some good value ones.

I really don't see how a random cheap book no one wants is any better than a party bag. It's still ending up in landfill, yes it's paper but not fantastic. It's not like it's going to be a book the child wants or is interested in.

Id just give them a slice of cake, they are too young to know they need party bags

I usually do a piece of cake in a small box and a sweet cone. I know not very healthy but no plastic tat and u can make them at home

There are lovely books in The Works. You can't go wrong with a Shirley Hughes book for £1! If you write 'Thank you for coming to Tarquin's first birthday' and date it on the inside then it's quite a sweet keepsake. We did it with Horrid Henry books for older kids one year and it went down really well.

(Photo happened to be on my phone for a work thing, but I took it last week in my local shop).

I don’t do them. Shit for the environment, but more, they’re shit for parents who have to deal with 50 different pieces of plastic tat a year, wresting it from their children and into the charity bag/bin 6 months down the line, while kiddo screams bloody murder that they absolutely NEED everyone one of those flimsy plastic yo-yos.

Not much better, but I gave every kid a helium balloon on a string (from the decorations) and a piece of cake as they left
this year. Everyone seemed happy- except the kid who wouldn’t let me attach his balloon to his wrist/ his coat/his bag or indeed anywhere - and then promptly let it go when he stepped outside and screamed absolute bloody murder.

But he was outside the venue so noooooooot my problem.

That age id give out some cake and maybe a book?

Please just don’t do them, save money, the planet and the pressure for others to them do them

@CarrotSticks23

I really don't see how a random cheap book no one wants is any better than a party bag. It's still ending up in landfill, yes it's paper but not fantastic. It's not like it's going to be a book the child wants or is interested in.

Id just give them a slice of cake, they are too young to know they need party bags

That's a bit of an odd comment. A book is the very opposite of plastic tat and lasts far longer and is often passed down to siblings

The good thing about handing them out is that it's a good signal that the party is ending, and it's time to go home now. But a slice of cake is fine, especially at that age.

Yes a party bag, although I’ve just come back from a 4year olds party and they didn’t give any out, the children looked confused no cake to take home either 😂

Just get small paper bags and inside a few sweets a piece of cake and a sticker or two. Doesn’t need to be much.

@Comedycook yes a book that has been chosen by the child or by the parents, chosen specifically for that child. A good book can be passed down by generations, but equally a random cheap party bag book is unlikely to be read and probably will get thrown out.

I love books but not random books that I haven't chosen or potentially already have

@CarrotSticks23 do you dictate to everyone what book to get your DC? Friends introduced me to books for DC that I would not have chosen as had not seen them before. If they are not to your taste you could always put them in a charity shop or give to school/nursery (depending on age)

I've always done party bags or sweet cones.
For under 1s a bath toy a pack bubbles and cake.
Overs maybe a book bubbles cake a and a choc.

I've done sweetcones as they've got older.
Once I did a toy story mug filled with Marshamallows and choc and celo wrapped.

Once I just gave the older ones a paint by numbers from pound land.

Dds birthday next Yr will be her 1st proper party at a play centre. I've got bubble wands as was reduced in asda to 5p each from £1. Then a piece of cake, a balloon, and something crafty.