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Original poster

What do kids REALLY want in party bag?

112 replies

00100001 · 31/08/2022 16:47

Organising the party bags for the 5yo niece.

My opinion is in the bag goes

Cake slice and a bag of sweets. (Haribo/squashes mini bags), and a mini fidget pop toy or a balloon or something like that.

has been implied I should put books or seeds or whatever in?
Surely all a 5 yo wants is actually sweets...?

OP posts:
Rainbowcat99 · 31/08/2022 21:23

DelurkingAJ · 31/08/2022 20:14

Based on DS2 (don’t ask about DS1, I’ll be accused of making him up) then (at 6) sweets, temporary tattoos and punch balloons. Other big hits have been blow up light sabres and kids footballs at a toddler party (that still come out now in the garden).

I'm afraid I'll need to ask about DS1 now?
I'm guessing organic hummus, celery sticks and an original Dickens?

butterfly990 · 31/08/2022 21:41

My mum once gave the party bag money to charity. I remember being upset.

hedgehogger1 · 31/08/2022 21:43

When DD was a similar age and had a pirate themed party, I just bought a load of those foam swords from Poundland and sellotaped a pack of haribo on. Went down very well: not sure how impressed the parent were. Prob can't get a foam sword for £1 these days though

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5 year olds
drunktrifle · 31/08/2022 21:49

Favouritefruits · 31/08/2022 18:11

A full sized chocolate bar would be an amazing party bag in my children’s opinion. Not the little treat size they get at home but full big bar.

My ten year old came home from a party last week with a big chocolate bar that had a personalised wrapper, he was chuffed to bits!

TheWayTheLightFalls · 31/08/2022 22:01

If we're having a small party of just 5/6 kids and I time it right I've found those Lego or Duplo blind bags / minifig bags for £2.99 - that + tiny Haribo pack is my favourite to give. I think when they get older, probably less feasible - less reliably into Lego?

I haven't seen a party bag I loved as a guest tbh - the "seeds and colouring pencils" type seems so sanctimonious and do-good to me.

Needless to say my kids love the crap, break-in-the-car ones best.

Iizzyb · 31/08/2022 22:09

This is possibly outing but re: the cake in the party bag, I'm 50 now but I was 41 when I realised the cake in a party bag wasn't for your mum!

I discovered the real truth when a slightly older child at my DS' 1st birthday party asked when he was getting some birthday cake! It had never occurred to me that kids ate birthday cake.... I only ever ate the marzipan flowers/characters off the top of the cake

DS has always had the cake in his party bags (and usually spread it all over himself and the back seat of the car before we got home from a party!)

Favouritefruits · 31/08/2022 22:11

@00100001 full size chocolate bar like a 50g bar not the huge share size just an adult sized one, most kids only get treat sized so a big bar would seem immense!

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 31/08/2022 22:11

Cake, sweets, disposable tat (like tattoos or bubbles)

As someone that went to 2 parties in one day recently where the 4/5yo kids were shown beautiful elaborate cakes, did candles and singing, and then didn't get any cake at all - not even some substitute tray bake! - please can I ask people to not effectively taunt the kids with a cake they're not allowed to eat?! It's just mean.

Stickmansmum · 31/08/2022 22:13

ShirleyPhallus · 31/08/2022 16:52

We put a small mason jar of chia seeds in ours with a poem on the side of how to make chia pudding, a pot of organic carrot sticks from the local farm in the place of birthday cake and a small recycled cup with “arabella’s party 2021” and a pic of her face for them to reuse.

everyone said it was the best party bag ever

They lied😂

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 31/08/2022 22:14

Oh, we did go to a party where they had a big box of books and the kids could choose one they liked the look of as their 'party bag' along with a bit of cake. DD was chuffed with that.

Original poster
00100001 · 31/08/2022 23:04

Ok. Decision made

  • Bag of mini haribo/cookies/squashies or a handful of Sweets like the swizzles ones.
  • Chocolate bar

These will be whatever they have on offer at Tesco

  • Temporary tattoos
  • Cake

Job done.

OP posts:
DelurkingAJ · 31/08/2022 23:11

@Rainbowcat99 - doesn’t like sweets or chocolate, would always pick a book over plastic tat. One old friend once presented him with a party bag containing a banana and some bubbles and he was utterly delighted. Nothing to do with parenting (witness DS2 who would happily subsist on treats and hoards broken plastic gizmos). But clearly unbelievable to many on Mumsnet. And I’ve never not included sweets and chocolates in his friends’ party bags.

UpsideDownDownsideUp · 31/08/2022 23:15

Tattoos
Sweets
Sweets
Sweets
Sweets
Cake
Bubbles
Sweets!

