Sunflower - Party bag

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Not an AIBU question but something that puzzled me.

I have a year one kid and we have been to 4 parties in the last couple of months, out of 3 gave us a sunflower pot as a gift party bag. I thought it was a lovely idea as I am not into all these plasticky things that are usually in party bags.

However, and as my kid’s party is approaching soon, I am wondering if the sunflower thing is overdone or is it a fashion thing to do or it used to be a thing many years now and I had never spotted it? Also, any other “sustainable” ideas as I am now bored of sunflower pots and we have far too many at home?

AIBU - Sunflower pot is a traditional party bag

AINBU - It’s a current trend and a bit overdone

I think if it's the same group of kids coming then you know they've also had three sunflowers in the least few months so I'd probably do something different. You could stick to the seed/garden theme though and avoid plastic tat. Or just do a book and some sweets.

I think it’s a nice idea, but if it’s the same group of kids and they all had three recently then I would probably do something different.

It's a bit past sunflower planting season. I'm a bit anti-plastic tat, so we did stickers and temporary tattoos with sweets and a piece of cake.

I've done ingredients for biscuit making in a party bag before

Yep I’d do something different.

Weve received:
Book (buy a job lot from The Works or equivalent)
Seed packet/seed bombs
Lego glasses (they’re amazing, from Amazon, went down really well and really well made). Maybe not for 1 year olds though! Put in your pocket for a few years down the road 😉

Oh year 1 sorry, not 1 year old! Lego glasses get my vote then. (Glasses as in, eye glasses)

Also one of those snow globe style drinks cups filled with sweets would be perfect. Yes plastic but fun and long lasting - definitely not single use.

You can get cookie making kits in little milk bottle type bottles in B&M they are cheap but look substantial and the packaging is recyclable.

Or those cress head type things we used to have as kids are always fun.

Depending on the type of party and amount of kids some people buy cheap white t shirts from primark and get a load of fabric pens and let the kids design their own t shirts to take home instead of a party bag.

Don't do sunflowers if the guests will already have received multiples like you.

I'd have thought it was a bit too late in the year now for planting sunflowers anyway.

Get a cress/grass character set

or my local library gave out wildflower seed bookmarks- they’re fun!

I've never heard of the sunflower thing but I think it's nice.

At recent parties we've had:

• a book (they had a pile of the lesser known Julia Donaldson's that kids/parents could pick from) plus some sweets in lieu of a traditional party bag

A party bag consisting of a pencil with rainbow lead (that my daughter is still obsessed with months later) plus a wooden spinning top (ignored), a wooden windmill (broke almost immediately), and sweets

Idk what happened to the formatting there

For that age group we always got each a young readers book and a treat (sweets or similar)

Do you live in Brighton, Stroud or west London? 😉

It is a bit overdone tbh. Agree with the idea of a book (Works £10 for 10 deal) plus some sweets and a slice of cake to take home. Job done.

I went to a wedding recently where the favours were a little bumble bee cookie and a wildflower seed bomb. Vert cute and tat free, so maybe some of those? Kids and drunk wedding guests are basically the same market right?

Or a broad bean growing kit, I loved those as a kid, seeing the little beanstalk grow in the glass jar.

Or those little cookie/brownie making kits from Primark that come with a wee pan to make them in, very cute and parents get a free tiny pan perfect for frying a single egg 😂

Yep, buy a book set, divide up into bags with something to eat (fun sized chocolate bar, or pack of haribos, or both) and a thing they can use like a pencil or rubber. Done.

Toys for a pound website has books, pencil cases, activity books
RexLondon good for party stuff, presents etc. Great value in the sale too.

We did books and sweets.

We've received wildflower bombs, books, small animal soft toy and cookie bottles with a cookie cutter attached recently.

You could plant popcorn kernels instead. They turn out lovely popcorn grass. Cover the pot with kernels, and just a little bit of soil over. Would be nice to give a small bag of popcorn to go with it.

How about cress seeds? I used to like planting cress as a kid as it grew really quickly.

I'd say it's a bit late to plant sunflower seeds now....

I know lego is plastic but we did little lego animals, some sweets, piece of cake and a little paintbox.

I hate sunflowers and have a carefully planned garden, I’d be so annoyed with a sunflower seed in a party bag! Seeds are the “in” party thing around here, though. Or a book plus slice of cake rather than a bag of toot.

Much better than landfill plastic tat but clearly has been done a lot already and there are only so many sunflowers a child could be interested in. Books from a multipack are a good option, maybe a cute pencil, slice of cake and a few sweets, done.

I've done this but not seen anyone else do it (although small village school so maybe don't want to copy?)

I also did a book in a drawstring bag, you can buy the bags in bulk on Amazon for low cost and they can be used again as PE or swim bags, unlike the usual paper or plastic ones.

How about getting some bulbs that they could plant now and watch as they grow?
A big bag of crocus bulbs, a newspaper (you can make your own bidegradable starter pots using old newspaper), and a handful or two of compost.

I don't know how expensive they might be but a hyacinth bulb might be a good party gift???