to think party bags are the work of the devil?

[bejeezus]

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?

I'm in CockyPants

Do parents still have to do that stupid pass the parcel thing of putting sweets in between every damned wrapper?

That really wound me up. Thankfully, my kids are past that stage now.

I like party bags as children love them, but i don't like it when girls are given makeup/princess stuff and boys are given fun toys that they can play with. My girls would rather have stuff they can play with.

eastendwendy if you make the lightsabers out of swimming noodles then you don't need to wrap so much tape around them as they are already coloured. I cut them to a suitable length and then in half lengthways. We put silver tape on them to make a handle and then provided stickers fot the kids to personalise them - they loved them!

My ds gets very excited over a party bag so I love them. I love doing them too.

Oh I don't really do party bags much any more. There is usually something they have made to take home though. Decorated tshirts are quite nice - you can buy tshirts online for about £1.20 and let the children loose with fabric crayons.

Most recent party was Olympic themed and they took home their team tshirt, a medal and a bit of cake.

Dewdrops, that sounds tops. Easy to do,and appropriate.
What I hate is stuff that I don't allow eg haribo, guns, Barbie, coming in to the house via party bags and presents. Makeup, nail varnish is a no no. DD is 6 FFS.
What an arse of a mother I am!

I love doing the party bags and tend to spend a lot, but am totally not worried about what others do, hate to think anyone thinks I am being competitive by the effort I put into them.

My children really love them and I have had a problem with DD at the last party she went to where there was a book to choose but nothing else. She kept asking 'where's the party bag!' Luckily I managed to get her away from the mother concerned and read her the riot act quickly about how wonderful the book was etc. But sadly that's what she expects now.

Think something to go home with is nice but does not have to be a big deal.

It is my daughter's first birthday in a couple of weeks and I have done little gift bags for the other babies and sweetie bags for the older children. In the gift bags for the babies I have put a little book that I got from the pound shop, a ball (also from the pound shop), a makka pakka bath toy that was on sale and a tambourine. Total cost of about £4 per bag. However, there are only 3 babies coming, although I admit I have gone a little silly!! For the older children I have bought sweets and a £3 bag of toys from tesco that fill 6 bags. I suppose they have probably cost me £1.20 each. I love the idea, as she gets older, of doing an activity and the children taking home what they have made, that is brilliant! I dont do competitive parenting, if my DD went to a party and the party holder didnt do gift bags I do not think I would even notice, I think it is nice for them just to be invited. x

i fucking hate party bags. I hate the kids getting them and turfing the contents out in the car and grinding in bits of cake they are too tired/hopped up on sugar to eat. I hate buying stuff to go in them, knowing the contents will also be thrown around the inside of a stressed mother's car.

So. I don't do them. Ever. Last year I bought some lovely books from Book People, spent £20, got enough for all the children at DDs party (20 children), and more left over for birthday presents for other children. This year, I just simply did not do it. They all had a bit of cake in a napkin to either eat, or chuck around the car. They all ate it, then ran off. But then, I also did not do a party, we all went to the pub with an outdoor play area, proper climbing apparatus and the kids ran, not to be seen again while the parents relaxed with a beer.

As this thread has run to 8 pages, I think MN has proved party bags are the work of the devil so yanbu!

and the expectation annoys me too. 'scuse me littlepavlovs mummy, where is the party bag?' . there is no party bag my little sweet friend of littlepavlov' 'oh ok' only two children asked. perhaps they overheard my categoric statement.

I used to HATE the idea of party-bags having grown up on the strange idea that the birthday boy/girl gets the present and everyone else gets a bit of cake then DD attended her first party and I discovered that it was a brilliant and inspired way of persuading loads of sugar-crazed and over-excited kids to leave without making a fuss.

Got a bit over-enthusiastic about it myself mind just buying all the Cheap Plastic Tat Tescos had to offer.

This year did books from the BookPeople - clearly become trendy going by the other posts on this thread - less than £1 a throw for some great Roald Dahls and Enid Blytons. Kids loved em. DD said "no mummy, you've got it wrong - you have to put a lolly in too..."

Can you imagine going to a party as an adult and getting given stuff to take home? That would be just so weird! And even weirder if you said to the host and the end, "So where are the party bags?"

OK so kids parties aren't quite the same - but, the gift to the guests is in being invited for a fun time. And maybe some cake to take away if it's not eaten at the party. That's surely all they need.

AllPast they get them at the Oscars! I can just imagine JLo & the others asking for their party bags if they weren't given them

Ah well, never been to the Oscars!

Loving the ideas on this thread. Especially bucket and spade and t-shirts/mug painting.

I don't think I have the guts to do a party in my house so crafts maybe out for the foreseeable future!

This year we wimped out and got DD a bowling party at £7.95 per child (10 total) - had been planning a hall party but it's been an insane and shitty year so we just had no energy or time to do it. Party bags was a fun thing for me to do as I could pretty much organise it from my phone. I always thought I'd do great parties but I haven't lived up to it yet.

DH used to do great ones for his DS - the crystal maze themed one went down in history :o

I recently ordered my party bags from The Friendly Party Bag Co, couldn't be bothered with all the running around trying to find stuff, they are a bit posh, going for the 'upcycled' route great if you only have a few kids coming to the party but they do cheper paper bags too. worth a look thefriendlypartybagco.co.uk/

hi all how are u all? im looking for a 3/4 bedroomed house to let can anyone help me plz xx

Just been wrapping up the books I have for DD1's party on Sunday (wrapping ffs and noticed a little sign on the back that says this book is part of a set. Does it matter? Will everyone think I'm a tightwad?

abc13 - Are you on commision? Or is it your website?
Dragging up the other party bag thread to comment and then putting the same link on here...
Just asking.

davis80, are you hoping to get one in a party bag?

Hahahaha! APY

Gwendoline to answer your question - yes! but don't worry about it, everyone else too.

Shit shit shit. They're nice books of you're into that sort of thing. Bollocks.

Un-subtle plug there :)

I am now intrigued by 'fabric crayons' and must google. I had the children decorate plain party hats last time. Getting the items wasn't too expensive, and worked out really well considering it doubled as an activity for them.