Beansycheese · 31/08/2022 23:18

They only like the cake and the whistle <cries >

sunshineandshowers40 · 31/08/2022 23:21

Sweets. If they don't eat them someone in their family will!

Rainbowcat99 · 31/08/2022 23:33

DelurkingAJ · 31/08/2022 23:11

@Rainbowcat99 - doesn’t like sweets or chocolate, would always pick a book over plastic tat. One old friend once presented him with a party bag containing a banana and some bubbles and he was utterly delighted. Nothing to do with parenting (witness DS2 who would happily subsist on treats and hoards broken plastic gizmos). But clearly unbelievable to many on Mumsnet. And I’ve never not included sweets and chocolates in his friends’ party bags.

😀😀 you definitely made him up!
Bless him!

ErrolTheDragon · 31/08/2022 23:34

It's not really the right time of year for seeds for kids.

Of course they want sweets. Though the favourite party bag dd ever got had cake and one decent sized plastic Parasaurolophus.

FrodisCapering · 01/09/2022 00:17

I would prefer there were no sweets in party bags. We don't let our children have them and it makes it difficult.

hazandduck · 01/09/2022 00:39

DelurkingAJ · 31/08/2022 23:11

@Rainbowcat99 - doesn’t like sweets or chocolate, would always pick a book over plastic tat. One old friend once presented him with a party bag containing a banana and some bubbles and he was utterly delighted. Nothing to do with parenting (witness DS2 who would happily subsist on treats and hoards broken plastic gizmos). But clearly unbelievable to many on Mumsnet. And I’ve never not included sweets and chocolates in his friends’ party bags.

My DD1 is exactly the same. Loves the mini colouring book and pencils, and gets excited if there is a book in the party bag, she has actually spat a sweet out in my presence before, and once after ballet when the teacher was handing out bags of Haribo as an end of term treat she said no thank you …Freak! I don’t know where she came from tbh. Not my sweet-toothed influence that’s for sure!

DD2 however is another breed, she’d probably eat a bag of Haribo without opening the bag given the chance.

My kids are only 2 and 4 but I already don’t want to ever do party bags again. They’re just full
of crap aren’t they! Such a waste of the parents’ time, the ones hosting the party and the ones having to retrieve plastic tat and half chewed sweets from between the seatbelt buckles months later.

IdisagreeMrHochhauser · 01/09/2022 00:46

Bouncy ball. That's all I want from a party bag and I'm 45.

Libertyqueen · 01/09/2022 00:51

My kids go wild for stickers so another vote for including stickers. Personally I get stressed by how hyper sugar makes mine so am thankful when it’s only a small bag of haribo (plus cake, obviously!) rather than multiple bags of sweets and a couple of lollies!

Astupidpose · 01/09/2022 01:19

Sweets popular with mine as well. They love the sweet cones because it's more sweets than parents ever let their children have.

We have done an Easter egg before. Seemed to go down well. Another time I got Pez dispensers fairly cheaply.

My eldest's first party at school was a joint party with a bit of a serious mum. We gave each child a book from an early reader set from book people. An actual phonics reading book. Completely joyless!!!

UpToMyElbowsInDiapers · 01/09/2022 01:58

I’m really surprised at all the people saying sweets. In my circles (admittedly in Canada, but usually the culture is fairly similar to the UK) it’s pretty frowned upon to give other people’s children sweets without asking the parents beforehand, unless it’s Halloween. My DD has only received sweets once after a party (and personally I’m fine with it), but usually it’s books, little toys, stickers, tattoos, etc.

For my DD’s birthday party I slipped in granola bars, and even then I worried parents would think I was encouraging unhealthy habits, I kid you not. 😳

Astupidpose · 01/09/2022 03:30

That's definitely still the culture in many circles in the UK too @UpToMyElbowsInDiapers. The post earlier about chia seeds and carrot sticks was funny because those parents do exist.

I found it a relief to go to children's parties where the kids scoffed sausage rolls crisps and party rings. The parents recognise is not every day and are a bit more relaxed.

MarshaMelrose · 01/09/2022 03:39

ShirleyPhallus · 31/08/2022 16:52

We put a small mason jar of chia seeds in ours with a poem on the side of how to make chia pudding, a pot of organic carrot sticks from the local farm in the place of birthday cake and a small recycled cup with “arabella’s party 2021” and a pic of her face for them to reuse.

everyone said it was the best party bag ever

😂😂😂😂

I've a crap morning ahead of me and this has really cheered me up. My laughing woke my other half up so he's not quite so amused.

I've a horrible feeling some 5yos are going to devastated as worthy MNers start using this as a blueprint for their next bags. 🤣

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