Party Bags Fillers Ideas Needed Please

[BinLolly]

Planning DS first proper party he will be turning 5 and having a whole class party. I am looking for some ideas for party bag fillers that have been a hit with kids ages 3-6.

Not looking to include books, seeds or bubbles but any other ideas greatly appreciated.

Which is fine but realistically a few party bags are not going to make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things and as I've said it probably the only party he's going to have. It all just seems a bit joyless to say we won't do them at all because they're all full of crap and parents hate them.

Loving the mini figures idea and the farting slime sounds fabulous, he'd love that. 😁

Plastic tumblers filled with sweets. They were used for years at home.
set of colouring pencils and notepad, great to take with you on trips
keyrings
bouncy balls
figet toys
temporary tattoos

@BinLolly There is a huge difference to no partybags and to do them with a bit of thinking about the content.

I hated digging through DD's drawers and toyboxes in her room twice a year and discarding broken and ignored partybag toys. It's just pointless.

Yes that’s probably the best thing/most long lasting thing we’ve received - one of those snow globe drinks cups + sweets.

@BinLolly
Oh we do party bags! We aren’t joyless, we have a lot of fun! We just don’t put plastic crap in them. It’s not plastic crap or a hessian sack - there’s a lot in between! Personally I like to think everything makes a difference, but everyone has different views and different ways of doing them, was just offering a different perspective.

I like those snakes.

www.bakerross.co.uk/jointed-wiggly-snakes

Apologies I presumed you didn't do them given you were all saying you hated them. I appreciate plastic tat isn't to everyone's taste but kids do like it and to one person it's plastic tat and to another it's treasure their child enjoys playing with no matter how briefly hence why some of this stuff so often ends up in party bags because they know the children will like playing with it.

For example DS got a slap band in a party bag over a year ago, yes it's tat but it's still played with over a year later, same with bouncy balls etc.

Recently very much enjoyed party bags included the slap wrist bands, bouncy balls, stickers.

We did party bags for my 4yo recent party and they went down very well. Not always what adults enjoy receiving, but kids love them, and my son specifically asked to give them - in ours there were:- bubbles, stickers, a small car (hot wheels or matchbox), a small box of raisins, a crayola mini twistable swirl crayon, and a foam sticker craft from Baker Ross - we did bookmarks that looked like animals - really recommend their stuff, easy to put little sets together from their multipacks.

Bubbles
Sweets,
Them puzzles things with little silver balls in that you have to try and move the ball around.
The crayon things that have all different colours mini crayons in that you push up til you get the colour you want (if they still exist)

Not always what adults enjoy receiving, but kids love them, and my son specifically asked to give them

This is why we're doing them. DS wants to give them to his friends as he's never had a party before but has enjoyed receiving them at previous parties.

The crayon things that have all different colours mini crayons in that you push up til you get the colour you want (if they still exist)

Oww I loved those as a kid. I bet they still exist and even if I don't get them for party bags I'm definitely now buying DS one. 😆

Home Bargains have a small section for party bag stuff.

I’m no environmentalist but I loathe when the kids land home with them. They’re never arsed about the stuff inside after the 0.7 seconds of excitement from opening it, and I feel really guilty turfing the plastic tat in the bin when it’ll just languish in landfill for a few hundred years.

Some joyless responses here, Op. You sound lovely and I understand your desire to do memorable party bags, especially if it's likely the only party ds will have. It's a few years since we gave and received party bags but balloons, sweets, cake, fun pencil and party blower were all gratefully received. Kids love them. I don't imagine many parents put it straight in the bin after the party as that's pretty unpleasant.

I just used to put in an order with Baker Ross. Mini colouring books, crayons, modelling clay, temporary tattoos, stickers... https://www.bakerross.co.uk/toys-home

We put in a Polaroid photo of every guest with the birthday girl!

Tesco used to do great sets with whistles, pens, medals and little balls in them. The kids loved them!! Also mini notebooks (tiny ones)

Thanks.

Like I said I appreciate it's not everyone's cup of tea but he's so excited about having a party and it being his turn to give out party bags I'm not about to turn round and tell him we're not doing them or that they're a waste of time. Little kids have and always will love stuff like that so I'm happy to indulge him on this occasion.

Thanks for suggesting party blowers he's loved playing with them when he's had the chance so will be adding one to each bag. Although the paper ones are just not as good unfortunately or fortunately depending on how annoying you find them so I suspect they won't last long.

Colouring book
crayons
pencil + eraser
stickers
tattoos
balloons
bubbles
play do
play Clay
slime
bouncy ball
toy car
theme gift

Wrist slap bands and stickers were fun for the kids

Or we've had a few books with sweets stuck to front

Couldn't agree more.

Bouncy balls
Novelty rubbers
Stickers
Sweets sweets sweets
Those rubber figures that crawl down windows
Glow bangles

Those pop up and jump toys

Stretchy men or window walkers are always popular.
Small bag of haribo (you can get the bags with 22 bags in).
Pencils and mini puzzle books (think I searched for party bag filler puzzle book).
The little planes/gliders you make.
Mini water pistols.

I think we received a "party bag" once that was a book (poss from a Works 10 for £10 deal) with a fun size milky bar attached. That was quite good (and not tat). I think another time we went to a football party, and a football was the "party bag"! Obviously just a plastic lightweight one, but prob only cost £2 or £3.

Have a look at classroom capers (designed more as rewards for class teachers to give out but anyone can order ) a good range of ideas there

Classroom capers

I’m a big fan of a party bag but I don’t put loads in. Generally one fun toy, some stickers and sweets. Spy pens and a notebook. You get foam notebooks and stickers to decorate them from baker & ross for a good price. Little figures like Pokémon , dragons, sea creatures are all good for that age. Boximals are cool and eco.

Bath bomb
Pencils / rubbers
Scratch art book mark
Cress seeds - I know you didn't want seeds, but they grow in days and need no outdoor space
Make your own crayons - silicone shape moulds and broken crayons in the oven. Lots of ideas on the internet
Break your own geode - lots of cheap ones online. Also expensive ones, so shop around
Invisible ink pen

Stick on moustaches were a huge party bag hit recently.