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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not do party bags - really cannot be arsed!

51 replies

BigMomma3 · 11/02/2010 14:38

DTs party this weekend. They will be 8 so invitees aged between 7/8 and there will be at least 20 of them (6 other ignorant twunts have not replied).

I have been frantically looking for ideas for party bags cos I think that age group is too old for plastic tat and I get throughly pissed off with it being spread throughout the house so imagine other parents do too.

I also don't really want to spend another 50 quid on them after party costs as well (washing machine completely died yesterday, will cost too much to repair so will have to get another one on the weekend so that's an unexpected 250 quid expense as well grrr). I looked round today for some cheap bits but could'nt see anything original and can't be arsed to look again tomorrow.

AIBU to just give them a party bag with a balloon and a slice of cake or will I be forever vilified as a cheapskate (or be thought of as poor - don't know which is worse ).

OP posts:
SeaTrek · 11/02/2010 14:41

If you give them a bag with some cake and a ballon in then that IS a party bag!

My son is only ever really interested in the cake! I doubt whether he would make any comment at all about the lack of anything else!

mustrunmore · 11/02/2010 14:41

Ooo, I think at that age they still like bags and will lynch you

Go and buy something from poundland instead of a bag of tat. Art set or something.

For ds2, who admittedly will be four but the principle is the same, I got 24 foam animal masks for £10 off ebay. And dh got hold of lots of kids posters that they were throwing out at work. Done

cilitbang · 11/02/2010 14:43

Awwwww. but the kids look forward to those. What about a Kinder Egg each to pop in the bag or something like that? Or search for "bundle party bag toys" on Ebay and you could get a load at next to nothing, plus some Haribo packets at 10p each. You may look a bit mean otherwise IMO, sorry.

Blackduck · 11/02/2010 14:43

Friend's son was 8 last month - she passed on party bags.....the kids didn't even notice....(they got a lump of cake in a napkin and that was it...)

BariatricObama · 11/02/2010 14:43

balloon and cake is fine. the contents of most party bags end up on the floor of the car as the little angel is rushed to the next 'event'.

no doubt the 'i carve the image of each child out of their birth wood' brigade will beg to defer.

Lionstar · 11/02/2010 14:46

If you get balloons then for that age get those punchbag balloons (I think Poundland do them, or The Works)

If you want some other ideas like the masks mustrunmore mentioned then try Baker Ross

Other ideas that come up all the time are to buy a set of books (e.g. crafty or sticker books) from somewhere like The Book People and then you can split the set up for the bags.

going · 11/02/2010 14:46

ALso think balloon and cake is fine. If you want to be fancy you could get the balloons filled with helium!

Lonnie · 11/02/2010 14:47

At that age I used bookpeople and got a block book set usually worked out at £1.50 pr book they got that with a chocolate from a bag as the party bag it was always well received and several mothers said they much prefeered that to all the stuff

MadamDeathstare · 11/02/2010 14:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

stealthsquiggle · 11/02/2010 14:54

If it's this weekend, I would go with cake and balloon (could add handful of sweets if you felt like it). "original" ideas take either time or money and you don't have either. Don't worry about the image - DS has been to some parties with no bags and my only concern has been to stop him saying "but where's the party bag?" (although he's learned that lesson now after I read him the riot act on the subject ) - I certainly don't consider the host to be either poor or a cheapskate for not doing them.

stealthsquiggle · 11/02/2010 14:56

OrientalTrading do ship to the UK, and I have used them, but it is neither easy nor cheap nor fast - and with current exchange rates BakerRoss & co tend to end up being just as cheap (although the range is not as good)

ChristianaTheTwelfth · 11/02/2010 14:59

Message withdrawn

throckenholt · 11/02/2010 14:59

recent parties I have been to in that age group have had a large box of sweets (and/or toys) - and you get a lucky dip at the end - eg take two as you go.

Seemed to work well.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 11/02/2010 15:02

I think it's fine not to do one - a cake is enough.

With trepidation,at DS1s 9th birthday I gave the kids a pair of gloves each, filled with sweets (nicked this idea from a friend, who did it with socks). It went down a storm, and the mums like it too.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 11/02/2010 15:03

(You can get cheap gloves at H & M, btw)

mistletoekisses · 11/02/2010 15:03

YANBU.

I detest how high maintenance everything has gotten nowadays. I will not do party bags. Slice of cake to take home with a balloon is all they'll be getting from us.

2old4thislark · 11/02/2010 15:04

Agree about the plastic tat - just a waste of money.

Kids will still expect something and it's not worth the embarrassment of not bottering with anything.

Just give them a bag of sweets, cake and balloon. Kids will be happy with that.

I know it's a bit early but some mums give out an Easter egg each - most supermarkets doing them for a £1 each. Kids would love that!

pippylongstockings · 11/02/2010 15:07

I like the lucky dip idea.

A friend recently printed off a load of colouring in pages from the 'tinternet' and gave out these in party bags rolled in a scroll with ribbon with cake and balloon - cheap, cheerful and easypeasy.

OtterInaSkoda · 11/02/2010 15:10

A slice of cake, a few Haribo and maybe some stickers would be plenty imo.

LittleMrsHappy · 11/02/2010 15:15

Ive just got "plastic tat", and they are not waste of money at all.

I got some puzzles, 8 for 49p (chinese symbols) for ds birthday bags for his school tomorrow, I put some haribo sweets and also a kinder bar in them.

Also a Chinese NY book (Chinese NY on Sunday) as that's what they are learning at Nursery atm.

The children can learn from them and also relate to them as its what they are currently learning.

StealthPolarBear · 11/02/2010 15:17

how would a full sized book or helium balloon fit in a party bag?

StillCounting · 11/02/2010 15:18

packet of cress seeds each with or without flannel or square of cotton wool?

  • photocopied explanation (how to grow)

this sort of thing

Any good?

MadameDefarge · 11/02/2010 15:19

I had a similar dilemma this summer, and MN gave me the courage to say no....and then I caved in, And then I forgot to give them out anyway....

Failure all round!

WowOoo · 11/02/2010 15:24

I second the lucky dip idea. Seems to work well and they get cake too if they want.

The ones who moan will have to learn someday that you don't always get the same deal at every party. And that you don't have to....And that people are different?!!

Can you tell that I can't be arsed with handing out or receiving plastic tat either?!

We got small wooden cheap things with some nicer stuff trown in. Blindfold too adds to the fun .....biggest is not always best!

Feierabend · 11/02/2010 15:25

DD recently got a CD in her party bag - just a home made copy of a story / music CD. Thought it was a great idea. Won't really cost you anything, just a bit of time to burn the CDs.

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