Lunch boxes on lawn instead of party food and party bags

[assumetheposition]

DS is having 10 children for his 4th birthday party on Saturday.

As the weather should be lovely, and we don't have much garden furniture, I was thinking of giving every child one of those cardboard lunch boxes, and letting them all sit on blankets on the lawn, instead of at a table.

Is this a terrible idea?

Would I need party bags as well or would they double up as one if I threw a balloon and a small toy in there as well!

Kind of like my own happy meal

I think it sounds lovely

Sounds great. I have done this for DD's birthday in August for the last few years. Its wonderful as there's no sweeping up, they can take home what they don't eat, you can put a piece of birthday cake in it for them either to eat as pudding or to take home and as you say put a toy or something in. You could blow up a balloon and attach it to the box.

I put one of those blow -y things in - they made so much noise! They loved it.

Then I did a treasure hunt, they collected goodies from around the garden, put them in a central pot, we shared them out then between their boxes to take home.

Have fun.

I've done this before...

Where did you get the boxes from?

..............trawls memory

it was one of those naff catalogues I got in the post.... something like this we had a jungle theme last year

Great idea

I've done this too - much more economical in food as well as you don't wildly over-cater if you're giving individual boxes. And yes, chucked in cake and some sweets at the end instead of a bag.

Got ours in a big card shop - can't remember which as our branch has closed.

I've done it with brown paper lunchbags (like the ones you sometimes get takeaways in with handles) that I got the DCs to decorate with the name of each guest.

I gave a choice of sandwich filling on the invitation and put in a wrapped sandwich, frozen squeezy youghurt, carton of juice, small bag of crisps, a papercup filled with grapes, cherry toms and carrot sticks and a chocolate biscuit. Most of the food was eaten. I had extra drinks on hand but it was probably the cheapest party we've ever had, food wise.

I got the bags from a company that supplies businesses on the internet.It cost about £10 for 200. We're still using them as party bags every year!!

We are having an outside party for dd birthday party and instead of having party bags we are going to have the children decorate a piece of paper with their name on and wrap it round a little pot. We will then plant seeds in the pot and they can take them home to grow.

Saves money on party bags