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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think party bags are the work of the devil?

232 replies

bejeezus · 09/07/2012 11:42

I've stopped doing them....

Even if they cost £1.50 for contents and you have 10, that's blinkin' £15! But its easy to spend more than that. And have more kids at party

They are invariably filled with crap that is disgarded by child onto pile of discarded crap at home

They are pointless, a needless expense, and irritating

Do you do them? What do you put in them? How much does it cost you?

OP posts:

EmmaNemms · 09/07/2012 17:26

One year, with 10 year old boys, I sent them all home with a family sized bar of Cadburys, that went down a storm!!

ReshapeWhileDamp · 09/07/2012 17:28

Himalaya, I love the idea of buying a multipack of character pants and putting pants in! Would please both parent and child. I assume.

Ample · 09/07/2012 17:48

I have 35 children attending a cinema party for dd this Saturday.
That's 35 party bags I haven't gone ott but they do add up.

I didn't know party-bagging was competitive...
I don't care what others do. I care what I do

Butkin · 09/07/2012 17:48

Bags seem to be dying out for us - probably an age thing. Last two that DD went to she got an age related paperback (obviously bought in bulk and split for boys/girls) and then a disposable camera which they used to take photos of themselves before they left.

BalloonSlayer · 09/07/2012 17:50

I LOVE doing party bags. I have got good over the years at finding one thing that is quite decent/worth having, a few other things that are OK, one thing that is cheap but large, some bulky yet inexpensive sweets (yy to flumps, also recommend curly wurlies) and a big bit of cake so that bag looks positively bulging.

ValiumQueen · 09/07/2012 17:50

I have only done one party so far DD1 (6) and really quite enjoyed it. Party was at Burger King(with free soft play), so toy went in party bag. I also included a few sweets, glo-bracelet (20 for £1 at poundland) a cadoozle (DH bought about 100 a couple of years ago for a few quid), a party blower thing, and I think that was it. Bag was full to bursting, had to give cake separately. All less that a quid a head. The kids said the bags were fab! I am already planning the next one.

whiteandyelloworchid · 09/07/2012 17:57

yanbu.

hate the bloody things such a waste of money

LynetteScavo · 09/07/2012 18:03

There is no competitive party bagging around here. I long for my DCs to come home with a really good bag.

I love doing party bags, and I like to think I do really good ones. I certainly don't fill them with crap.

5madthings · 09/07/2012 18:05

have to say i quite like doing party bags, i dont do gender specific ones but i have done themed ones for various parties and have also made origami ones, tho i was cursing by the end as i had about 20 to make, they were for 5yr olds? and i filled them with stickers, some sweets that fitted the theme of hte party and marbles and other bits and pieces.

poundland is great for party bag stuff, those glo bracelets, some bubles, some sweets, cake and maybe some stickers or a pencil and jobs a good un!

for one party i didnt make party bags but did make light sabers our of foam pipe insulation and electric tape to make a handle, so all the kids had one of those to take home.

ds3 had a build a bear party but at home (ordered online) so all the kids just had their bear to take home and a bit of cake :)

JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 09/07/2012 18:11

I did them for a few years and even enjoyed it once or twice, but I think they do grow out of them, and recently it's been cake and a balloon if they're lucky - one party we had they provided a baseball cap for all kids which was quite a good one I thought - might even be useful in the summer ! Definitely room for imagination on this and also just not doing them Can be good to have something to "take home with you" hint, hint !

GiserableMitt · 09/07/2012 18:14

For DS's party last month I put in a few sweets and a lolly but instead of a crap plastic toy I put in a card with a picture of an animal at our local animal shelter. The card said that I would donate enough money to feed that animal for 2 days.
Not one kid complained that there wasn't a toy and they were genuinely interested in the animal.

tumbletumble · 09/07/2012 18:31

For little ones I give a book to each child (cheap one from book people or similar). I've realised that children of 3 or over have certain expectations, so I do very simple ones, eg a pencil, some sweets and a slice of cake.

Must confess they are my DC's favourite part of a party!!

eastendywendy · 09/07/2012 18:55

5madthings - ds wants a star wars party - how did you make the lightsabres? Did they look good? Did you wait to give them out til the end so they didn't murder each other?

Shouldacouldawoulda · 09/07/2012 19:02

For DD's party I did loads of sweets and a water pistol (£1 for 4 in Poundland). Kids were really happy. Parents less so.
:)

5madthings · 09/07/2012 19:09

eastendwendy very simple to make, just buy lenghts of foam pipe insulation i got it in grey? from b&q and then i used coloured electrical tape, in black to make a handle and the wound red or blue round the rest (but not all the way i did it with a gap as it went up iyswim?) to give it a bit of colour like a swirling light saber and i gave them out during hte party, we had a bubble machine in the garden and they had a great time popping the bubbles with light sabers! and even if they do hit each other they dont hurt at all :) the kids all loved them and the parents commented on what a great idea they were, one dad inparticular was a big star wars fan and he was very impressed! we hired a darth vader costume that dp dressed up in as well! it was great

Virgil · 09/07/2012 19:16

Usually book people books here too at a pound a piece but I've also done customised packs of felt tips (take out insert replace with copy of party invitation) along with a small notepad. 50p each. To be honest I think the DCs are just as happy whether they come back with a bag of tat or an extravagant bagful. Ds1 came back earlier in the year from one party with a giftbag which in itself must have cost at least £4 containing a personalised thorntons Easter egg (large sized) plus a fabric pirate hat, a book and about five bags of sweets. You'd have thought it was his party, easily 10 quid a piece, probably closer to £15!

sensuallettuce · 09/07/2012 19:27

Never understand this - you have to give a gift to thank them for allowing you to entertain them for eternity 2 hours .

I took a stand years ago and stopped doing them as I couldn't afford it.

Had a stand up row with one of DS2's mates aged about 8 at the lack of party bag which made me more determined to never do them again spoilt fucker brat

JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 09/07/2012 19:34

"Kids were happy. Parents less so"

EssieW · 09/07/2012 19:38

I like but then the the plastic tat comes in useful for geocaching

eastendywendy · 09/07/2012 20:15

thanks for that - sounds like a great idea. How old were the kids when you did it?

5madthings · 09/07/2012 20:18

i think ds2 whos party it was was 8? but had kids from 2 up to 10ish? they all loved it :)

GlassofRose · 09/07/2012 20:24

They are invariably filled with crap that is disgarded by child onto pile of discarded crap at home

That is the complete honest truth. A nice bit of cake and a good time was had by all

eastendywendy · 09/07/2012 20:26

We'd have kids from 2-7 so I may just give them out at the end to avoid the wee ones getting hurt.

DowagersHump · 09/07/2012 20:27

I think party bags are great for younger kids but once they get to 9 or 10, a bit unnecessary. Although I did give DS's cousins (13 and 18) the left over party bags from his party and they were thrilled :o

Someone put party poppers in one of his party bags once when he was 3. I was not impressed - was driving home when he decided to see what happened if you pulled the strong

FamiliesShareGerms · 09/07/2012 20:28

Loathe party bags. They're either full of cheap plastic tat (of which we need no more...) or over the top and cost more than the present we've taken. Really competitive party bags round here. I Just Say No.

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