To ask what you spend on party bags?

[Nicpem1982]

I'm having my dds 3rd birthday party at our local zoo.

We're expecting around 20 children aged 2-6.

Dh says I need to set a reasonable budget for party bags I thought about 4 pounds each as the venue is providing an activity pack and we've paid additional for face painting for each child.

I'd like them to be animal themed as per the party.

What do you spend on party bags per child?

[Nicpem1982]

And one uncle

[CJCreggsGoldfish]

DD has now been to a number of parties (and had a couple of her own) and the average spend is £1 -£2 per bag. This year I did The Book People book plus some sweets and bubbles and it worked out about £1.50 per bag, and was well received. We once had a party bag that was brimming with tat, DD loved it for 10 minutes but it was a total waste of money (according to the mum she budgeted £4 per bag).

[Nicpem1982]

CJ what was in it?

[BIgBagofJelly]

I agree with other posters that if you're going to spend more than a few quiddefinitely go for one book people book or small beanie toy each. My DD has come back with bags full of tat and thousands of sweets that actually probably costs a lot when you add it up and ends up in the bin. One had really fancy hand made cupcakes with each child's name on it - my DD didn't even eat it because she was so full from party food.

If you're already getting an activity pack it's fine to just put a piece of cake in the party bag if you want to bulk it out you could add one small toy (some of those big chalks for drawing on the pavement that you can get cheap or a little packet of bubbles or something). Don't spend a lot.

[SheldonCRules]

About £5 each, I try and avoid things that just end up on landfill so stick to a few edibles and then a small decent toy. Have done rubicks cubes, scented crayons etc. If at a venue with a shop then we let them choose a souvenir and just add cake.

[Etak15]

At the last big party we did - was a joint one for my dd's so lots of guests plus siblings I didn't bother with party bags just bought sweetie cone bags from eBay filled them with sweets and tied with a ribbon and bought personalised 'thank you for coming' stickers also eBay, to put on them I cut the cake up and put it out and let everyone help thereselves as they left and kids gave the cones out!

[Notso]

I have spent £15 but that was for a sleepover for 6. I bought them all a pair of pyjamas, a toothbrush and some bits from Claire's.
Most recent party bags were one of the £1 legoesque brick sets from Wilkos, a bag of haribo and a slice of cake alongside what the venue provided. They went down really well.
I've also done funky socks, inflatables guitars and microphones, Lego mini figures, survival kits, craft sets. I have 30 digibirds I picked up for £2.50 each that I think will be for DS3's party next year.
Sweet cones seem to be popular here and book people books.

[CurlsandCurves]

At this time of year you can't go wrong with a selection box, specially as they are being sold off!

At her idea that I stole which worked brilliantly was a football for each child. It was a football party so hey why not!

[JensenAcklesUndercrackers]

We buy a set of books and each child gets a book wrapped up with a bag of haribo or similar. Normally works out at around £1-£1.50 per child.

[Nicpem1982]

Hi

Thanks everyone for your suggestions my and dh have decided on the following:

Animal mask
2 animal cutters
3 pots of play doh
Animal themed book (have ordered from the works)
Slice of birthday cake
Small packet of buttons

Hopefully that's ok and no tat (?) Think we've got them done for around 3.50 each so not bad really

does anyone have any better ideas?

[SilenceOfThePrams]

For me that would be too much.

3 pots of playdough and a cutter is about my budget for a birthday present; I'd be mortified to get that back plus extras in the party bag.

It's slice of cake, mini pot of bubble mixture and possibly a teeny tiny note pad or sheet of stickers or something party themed here; around £1/bag if that.

[woodwaj]

I'd lose the masks but only because you said you are doing face painting.

Ds birthday is in a few weeks and ive gone for a sweet cone and a book as i immediately throw away the bags of tat myself. I think playdoh is always used so you cant really go wrong!

[Nicpem1982]

woodwaj - I could lose the masks actually thinking about it do you think I need to replace it with anything?

Silence - we discourage the guests from bringing presents really but I would never want anyone to feel mortified because the party bag cost more than the gift they bought so I will bare that in mind.

[Nicpem1982]

I've got between 15 and 20 coming not go numbers yet party isn't for a while.

My dd will be 3 and the the children in attendance will be between 2 and 5 so they will be expecting party bags which is fine I enjog doing them (crazy I know 😂) but I don't want something that will be binned immediately after leaving the party so me and dh are happy to spend a little more.

Regarding party bags costing more than the gifts she receives - this guest list is mostly family and close friends with space for a couple of pre school friends if appropriate (dd is about to start and party is a while off) and with the exception of the pre school friends the people in attendance know we discourage presents for dd, and if they insist we ask for a token present (book, pack of stickers etc) as dd has over zealous grand parents. So this is a non problem really I think.

[Aeroflotgirl]

£1 plenty, a small bag of sweets, a couple of plastic tTwat from the £1 shop and a bit of the cake, plenty!

[Aeroflotgirl]

Tat not twat doh😳

[Aeroflotgirl]

Or just get a toy each from the £1 shop!, they do nice craft packs, and branded stuff for £1

[ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual]

I think that sounds a lot, even if you have managed to get it for a decent price per bag.

I'd go with either just play doh, cutters and choc, or just book and mask plus choc. All sound lovely options.

[BIgBagofJelly]

They're nice gifts but it does sound a lot. I would cut it down to one pot of play doh and one animal cutter with the other stuff. Most kids probably have loads of that stuff at home already anyway.

[00100001]

I really would just do

Animal book
Buttons
Cake



All the rest is overkill and will just raise kids expectations of what party bags are. And then inadvertently puts pressure on the other parents if they do a party.


Just think of what the party goer will receive for the day of you do that huge party bag.

A day out to the zoo
An activity pack
Face painting
Lunch
Mask
2 x Cutters
3 x play doh
Cake
Buttons
Book



That's A HUGE amount. More what I'd expect the birthday child to receive.

[SouthWestmom]

You run the risk of being a bit Lady Bountiful I think. Your child has too much so no presents, but you can stuff the party bags full of decent gifts? I'd be a bit careful about how that comes across, I would feel a bit odd if that was me.

[everythingis]

Not very much. I look on eBay for bulk buys if a suitable item as a main gift. We did a frozen party and I found snowflake bracelets that were about £1.10 each. I buy colour themed bags cheapest I can find on eBay usually, they get the themed gift, cake and some sweets pretty much. For the zoo party I would probably order some foam animal masks.

[everythingis]

£5 is far too much imo when you have paid zoo entry!
We went to a lovely themed party recently where the kids were given a ty plush toy each and could make a collar for it. It was a lovely activity but I remember thinking oh the host has spent ££££ I wouldn't expect party bags as well - she had done them but they only had cake and sweets in them and that was overly generous as they had done lots of craft activities.

[PutDownThatLaptop]

Get two packs of these which work out at 59p each:

www.amazon.co.uk/Tinksky-Finger-Puppets-Velvet-Dolls/dp/B019XMOJYI/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&qid=1483602869&sr=8-26&keywords=soft%20toy%20pack&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[ItMustBeBedtimeSurely]

That's a lot for a party bag. I wouldn't want the play doh or animal masks tbh. Just the book, along with cake and sweets is perfect.