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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To actually really like party bags (giving them and receiving them)

39 replies

Wideeyedcarrrot · 27/04/2015 22:20

Most times when I see a party bag thread it's people saying that hate getting them or giving them,
I love them - I don't mean that in a smug way - but I genuinely don't see why people get so grumpy about them and refer repeatedly to them as 'plastic tat.' Small children love plastic tat! That's the point surely? And they're never just played with for five minutes, in our house ds hoards them and carries them rounds and tips them out to examine his treasures.
He likes to give a bag to each guest at the end of his parties too. I'm not suggesting they need to be expensive (ds doesn't actually particularly care what's in them, he brands it all 'awesome') small bag of sweets, little toy and a balloon.

Ds's party is in a few weeks and I'm looking forward to doing the party bags. Does that make me weird? There seems such hatred towards them everywhere online. Plus they surely stop at about age 8 or 9, you don't need to do them until they're at school so the party bag years, when they're so innocently thrilled with a bouncy ball, are really short.

OP posts:

CaspianSea · 27/04/2015 22:26

I love party-bags too, they take me back to childhood. I even did some for an adult party a few years ago, the guests loved them! It was a small party of close friends so we were able to choose little personal gifts for everyone (plus assorted chocolates, sweets etc!) We also took instant photos during party and put them in the bags. Its nice to give people something to take home as a memento of a fun evening... and friends still mention those bags years later!

FirstWeTakeManhattan · 27/04/2015 22:26

I enjoy doing them, but try to do some different things other than 'plastic tat' (though I know kids love it!). We do a packet of seeds, with a grow the tallest sunflower/biggest pumpkin competitions stuck on the back, cake, little chocolate bar, a small book (usually split from a set) or cardboard puzzle depending on age, and a toy.

I might do little jars filled with something for DS's Birthday in the summer. Will scout Pinterest for ideas.

AmateurSeamstress · 27/04/2015 23:26

I look forward to doing them too. Some of the supermarket tat toys do break almost instantly but you can get all sorts of little bits and bobs on ebay or amazon these days.

I dislike anything too worthy and requiring parental input though. We had pom pom craft kits one year - a really nice thought but the pom poms resolutely stuck to fingers rather than each other and the whole thing just resulted in a frustrating half hour for both of us. Whereas random slidey puzzles, magic slates and bouncy balls go on and on.

RumbleMum · 27/04/2015 23:30

YANBU. I did the party bags today for DS1's party this weekend and I loved it. Have managed to rein it in from last year when they took nearly a solid day to do (don't ask) but am still hugging myself with glee about managing to find a supplier of individually wrapped candy wristwatches.

momtothree · 27/04/2015 23:34

Sorry - land fill -

WorraLiberty · 27/04/2015 23:42

YANBU at all

Only on MN have I seen people moaning about them

Jeez, if you get wound up at the thought of your kids getting a bit of pleasure out of receiving a minuscule amount of toys/tat/sweets, you need to take your head somewhere for testing.

Meanwhile in the real world, most parents just smile at the little bit of fun it might bring.

DrFoxtrot · 27/04/2015 23:43

My ex used to call it bin fodder the plastic tat that is, not the naice party bags

momtothree · 27/04/2015 23:56

Nope dont get wound up .... never done them, but make kids say thanks when received. Most people complain, would suggest hugging yourself with glee is a bit odd.

harryhausen · 27/04/2015 23:59

I used to love doing party bags too (my Dcs are getting a bit old now I think).

I did a (small) Halloween party once and really enjoyed getting themed bags and finding fun little tricks.

My favourite party bag was when my dd was 8 and I put a blind lego figure bag in each party bag (I'd found an offer!). The kids loved them and the party overran with them all doing swapsies and playing with them.

Balaboosta · 28/04/2015 07:41

Yep. YANBU.

londonrach · 28/04/2015 07:48

Maybe landfill but one of these bags kept two children very happy on my table at a wedding. They come straight from party to wedding and everyone at the table (adults included) were as excited as the children re the bits and pieces. Thoughtfull parents had put some pencils and pictures in so after playing looking through the bag the children sat quietly colouring in whilst the adults played with the rest of the bag toys...

Springtimemama · 28/04/2015 07:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Schoolaroundthecorner · 28/04/2015 08:15

DS 4 is just like the other kids here, he loves them! I don't mind doing them, they're still a bit of a novelty for me too.

SoupDragon · 28/04/2015 08:17

I like giving party bags, or "now fuck off home bags" as I like to think of them.

LetThereBeCupcakes · 28/04/2015 08:31

I love them too! Great fun. DS is only 2 but has had a couple of party bags and is always thrilled with them.

elQuintoConyo · 28/04/2015 08:32

NFOH bags - you should 'tm' that Soup

Round here it's piñatas all the way - cue tears and tantrums as they scrabble away on the ground crushing, pushing, snatching, squashing fingers and sweets underfoot as they go. Ah, childhood bliss

DS still has some plastic crap from these - horse, couple of dinosaurs. He is 3yo, I'm afraid most sweets go.in Mummy's belly he doesn't seem to notice!

Pastaagain78 · 28/04/2015 08:36

I love party bags. I really enjoy doing them. It's a creative outlet for me.

DurhamDurham · 28/04/2015 08:38

My daughter's having her 18th birthday party on Saturday and she has asked to have party bags like she had when she was little. Now do I go for a more grown up theme and put a 'shot' and some impulse, posh chocs etc or should I do exactly what she has asked me for and recreate the party bags she had when she was little........full of plastic tat and cheap sweets?

Stealthsquiggle · 28/04/2015 08:40

I love them too, especially if I manage to do them enough in advance to be able to source some cool stuff which fits with the theme at a reasonable price. At one of DS's parties (it was knights and dragons themed) I put a small (bargain!) cuddly dragon and some gold chocolate coins in each bag.

Their YR class teacher had to deal with a whole class of small cuddly dragons coming to school the next day - she very quickly started writing names on their labels to save later tears.

CaspianSea · 28/04/2015 10:58

Durham that's a lovely idea. I'd go with what she asked for as a trip down memory lane, maybe with a couple of more grown up things thrown in. When I did bags for adults they contained sweets, chocolate, joke-things, and more personal things like earrings and make-up for the ladies, cufflinks for the men. I got a lot of it in sales so didn't cost much.

BlackeyedSusan · 28/04/2015 11:36

I usually do stationery items so the stuff can be absorbed into the children's own stuff at home.

notebook, pens/pencils erasers, highlighters etc.

TranmereRover · 28/04/2015 11:38

Primark is brilliant for party bags - £2 sunglasses etc

reni1 · 28/04/2015 12:05

Thank you for posting, OP. I hate them and stopped doing them past the 4th birthday, but I am always amazed why everybody does them whilst moaning how dreadful they are!

Nice to know someone loves them, kids do and I feel bad at parties thinking poor parents having to fork out for this! Now I can think, how lovely, they had fun packing them and the kids have fun getting them .

DurhamDurham · 28/04/2015 12:17

Caspian good idea....a combination of both would go down a treat

AmateurSeamstress · 28/04/2015 18:05

Durham just ask your daughter! I'd be tempted to put in bubbles but only an 18 year old can tell you if that's the right sort of naff or the wrong sort!

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