What to put in a party bag? Cost effective and not plastic crap!

[PickUpAPenguin18]

I'm looking for some party bag ideas please. My son is having a 4th birthday party next month and there should be about 12 children coming.

I've already bought some second hand, 20p Mr Men and Little Miss books which I was going to personalise by putting their names on. I also have paper bags, not plastic.

I don't want to spend a fortune on bits and don't want to buy plastic rubbish that will just end up being thrown away and going into landfill. Any lost cost, environmentally friendly ideas? Thank you.

The point is the new ones gifted in the party bags will be played with and last well enough to be passed on through multiple children, be that passed on, sold on second hand or stored in the loft for the next generation. They won't be added to the landfill pile 15 minutes later, or even 10 years later. In the case of the die cast Hot Wheels, when they do finally reach the end of their lift, they are recyclable.

My childhood Lego has had well over 10 years of combined regular use across 2 generations, with many more years ahead for it. How is that not eco friendly?
Is it just that you are against any new things regardless of how well built they are?

When mine were little the one that was best received was a lucky dip.

I’d picked up bits and bobs super cheaply here and there in sales, stuff like toy gliders, beakers, books, cereal bowls, socks, puzzles, toothbrushes (which were surprisingly popular) colouring pencils etc. All primary colours and all wrapped with a sticker saying thank you for coming to DD’s party! At the end of the party kids were invited to take a slice of cake and have a lucky dip. Kids absolutely loved it and it was really inexpensive as I‘d just picked up sale stuff.

I think the books are a great idea, perhaps instead of name of child written on the book itself do so on a simple bookmark that you embelish a bit or on a wooden clothes pin, that way it's still personalized but book can be swapped or regifted, book and a piece of cake or a muffin seems enough, perhaps stickers or bubbles instead of cake.
Your books, the tiny torch and keyrings mentioned by previous posters are good ideas

@SkankingWombat brand new Lego, no matter how well built, is not eco-friendly. That's not passing judgement, it just isn't.

@Calphurnia88 in case you are interested Lego have been experimenting with plant based parts to see if it's do able.
But isn't it more eco friendly to have an object that could still be used in 100, 200 years time rather than something that disintegrates if left in a cupboard for a few years?

Of course, but it would be more eco-friendly to buy it second hand (which is what I intend to do when DS is old enough to play with Lego) rather than feeding the demand for new.

@Calphurnia88 oh yes buying Lego secondhand is a brilliant thing to do. The secondhand trade is booming. I know lots who buy a set to build for the experience and then sell it on. Many Lego sets go through many many different users.