to be going bonkers over bloody party bags!!!

[OAM2009]

2 year old boy's party on Saturday. Came back from hols abroad last Thursday so doing it all at the last minute (again )

1. are party bags supposed to be individualised? ie different ones for babies, older children, etc
2. are they supposed to be done by gender? (hate gender stereotyping but did admit to myself that 4 year old girls might not like toy diggers that much!)
3. is it acceptable to fill them up with all the hair I've pulled out????

OK, should now stop MNetting and go and clean entire house for incoming relatives and/or do bloody party bags!!!!

Give them all a book (normally I'd say from somewhere like The Book People but you don't have time for that. Do you have a Works or other cheap bookshop near? (or don't be a cheapskate like me and go to a 'real' bookshop)) and a pack of sweets. Job done.

have a lucky dip wrap up some books or sweets let the children pick as they leave

that way they can be personalised to cover the different ages and can be gender specific without being obviouslky different. Or most books aren't gender specific anyway.

And if you really want to add your hair you could put it in between the pages

Supermarkets have lots of multi-packs of party-bag stuff. IMO, you can't go wrong with bubble mixture, bit of kiddy-stationery and some sweets.

or bubbles children love bubbles sweet book bubbles there you go bags sorted

no need to personalise, other than checking that the stuff is not a choking risk for little ones.
if in doubt, go heavy on the sweets. the plastic crap/books/stationary are fine, but really it's all about the sweets.

Seriously, do the book thing, or a large bubble wand (suits all ages/genders) or a helium balloon. Or a football. Like the lucky dip idea!

Party bags are the invention of the devil, I drove myself crazy sorting them out for DD's party last year, and the RSVPs/non-RSVPs start to become the most important thing in the world.

A big pack of books from the Book People is a great standby to have in the house regardless (Mr Men, Little Miss, Thomas, Peppa, etc) because a handful of them make a great impromptu present.

It is so about the sweeties kids when mine were wee and having parties i bought all this plastic tatt and im sure they left it in parents cars like mine used to and just munch the sweets,

Bubbles, a bouncy ball and some sweets.

Charlotte, you made me LOL with "really it's all about the sweets." I secretly think that but for benefit of DCs, will do the "Oh, look, you've got a lovely pencil!"

Thanks for the advice guys, I'm sorry, I did drip-feed a bit, forgot to say Bob the Builder party bags are already here so am limited in size terms to what will fit in. But ace advice, will do lucky dip next time, will get down the supermarket asap and hopefully Amazon will pitch up with "touchable" bubbles soon so we may be OK!!!! again!

Just remember to hand the bloody things out. I did some for DS's friends who came to play on his birthday last week and I only remembered to give one out

Bottle of bubbles, balloon, some chocolate coins and a piece if birthday cake. It is a truth universally known that parents rifle through the bag, snaffle the tasty bits for themselves, give the tat to the kids then bin the bag. You know when they talk about not sweating the small stuff? This is the small stuff. Party bags are merely a way of indicating 'this party is over, get your coats and GO!'

Quenelle, I want to smiley you but I don't think there's an icon for "oh, your poor thing, how annoying and frustrating! I want to both laugh and weep for you!"

Will instruct husband to remember to GIVE THE BLOODY THINGS OUT!!!!

If you don't mind the parents secretly hating you those squeaky blowers are always a big hit with all ages and dirt cheap

I find windmills go down very well. pack of sweeties, windmill and slice of cake.

I advise against balloons after ds pulled one out of a bag and tried to inflate it by trying to swallow it at the age of 3.

I never bothered with them. Cheap tat. A nice home-made biscuit is nice as they are leaving ...

Buy multipacks of cool pens and split them.
Interesting sweets like sherbet fountains.
More sweets/chocolate.
Bouncy ball.
Party popper always much appreciated if age-appropriate. Mwah-ha-hah.
Bung in napkin-wrapped cake at the end of the party (ideally have a cake big enough for guests to eat a piece and take a pice home)

Do this and you don't need to worry about gender etc.

Yes I don't do balloons because as a parent I hate having them around.

bubbles, chocolate, sweets, some stickers you can get them cheap from poundland, wilkinsons etc, and yes a book those cheapy book stores taht sell them in packs.

i dont do individual personalised ones, i do try and tie the contents in with the theme of the party if there is a theme iyswim?

It gets a lot easier once they are all a bit older and the plastic tat is a bit less lethal - I have generally done "special" bags for under 3's and occasionally for older siblings, although even teenagers appreciate party bag tat.

Most 4yo girls of my acquaintance would be quite happy with a toy digger, BTW [unhelpful since it is too late]

I really enjoyed doing party bags mind you mine never had parties at 2yo. DCs are easily pleased though and the contents will be forgotten about in an hour anyway so don't worry!

How about just... not doing party bags?

I hate hate hate party bags. TBH I hate most of the bumf surrounding kids' parties these days, but of course I go along with it all because I don't want my PFB and PSB (is that a thing?? Precious Second Born??!!) to be the ones who (shock, horror) go without

I usually try to do a more substantial going-home present than a party bag - along the lines of a book and a lolly. Usually ends up costing the same! This year I did commemorative Jubilee coins for DD2's party. It was the weekend before the Jubilee and we had a bit of a theme, including Union Jack lollies and tattoos.

I wish I was brave enough to say to hell with it and just never bother!

Pound shop has it all, and normally in multipacks!
Mr Potato Playdoh things, glow sticks for each wrist, one of those pens with the roller bit on the top, Freddy the frog chocolate thing and without doubt, something noisy that they can annoy their parents with on the way home in the car!