What was the best party bag your child ever received?

[Homerenonovice]

My 4 year old dd has her 5th birthday coming up and has specifically asked for party bags she can give out to her friends.

I wasn’t planning to do them as they are usually just full of cheap plastic rubbish, so I’m wondering if anyone is willing to share the best ideas your child has ever given or received.

The most recent one we did, we included a slap band, glostick, minecraft key ring, fidget spinner, bouncy ball and Haribo.

bucket and spade! It was a summer party though.

If it's pre Dec 1 you could do advent calendars?

Hot chocolate sticks would be good in a winter party bag.

Or Christmas socks.

Here are some I have done, because I am a cheapskate and hate plastic tat.

• Colour in fabric bags 12 for £10 from the works
• Big smarties tubes reduced to 50p after Christmas
• Mini sticker books
• pencil case (reduced to 10p in Tesco) filled with colouring pencils

I fill with cardboard mini packs of smarties/lollipops (tend to be v cheap to buy a bag). I also buy sweets cheap after Christmas/Halloween etc and save them. TTheWorks 10 books for £1.

Also, Argos do Playdough 18 tubs on the 2 for £15. That's 36 tubs for £15 if you want to split them.

Sticker book and a bag of malteezers

I used to get a set of books from Bookpeople (RIP) and give these out of with some sweets and the party cake. You could get ten books for a tenner. Possibly Works have something similar.

Books can work if the children can't read yet. After school starts the levels vary hugely.

Best was a large plastic. tumbler filled with. sweets, stickers and a pencil. DD used the cup for ages.

I'm always amazed by how many people say books on threads like this. Popular with the parents perhaps but not something my kids or any other kids I know want in place of a party bag.

A piece of cake and a wooden yo-yo

Mine love sweets and more sweets

Or a bag of crisps are and easy filler!
I've boys so I get the one pound hot wheels cars

But stickers are great!

advent Calendar close to Christmas

Easter egg in spring

@frogsbreath, yes that's was hit with my boys too. They also once got a small football that they loved. For girls bracelets are always a hit

For my dds last party I got a little cardboard 3d letter for each child. The initial of their name, then put a tiny pot of glitter, stickers glitter glue and pens. Then colour your own wooden key rings and some sweets and cake. I bet the parents hated me for the craft especially as it contained glitter. Tough because the kids loved it. They are 8/9 so can probably do it with little supervision.

We have had a few party bags of plastic landfill tat which I despise. Kids initially love them but the slinky that doesn’t work ends up a huge disappointment. The most memorable were cake, pencil, eraser & notepad with a lollipop. Mini key ring from Claire’s accessories with cake, and the paper bag with a dinosaur shaped smarties cookie. That is still mentioned after every party.

I think the most important thing is not whether or not it is plastic but whether it works for DC. E.g. the problem with those cheap multipacks of books tends to be that the stories are badly written and the illustrations badly drawn and produced. Plus, as a PP mentioned, reading levels vary hugely. So ime they are almost always a complete disappointment even for DC who actually do like reading, and usually end up in the charity shop pile immediately, quite possibly never to be bought there and end up in the bin/recycling pile anyway. Whereas a really well-made toy (doesn't have to be big or expensive) whether made or wood, plastic or anything else, might be played with for ages and then re-homed with a younger child when outgrown. I mean, I quite literally still have shoeboxes with tiny plastic toys from party bags and Christmas stockings in the early 90s, and my DC love dragging them out to play with. For me the definition of plastic tat is stuff that is badly made, so will be fiddled with for an evening and then binned.

I've never met a child who was excited about receiving a book as a party bag gift.

Kids neck warmer/ snood. - most popular party gift we’ve ever done.
Easy and cheap to make or buy one

Decathlon have them for £1.49

www.decathlon.co.uk/p/kids-ski-neck-warmer-firstheat/_/R-p-14046

My DS once got a tennis ball in a party bag, he loved it and used it all the time!

Ds once got a mini camera. That was a very nice party bag gift. The party child was very well off though.

A kazoo, maraca's and a harmonica

Bucket and spade & a small bag of haribo
Pop-it & a small bag of haribo

Both went down a storm.

We did books one year and a child told me he didn't like it and he wanted a proper party bag!

We also did super hero masks one year and same child said he wanted a proper party bag.

I asked DS and the strong balloon was his favourite he has received. I cursed the parent that gave a plastic recorder on a daily basis for months!

I bought 16 boxes today and I'm planning to arm 6 and 7 year olds with them. I will mention it to the parents in case they have strong feelings, but I couldn't find any case of a child being harmed...