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Original poster

Party Bags .... why do we do them??????

129 replies

ghosty · 24/09/2005 09:00

I can't stand doing them and I can't stand DS and DD receiving them.
Warning: Bah Humbug alert ...
Total waste of money for the hosts of the party ... complete PITA for the parents of the children getting them.
DS and DD came home from a party yesterday with bags brimming with chocolate and sweets (as if they didn't have enough AT the party) and a pile of cheap tatt that they won't look at again ... plastic crap ...

Who likes giving them (wasting money on tatt when you have already spent money on a party etc) and who likes receiving them? And why please?

Is there an alternative?

OP posts:
dinny · 25/09/2005 13:12

Ghosty, we gave each sprog a helium balloon at ds's party instead of a party bag.

Issymum · 25/09/2005 14:00

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request

cod · 25/09/2005 14:00

Message withdrawn

katzguk · 25/09/2005 14:16

i'm just putting together the bags for DD1's birthday party and our guest willhopefully be getting:

1 choccy bar
1 book (Booksfor children intro offer had 10 books for £2)
1 box of raisins
1 blower/noisey thing (revenge to al the parents who put them in the party bags DD has recieved)
1 balloon
1 piece of cake

DD loves her special bags she has got from parties and her friends have always really loved handing them out at the end.

katzguk · 25/09/2005 14:17

and as an activity at the party they will be making fairy wands, DD is having a fairy party.

tigermoth · 25/09/2005 14:21

you know, I think there's a business idea here - some alternative to party bags.

The one game you get at most parties is 'pass the parcel' - and treasure hunts and lucky dips come a close second and third. Pinatas (spelling?) seem to be getting popular, too. They sell them at Woolworths! The one thing they all have in common is that there's a game and a present involved - and you can engineer it so everyone gets something.

Surely there must be more scope here? There must be more party games that could combine presents? I bet you invented some and marketed them as an alternative to party bags, selling game and presents together, there could be lots of interest.

Yes www, he's well and truly six - was six in august, so this was a belated party.

spidermama · 25/09/2005 14:22

I hate them too. Full of tat and rubbish which adds to the stuff I pick up from the kitchen floor.

I do them though because the kids expect it.

It's also a great way to get them out at the end of the party. (Miserable cow that I am)

skinnycow · 25/09/2005 14:24

what about "first out of the door gets the best present"

GeorginaA · 25/09/2005 14:26

LOL ds1 was at a party recently where they had a pinata - great fun but it took over half an hour for them to break it, so not ideal as a "get them out of the door" present

skinnycow · 25/09/2005 14:29

dd was at a party last year and the lad whose birthday it was was banging the pinata so hard that when he brought the stick back he struck another child in the mouth

he was a little bastard though

tigermoth · 25/09/2005 14:34

ah well, you see, it really is time someone invented something better!

roisin · 25/09/2005 15:09

This year ds2 chose not to have a big party, but instead to take a couple of friends out for the day. We had them 10 - 5 pm, and I decided that was quiet sufficient, it wasn't a party, and they didn't need party bags. But two children complained ...

Mine!

roisin · 25/09/2005 15:10

Obviously quite not quiet!

mummylonglegs · 25/09/2005 15:12

You don't have to stick cheap rubbish in them though, do you? Nor do you have to spend a fortune. I've gone to the Toy Museum gift shop this last two years where they've got really nice quality little gifts for well-under £1 each. It's just a nice way of ending a party and saying thank you for the gifts for your child and sending the party-goer home with something to remember it by.

I guess loads of it depends on how big the parties are? I've only ever done small low-key fairly traditional kind of parties at home in our pokey flat for about 5-6 kids.

Lonelymum · 25/09/2005 15:14

I think we should go back to what we had when I was a child. No party bag. Eat the birthday cake at the birthday tea (maybe take it home with yu if totally full up) BUT: play games with little prizes - pass the parcel, treasure hunt, etc and kids can take home those goodies at the end of the party. We were always happy enough with that. Plus, we sometimes got a balloon and were happy to have that too unlike most kids these days for whom a balloon is "boring".

Before anyone says, what about the kids who don't win the prizes (the anti competition brigade), I would suggest the party host has some spare prizes to give out to the well behaved children or the ones who eat their tea nicely.

Anyone agree with me or am I hopelessly old fashioned?

mummylonglegs · 25/09/2005 15:17

Hi LM! I'm old-fashioned too. But I still like party bags!

Lonelymum · 25/09/2005 15:19

But has your dd received a bag of complete tat yet MLL? The trouble is, mine get quite a few, and it is mostly rubbish but they won't let me throw it away so it accumulates!

I once filled a bag with useful things like pencils and rubbers and a kid complained that there was no toy! He had just had 2 hours of entertainment and fun food FGS! Children seem to demand or expect so much these days.

mummylonglegs · 25/09/2005 15:21

My dd happily throws things in the bin herself if she thinks they're 'rubbish' so I don't end up with too much of it about. To be honest I mind less about the 'tat' (though haven't had too much of it, mostly had fairly nice ones) than the sweets. I had a bag once filled with the most dire coloured sweets, plus the prizes to all the party games had been sweets. Dd was like a speed-addict on the bus home.

SoupDragon · 25/09/2005 15:23

I remove all the cr*p sweets and save them for trick or treaters

Lonelymum · 25/09/2005 15:23

Ah well the sweets are a waste of money with us too as none of my kids really like them much (ds2 not at all). I am impressed that your dd will throw what she considers to be rubbish away. I wish mine would!

Lonelymum · 25/09/2005 15:24

Grrrrrrrr Soupdragon! You have just raised another dirty topic IMO!

SoupDragon · 25/09/2005 15:24

Oh and I hate having uninflated balloons in party bags. DSs always try to blow them up in the car on the way home and I spend the hwole journey shouting "NOT IN THE CAR!" because I have visions of having to stop suddenly and them swallowing the damn things

Helium balloons are a whole other hazard "Get that balloon DOWN and OUT OF MY SIGHT."

hehehe.

jac34 · 25/09/2005 15:25

I'm looking at some of the ideas, my DS twins have a party next month.I don't want to put in plastic crap either, there will nostly be boys.
I did notice the disney shop had a sale the other day and were selling off "Incredables" note books really cheap.

SoupDragon · 25/09/2005 15:25

Ah, but I have no problem now with trick or treaters as they're taking away all the free cr*ppy sweets I don't let DSs have

SoupDragon · 25/09/2005 15:26

I put fun sized chocolate in DSs party bags. Just chocolate, not caramel filled or anything.

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