Aibu to not buy party bags for 8 year olds?

[healthandwealth]

My son is having his 8th birthday party this weekend at a soft play. AIBU to not buy party bags for the kids? I'm a bit over giving/receiving plastic crap for the kids and wonder if the kids will really notice if they don't get party bags? If I do get something it will just be a big wheels car each and a bag of sweets. What age do you think it's acceptable to stop the party bag nonsense?!

when my ds was that age lego figure blind bags were very popular to get instead of a party bag

Never done party bags, no one has ever mentioned anything

To your face...

How about a lucky dip at the end that way they still get something and can get a piece of cake too or bag of sweets.

I've popped love hearts, a pack of scented crayons, a dip dab and a few chocolate coins in a cello bag with some ribbon and a thank you label for our 9 year old party bags. Similar for my 7 year old. You don't have to have plastic tat. A balloon wand or a sweetie bag with 'Thank you for coming to my party' is cheap but polite.

Actually last year I just gave everyone a horrid Henry book and a piece of cake. The books were a steal from the book people and I had a discount code.

I buy those 20 packs from Book People. For 2-3 quid per head they get two books and a slice of cake. If you pay 40-60 quid or more or Party bags then the thought that it’s going to be in a bin in the first 48 hours is a bit soul destroying. Parties are not cheap at the best of times. I know that the books will stay even if they are not read.

For DD's 9th birthday I did party bags. DS then 26 also said "yes please! I haven't had a party bag in forever!" when I offered to do him one! 😂

just had 5yo's party, the hot wheels cars were a huge hit, don't think anyone noticed lack of bag! We also ate cake on site, don't get the 'take it home' thing. Could do a sweet lucky dip on the way out.

I've never done party bags either. Why should I?

The cake is cut at the end of the "meal", and a slice given to each of the kids then, they can have seconds if they ask. Saying thank you for coming to the party is more than enough, I don't feel the need to buy a gift! I provide a party, entertainment, food and drink, isn't that the whole point of a birthday party?

It's never been an issue either.

I do them because I had them as kid. And I grew up in a big Asian city so not in the UK. And we always did party bags although they were called ‘return presents’!

Mine are grown-up now, but we usually had more-or-less theme-parties. Once I did a pirate-party for my son, and had the black eye-cover and a gold (clip-on) earring for all the kids, they got to take that home. That time I also did a "tattoo" on their arm or on their breast (with party make-up). And the time we went to the bowling alley I bought cheap white T-shirts and had them printed with a FarSide bowling cartoon. They loved those T-shirts! I did parties ánd did a little gift when the kids went home untill my children were 12.

You can get party boxes from Amazon...some have things inside the box already like mini colouring boxes etc. but you can always go for empty ones and fill them up with chocolate coins, books, stationery etc. I sometimes buy organza bags from Ebay lol, then print out my own messages as a label or something and fill them up with some goodies, when I have dinner parties and the adults love them as well