Princess party favours for boys as an alternative to wands

[Colourfulchameleons]

DD(3) party is next weekend. The venue let you choose a theme and despite her brother putting some not so subtle pressure on her, she’s gone with princesses. There are a lot of boys attending and the venue are happy to do more neutral themes with the party bags but I was going to give little wands out.

I am perfectly happy for all the boys to have wands but I just don’t think they’ll be interested (and I do know the boys well; one is my own son.) Can anyone think of a small gift that’s a sort of equivalent?

Wands are gender neutral.

When DS was 10 he went to a mixed party where the children could choose small prizes for party games. A surprising number of boys came out with silver tiaras. Including DS. 😁

Ummm, I had to ban swords at our 3 year olds pirate party because most 3 year olds really don't get 'pretending' to attack someone with no contact, or just don't have the control.

The party bags are enough, stop stressing yourself out trying to find something suitable to give as an extra.

3- and 4-year-olds don't develop strong sex-based preferences in a vacuum. They develop them because of influences from the people around them, and the most influential people here are often the adults.

Probably the reason other people's children haven't developed such strongly stereotyped preferences is because they haven't been brought up with this mindset.

This isn't a separate issue from girls' shoes or whatever. The only thing stopping little girls from wearing proper trainers like the boys is sex stereotypes. What kind of little girl is most likely to insist on only wearing girls' shoes? The kind who has had the idea of "girls' things" and "boys' things" foisted on her since toddlerhood.

i don’t have any girls only boys but my thoughts would be the boys could like it or lump it and most 3 year olds don’t care . It’s all plastic tat that ends up lying around in the house anyway

The stereotype will always be very sharp. That's life. Can you get wands that aren't pink. My grandson ( 4) would love a wand and wouldn't care if it was pink but older boys may feel differently, especially in a social situation with other boys

Make it optional then? Wand or no wand

Yeah I agree. The sort of person whose mum frets about how she couldn’t possibly give a girly toy to the boys attending the party. And I didn’t get the rant about girls’ school shoes. My DD wears black trainer type shoes to school as do her friends. Even the more feminine styles at Clark’s have robust soles, are flat and allow for running around and playing. I don’t know where the OP shops for shoes but I’m a bit 😮 at the rant when she is very much part of the problem with her attitudes.

This is surely the obvious answer! Frogs and wands and goodness knows what else are unnecessary on top of whatever plastic crap is in the bag that they’re already getting.

OP is making far too much of this. I wonder why. Maybe there’s some kind of alpha-mum situation.

Pointless OP. The only answer you're allowed to get on MN for a question like this is "why can't the boys have wands?"

I’d just say ‘would you like a wand?’ as they leave. I’ve never worried that my older child might not like the party favours at my younger child’s birthday party.

still wondering why OPs daughter has all her brothers friends (apparently) at her own party and she isn't allowed to choose the theme for everyone.

And yes, OP, you are part of this problem with your attitude.

FWIW i was a girl. I had swords and bows and arrows mostly.

Magician wands? Wizard wands?

Swords for boys and fairy wads for girls is stereotyping and is a terrible idea.I'd get plain magic wands.

sounds complicated, call the whole thing off

We went to a two-year-old hot wheels themed birthday party. The host went to a special effort to give my 2yo DD a girly themed bag… instead of a little monster truck and hot wheel car she was given a little purse and a fidget toy…. She was seriously miffed and confused.

Actually this reminds me of a 4yo birthday I went to where the party favours were a Lego polybag for each child. The girls were given princess stuff and the boys were given cars and I saw on our way out that one of the 4yo girls was in tears of disappointment. I’m not saying that she should have been pandered to, but lots of kids would be happier if we didn’t push stereotypes on them. Cars ffs, how is that a boy thing?

Just have the party bags like wizard/fairy kinda vibe. With loads of different colours. Don't give separate blue or pink to each sex or anything. Wands are definitely unisex!

My DD 3rd birthday was a frozen theme, we had 5 boys and 1 girl plus my DD- party bags contained wands as that’s what DD wanted. The boys loved them just as much as the girls and I know atleast 2 still play with them a year later

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Figurines-Assorted-Mythical-Education-6pcsShower/dp/B0CZ6Y48F8/ref=asc_df_B0CZ6Y48F8?mcid=df6b]]

little dragons ?

I'm confused as to why a 3yo's princess themed party is going to be full of 5/6yo boys?

Wands (or frogs or both) for all guests will be fine. No need for separate girls / boys gifts.

It needs to be the same thing for everyone!

I wouldn’t bat an eyelid at wands for everyone.

Equally frogs for everyone sounds fun.

I would be pissed off if my child came back from a party with a sword.

I also don’t think you have to do either. They’ll have a party bag.

Unless you make it part of a craft at the party? They can decorate wands when they’re there and take it home if they want.

We went to a 5yo princess themed party recently where the children could decorate their own princes crowns. My son decorated his with stick on jewels and then drew lots of rockets on it and wore it very happily.

Got my sons cheap Harry Potter type wands before- they loved them!!!