... to ask for party bag ideas!

[44PumpLane]

I know this has been done and apologies in advance, but this is a fairly specific question.

4 year old birthday party (if it's able to go ahead in late November).

I'm getting fancy bobbles and hair clips as a fun but practical party bag favour for the girls..... Any idea what the male equivalent could be?

There may not be a male equivalent as all the things I can think of would be equally enjoyed by all but I just don't want it to be plastic tat for the bin, the hair stuff felt fairly practical as well as fun.

Thanks!

[Sugarplumfairy65]

It depends on your budget. For my grandsons birthday in January these were perfect.
www.facebook.com/Linfit-Plaster-Crafts-100116548024196/

[44PumpLane]

Thanks again all, some more great ideas.

I'm liking the paper airplanes idea too.

I do like the sweets and cake idea but I figure they all get excited when they have a few new bits to look at but at the same time don't want to fill the world with plastic tat.

There are definitely a lot of excellent ideas that I will be using from here though so thank you!

[Ewanthescreamsheep]

Last year we did i-spy books and pencils with cute rubber toppers.

[InDubiousBattle]

Lego mini figures?

[Shoppingwithmother]

I have got the individual Lego minifigures in bags for boys’ party bags before. Most boys like Lego, and it’s better than a lot of the plastic tat you get. I think one of those, a piece of cake and some sweets is fine.

[Shoppingwithmother]

Cross-post, Dubious!

Meant to say, I also got Lego for the girls, not just the boys. My daughter didn’t have any interest in hair clips, etc at that age.

[SummerInSun]

If you do sweets, try to get ones with no gelatine. I had a big fail with giving out little bags of standard haribos one year, not even thinking of the fact that the kosher and halal kids couldn't eat them. I know now that you can buy special kosher and halal friendly haribos at big supermarkets (only slightly more expensive) in the "free from" section.

[strugglingwithdeciding]

We did 99 p chap plastic footballs once when ds has a football party but was for both boys and girls
Plastic cups good idea though

[tired17]

Mine have birthdays around that time and I used to buy selection boxes for everyone, and wrapped them up. Seemed to be well accepted and cut down on the plastic waste.

[VotePedroPony]

I really don't like the concept of gendered party bags. My DS cried his eyes out after a party where boys were given blue balloons and girls were given pink balloons. His favourite colour was pink.

[banjaxxed]

Cars - the little Matcjbox/hot wheels type ones.

Depends how much you want to spend really - Tesco do some starting at c£1 and the are little metal cars

[TimeWastingButFun]

We've put all sorts of things in ranging from magnetic putty to lava balls and initial key rings, lots of Smiggle stuff, over the years. Bath bombs, little air sets, mini teddies. Once we gave books and a little box of chocolate. Another time a nerf gun and bullets and a little holster for the bullets (it was a nerf wars party though!) lots of parties, the older one didn't want party bags last time 😪

[TimeWastingButFun]

Air sets, haha! I mean art sets

[PhilTheGroundhog]

Invisible ink pens. On amazon.

[bobbikato]

Cowboy hats and spud guns ?
But no idea if you can buy cheap hats that are not plastic tat.

[bluechameleon]

I'm struggling with the idea that a Toy Story cup might not be suitable for a girl

[TheTeenageYears]

As a pp said the 99p footballs are great - you can never have too many of them.

We once got the kids to decorate an A4 piece of paper each and I stapled them into cones. Sat everyone in a circle and put a tray of sweets in the middle. They all had to take turns picking a few and went round until they were gone. It worked really well and whilst it was a sweetie cone, it was also arts and crafts and taking turns so a bit of a win win.

[Wynston]

Cone sweets were well recieved.
Fake tattoos
Seeds and a pot.
Kinder eggs??

[GreenTulips]

I really don't like the concept of gendered party bags

Couldn’t agree more.

[bookmum08]

Packet of Smarties
Hot Wheels car*
Bit of the cake.

Done

(and the Hot Wheels are for both boys and girls - I have yet to meet a kid who doesn't like Hot Wheels)

• Doesn't actually have to be 'Hot Wheels' brand. Generic own brand ones are just fine.

[QuestionableMouse]

@GreenTulips well tattoos don't give you cancer....

My nephew is four and is obsessed with trains. Tiger sell wooden cars/trains fairly cheaply that fit on the wooden tracks. www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-wooden-train-set/p/0320534 ⬅️ sort of thing.

[QuestionableMouse]

Also play dough. You can get a massive box of pots on amazon quite reasonably and every kid I've known loves the stuff.

[Shoeoholic]

I got some personalised seeds for butterflies and bees for my daughters party off Etsy. Worked out 35p a packet

[MinnieJackson]

My son (7) went to a Harry potter themed party and everyone was given a slice of cake and a little potion bottle necklace which was nice. You can get hot wheeis for a pound in the poundshop. Slime is popular (but banned in this house ). My boys like bath bombs which you can get quite cheaply in home bargains etc.

[Poetryinaction]

I buy those colour in bags from the works. I think you get 12 for a tenner. Then multipacks of smarties and lollipops to put inside.
Other good ones have been multipacks of decent quality stickerbooks.
For a big party I got those huge smartie tubes, being sold off for 50p each after Christmas. I just gave out one of those and a sheet of stickers for each child.
I have done a single book each, but to be honest, the kids don't get so excited about those! And I've been given seeds, which was nice, but again, not so exciting.
I like the cup idea.