To just not do party bags?

[stella1w]

5 birthday, whole class invited, entertainer, but could be 35 children, not including sibs. The absolute cheapest i could do for a gift would be a book for a quid and kids will not be impressed, neither will they appreciate a low budget party bag. So i,d like to save 35 to 70 quid. Will there be a huge outcry? Or is it ok?

comes with ribbon too

I only did party bags once! Never ever did them again. I hate them. 99% of them full of absolute shite!

I stopped doing them by the time DD1 was 4. I handed out a slice of cake and a balloon at the end. Only 2 children actually said "wheres my party bag" I replied "We didnt do them you are getting a balloon and a slice of cake instead".

No child cried. No child died. No child refused to come next year.

What did happen is several mums came to me in the week to congratulate my "courage" at not falling into the party bag clap trap. Several other mums stopped doing them that year too.

My kids are now 14 and 11 - they seem normal enough so I am guessing they have not been mentally scared by the fact their tight arse mother did not fill a plastic bag full of crap and enumbers for their friends.

could you not have put the cake and balloon into a bag and then called it a party bag?

I'd get a multi pack of lollies or sweets and hand them out as kids exit the party along with cake. That s what people do here.

or wrap up a single thing from wilkos stationary section for 25p

A friend of mine once gave the DCs a ballon and a packet on sunflower seeds at the end of a party.

My DC ate the sunflower seeds on the drive home.

That's a nice idea but I'm afraid my son would probably eat them too!

Of course you don't have to do party bags, I'd thank you if you didn't !