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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think you don't need lots in a party bag?

110 replies

Yahyahs22 · 15/04/2023 17:14

So when I was a kid it was a couple cheapy 'toys' and a slice of the birthday cake. Now I've been told you need toys, sweets, party hats, bubbles and you have to cater for both boys and girls?? Someone even suggested a GIFT CARD in each party bag. Surely that's not the norm?? I'm doing my son's first big party so if anyone has been to one recently (ages 3-5) could you tell me what kind of things was in the bags?

OP posts:
Hesma · 15/04/2023 17:17

I put in a slice of birthday cake, and a couple of small things like some bubbles and a fun size chocolate buttons when my kids were younger. Did books once when I found a whole load of Mr books going cheap.

MummyTo2GorgeousMunchkins · 15/04/2023 17:18

My kids are now 13 and 11 and there’s always been a real mixture of how much and what is l in party bags. At that age my favourite was a book (10 for £10 at The Works) and a piece of birthday cake.

BucketList101 · 15/04/2023 17:19

I've got a pencil, rubber, bouncy ball and birthday cake. I may put a glow stick or two in there.

ItsThePlayBusDingDing · 15/04/2023 17:19

I usually get the 10 for £10 books from the works, one of those each and a slice of cake always goes down well.

ComtesseDeSpair · 15/04/2023 17:20

When I was a kid standard party bag fare was a mini bag/bar or of sweets/chocolate from a party pack, birthday cake, often some bubbles, a pointless toy from the Woolworths “party bag” range sold for exactly the purpose of being a cheap, pointless toy for a party bag, and perhaps some stickers - so not too dissimilar.

Sweets and a slice of cake are fine. Nobody really wants pointless toys and party hats. Adults definitely not.

NoAprilFool · 15/04/2023 17:20

My daughter always hates getting a “girl” bag as she’d much prefer the boys’ one. It’s lazy stereotyping usually.

she went to a party recently where everyone was given a bag of sweets. Kids all delighted.

Isseywith3witchycats · 15/04/2023 17:20

The same here i just used to put a slice of birthday cake and a pot of bubbles in the bags nowadays getting far to competative you put in what you feel comfortable with, i used to feed the parents who stayed as most of them were friends with children the same age as mine and always did a pass the parcel with enough little packets of sweets so each child got one

Heroicallyfound · 15/04/2023 17:21

I wish we would abolish party bags - full of tat, expensive, and the bits just get lost in the car on the way home. Slice of cake is fine.

ComtesseDeSpair · 15/04/2023 17:21

BucketList101 · 15/04/2023 17:19

I've got a pencil, rubber, bouncy ball and birthday cake. I may put a glow stick or two in there.

Oh yes! Bouncy balls! You’d bounce them on the asphalt once and they’d rocket off into the bushes never to be seen again!

Leeds2 · 15/04/2023 17:21

For little ones, there is no need to go OTT. As Hesma says, slice of cake, small fun size chocolate and something like bubbles. If you start big at 3, it will get impossible to keep up as they get older and the bags get bigger!! I also think other parents appreciate it if you keep the amount of stuff down.
Fwiw, I have never heard of gift cards being given in a party bag.

postapesto · 15/04/2023 17:23

I really wish party bags would die as an idea. Nobody needs more little crayons or cheap tat to clutter up the house, that's if they're not already broken in the car!

modgepodge · 15/04/2023 17:25

I just did a party and gave- a sheet of stickers, a multicolour pencil, a stamper, a balloon, a tiny kinder bar and a moawam sweet and some cake. Total cost was much less than a pound per child I think. Never heard of gift cards but mine is only 4 so who knows for older children - totally unnecessary in my opinion though.

Runningonempty01 · 15/04/2023 17:25

After a few years I just stopped doing them, it's a waste of money and the earth's resources. I had paid for a nice party, Why do you need a party bag. No kids even noticed and any parents either said what a good idea, or if they thought I was tight they never said anything.

elevenplusdilemma · 15/04/2023 17:25

I've always just done a book plus slice of cake for under 5s (buy in bulk from The Works etc, costs less than a couple of quid each). If you've decorated the venue with balloons, let them pick one to take home.

For primary school age, a sweet cone and a slice of cake is sufficient. Buy the plastic sweet cone bags online or in your local cake-decorating shop (a few quid for a pack of 25, they come with wire ties) and then various bags of sweeties in the supermarket / Poundland. Works out at about £1 each.

HoneyIShrunkThePizza · 15/04/2023 17:27

Works book and cake here. I don't want the crap so I don't distribute it.

Original poster
Yahyahs22 · 15/04/2023 17:44

10 for 10 pound books is exactly what I'm going to do! Thank you

OP posts:
Favouritefruits · 15/04/2023 17:46

A bag of sweets a slice of cake and a chocolate bar would be plenty, I hate extravagant party bags it’s a waste of money and plastic.

h3ll0o · 15/04/2023 17:48

My 3.5 year old is having a whole class party. We’ve brought some small pick and mix bags and will fill them with a Freddo and some other low cost sweets.

Fridaysgirl17 · 15/04/2023 17:50

The last party bag we got was a great hit, there was a bag of snax,mini haribo,a bouncy ball & a party horn,my 2 boys loved it, no cake as they had the cake in the soft play party room before we left

Makewayforsummer · 15/04/2023 17:54

Heroicallyfound · 15/04/2023 17:21

I wish we would abolish party bags - full of tat, expensive, and the bits just get lost in the car on the way home. Slice of cake is fine.

Me too!

Ponderingwindow · 15/04/2023 17:54

I always preferred one semi-decent thing to a bunch of small items.

Lemonademoney · 15/04/2023 17:55

Sweetie cone with a couple of stickers and a mini water pistol in todays party bag - perfect! Don’t overthink it x

drpet49 · 15/04/2023 17:59

Heroicallyfound · 15/04/2023 17:21

I wish we would abolish party bags - full of tat, expensive, and the bits just get lost in the car on the way home. Slice of cake is fine.

This.

QueenLagertha · 15/04/2023 18:05

DS (age 5) went to a party today. They gave
a small paper bag of pick and mix type sweets. All the kids seemed happy. I would much prefer that to ones full of tat and wrapped chewy sweets etc

Tinkeytonkoldfruit · 15/04/2023 18:08

For my DDs birthday I did those cute sweetie paperbags with some pick and mix, sticker on saying thank you for coming to my party. Previously have done £1 book from the works another time a kid's seedbomb. Always a slide of cake but hate plastic tat and my DD plays with it from other parties for 10 mins then gets thrown out.