Birthday party WIBU - party bags.

[LokiBear]

Planning DD's 4th birthday party. Just her nursery class and cousins invited - about 25-30 kids. I've hired a hall (for free as it is part of the school where I work). Food served will be reasonably healthy 'picnic' type food (sandwiches, pasta salad, carrot, cucumber, tomato, peppers, fruit kebabs and a few crisps ). WIBU to just put sweets/edible things in the party bags? I don't want to buy loads of plastic tat, but I'm worried I will annoy parents if I send the kids home with sweets and cake. I'm open to other bright ideas, except not doing party bags because I like to do them. They are a good signal that the party is over. Thanks.

best party bag things my dt have come home with:

a cheap football each
activity/colouring books
cardboard masks

I am with you on the plastic tat and try to keep it to a minimum

Personally I love the little bags of sweets in the party bags. My GSs forget them and I get to eat them when they go home. Shameful.

You could do yoghurt covered raisins if you're worried parents won't like sweets - my daughter thinks they're a real treat!

Stickers.

Kids love stickers.

Last lot of party bags I did had:
Bubbles (small pot from multi pack)
Colouring pencils
Colouring book
Make-it-yourself paper glider
Handful of sweets

I didn't put out sweets with the food (which was similar to yours), and I made a batch of fairy cakes so that there was no argument about anyone having a bigger slice of cake than anyone else.

Oh no, not sensible stuff, the little bags of highly coloured sweets that I would never buy myself, please. I sort of think it is my reward for having them every weekend and being the taxi service to all their social activities. Not much to ask is it?

Stickers are a good idea! Thanks. Granny I do the same when dd gets sweets too!

Piece of cake and some stickers is perfect IMHO!

Bubbles make the bag satisfyingly heavy and what kid doesn't enjoy bubbles?

I discovered 'Maoam Pinballs' from a party bag and have been addicted ever since

DD is having a party this weekend (5yo) and I've done huge, disgusting cones of sweets for all the party bags - and loads of plastic tat (jelly monsters, masks, bubbles, stickers, temporary tattoos - the lot). They all seem to be obsessed with party bags at this age so I wouldn't risk disappointing them! I don't think just sweets is bad or wrong or unreasonable, but I suspect some guests will be expecting something more - they have tons of plastic party bag tat in Asda at the moment for silly prices, I got 6 yoyos for 13p and 8 stencils for 38p. The masks were 8 foam animal masks for 1.63.

Stickers
Little colouring books
Crayons/pencils

I've got Maoam pinballs in my sweetie bags Tricky!!

Sunflower seeds went down well at my DD's party and I was pleasantly surprised when she came home from school several weeks later, talking about how a number of her friends had been comparing how big their sunflowers had grown! Cheap and often on 3 for 2 at Wlkinsons.

Oh yes, we also got sunflower seeds in a party bag recently, and it is fabulous.... growing in a little pot on the windowsill, then we will plant it out!

Mrs I thought you meant sunflower seeds for eating instead of sweets for a minute! Now that's disappointing party bag ;)

Sunflower seeds are genius! Thank you!

Best toy in a party bag ds ever got so far was a punch bag balloon. Lasted for ages.
Are you going to do a cake for looking pretty, a cake for cutting up and a cake for giving away??
Sorry, a previous birthday party thread rather freaked me out.
A little pack of seeds is a brilliant idea!

No, just one cake, made by me (so not pretty) cut up and given away!

Another vote for seeds and bubbles. I hate plastic tat and jelly sweets.

At 4 they mostly want quantity over quality, so I'd go for some/any of above. Seeds - genius .

My DD is older now, and I give party bags which are a gift voucher to cheapy shop of the moment, which does the trick.

Kids like a party bag.

who seriously expects their child to bring home a party bag without plastic tat/sweets in it?

I don't expect dd not to bring home tat from other parties. We graciously accept from other parties obviously. I just don't want to waste my money buying it.

Loving the seeds idea actually..... might do it for DS's birthday... maybe little wildflower sprinkle seeds. I know we love our sunflowers, we talk about it alot, look at it etc.

Incidentally, last year I went to a gorgeous wedding. It was a country farm wedding, the bride was not from the UK, and she made a classic english summer fete kind of thing. Gorgeous. The wedding favours were little packs of classic English wildflowers. I loved it.

We had a pinata at the girls party and all the loot from that went into the kids party bags along with some stickers and bubbles. Saved the kids eating all the sweets and losing their plastic tat!!
Previous party they decorated little pots and planted strawberry seeds which was part of their bags.

DD had a party for about 12 girls last year and I refused to do the plastic tat thing - instead I went to B&M Bargains and bought 12 of their cheapo Barbie doll imitation things (sorry not v feminist of me) which cost me 75p each. The girls all collected a piece of cake and a doll on exit. I was a bloody legend for weeks after, I tell you.