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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to give out bags of tat at birthday party?

226 replies

NameChanged45678 · 19/09/2023 21:17

DS is having a party for his 5th birthday next week. 25 kids and I’ve just been adding party bag fillers to my Amazon basket, there is now £100 worth of the usual crap in my basket ready to purchase….surely I can get something better for £4 per kid?

im trying to avoid sweets as 3 of the kids attending are type1 diabetic so thought it would be easier to have non-edible party bag contents.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
CurlewKate · 19/09/2023 23:32

I gave out helium balloons one year- but I'm not sure that's OK now...

Uggghhhh · 19/09/2023 23:37

Once when mine were younger we did a peppa pig themed party and got a peppa flask mug thing from a pound-shop type place, added some sweets, a balloon, and a cupcake. Worked super well as all were useful or edible.

Yesterdayyesterday · 19/09/2023 23:56

Chocolatchip · 19/09/2023 21:36

Bulk buy craft stuff from somewhere like baker Ross and divide the contents into bags. Pencil toppers, make your own book marks, badges that kind of thing

Yes this is exactly what I do. Less than £1 per child.

Gowlett · 20/09/2023 00:01

I hate when my kid brings home any of this el cheapo crap, especially pound shop Play Doh. It’s nice of the mums, but… Such a waste of money! DS recently brought home a little bag of stationary bits, which was actually nice. And useful.

caringcarer · 20/09/2023 00:12

When DS was younger I got lots of footballs at Sports Direct. DH had to blow them all up but all the kids seemed to really like them. They were £5 each.

Reetnice · 20/09/2023 00:13

Don’t do it! Waste of money/plastic and environmentally irresponsible.

Can you not just hand out little packs of wild flower seeds “for the birds and bees” or any seeds really. Much more beneficial!

caringcarer · 20/09/2023 00:15

If you give books let the kids choose one they haven't already got.

SoShallINever · 20/09/2023 00:38

Seeds are a great idea in Spring or early summer, but you will have very disappointed kids if they sow sunflowers in Autumn. At this time of year you are looking at cress or spring bulbs!

DynamicK · 20/09/2023 01:15

Given the choice, my dc would choose a party bag of tat to be rifled through and forgotten over a book but they would still have been happy with a book

Barleysugar86 · 20/09/2023 01:19

Poundland does wonderful puzzle books for £1 each. They also had great outdoor sticky throw and catch mitts for £2. I then spent another £2 on edible items per kid. No wasteful tat in sight.

MartinChuzzlewit · 20/09/2023 01:22

I’ve always gone to The Works and got a book per child instead. £1 each. It’s useful, educational and kids love books! No bags of shite going to landfill.

fiddlesticksandotherwords · 20/09/2023 01:22

I put little pads of coloured post-it notes in lucky bags once, went down a storm.

Nat6999 · 20/09/2023 05:19

Pack of colouring pencils & a drawing book
Pencil case with pencil, rubber, pencil sharpener
Pack of those felt pens that are mini stampers
Little card games like junior top trumps or snap or happy families
Picture dominoes

baffledcoconut · 20/09/2023 05:46

No more seeds please 🙈 endless packets of bloody seeds. No one has that sort of space or wants to grow that many wildflowers (that never do that well)

Bit of cake, a kinder egg or some fossil digging kit. Or even just let them have a better made piece of tat (fidget toy, bouncy hall)

camelfinger · 20/09/2023 05:59

Hmm. Difficult one. I spent ages carefully curating tat for party bags for a couple of parties. My DC have always loved party bags, and I can see the twinge of disappointment in their faces if it’s the Works books or seeds. Even the sweet cones don’t seem to be devoured in the same way as Haribos. But they get over it, it’s no big deal, there are lots of parties and party bags are just a small detail which will get forgotten about. I wish I had thought that at the time!

LlynTegid · 20/09/2023 06:44

Perhaps time to start a trend of not giving out party bags, and letting parents know in advance.

HamSandwichKiller · 20/09/2023 07:05

@AliOlis I've never seen a £1 book that isn't a waste of paper. Never expected high literature but honestly it's worse tat than some sweets where at least the contents are enjoyable and the packaging gets recycled.

My kid is nearly 10 and he's brought plenty of party bags home in his time.

gettingolderbutcooler · 20/09/2023 07:18

Bamboo straws were an unusual hit for us! You can buy them in packs.
And second hand books (charity shop or library sell off) x

NeedToKnow101 · 20/09/2023 07:19

I used to do an activity at the party where they decorate a big biscuit, then that goes in their party bag, which was often a paper bag they had also decorated, with some sweets in and maybe a balloon and a little puzzle. They loved the biscuit decorating activity. Make sure they do it on something with their name on though.

Tiredchicken · 20/09/2023 07:32

i have done

  1. books-laid them out on table by door and child could choose one and get cupcake to take home.
  2. stationary. Did decorate your own brown paper bag then prizes were nice pencils/rubbers/ sharpeners etc and all went in their bags to take home at the end.
  3. after the success of 2 the next year DS got each child a notebook that he decorated for them and nice pens (and a few sweets).

all went down well! Kids were just as excited and I figured at least things would get used or donated!

i can’t stand the waste of the plastic party bags! my kids have had a variety of eco and very un ecofrienfly bags from parties in the last few years…the only plastic that had been used more than on the actual day of the party is one popper fidget thing. Everything else sadly lies around their rooms till they decide to Chuck it and charity shops won’t take it.

Zhougzhoug · 20/09/2023 07:44

Seeds and flimsy The Works type books never go down that well with kids. I feel sort of more burdened by them then supposedly worse things.

Pens, pencils, crayons, novelty rubbers are fine by me - they go straight in the stationery box.

Hobbycraft craft sets are great - kids genuinely excited and it fills a rainy hour.

Lego mini bags are good if you want to spend a bit more money on one quality thing.

Wiggly reusable straws were a big hit.

I like how much kids like party bags. It’s exciting for them!

DuchessOfMuck · 20/09/2023 07:45

At my daughter's pirate themed party. We gave out a big foam sword and small gold bag of chocolate coins. Everyone loved it

Books seem great but does any family really need another Julia Donaldson book? We once had five copies of The Smartest Giant In Town.

00100001 · 20/09/2023 07:46

Downtherivers · 19/09/2023 21:21

The seeds went down well with the kids? Or the parents?

MammaTo · 20/09/2023 08:43

HamSandwichKiller · 19/09/2023 22:06

Gawd no to books. They're always crap books and go straight in the recycling. Chuck some birthday cake, small bag of sweets/chocs, bubbles and a keyring or whatever in a bag and call it a day.

This was my same thought.