party bag suggestions?

[cookieraymond]

Its my son's 3rd bday and he has lots of similar age friends coming.

Just wondered if anyone had any good suggestions for the 'party bag' that is an interesting alternative to the usual 'crap' (I know the kids love it but....) and not too expensive.

I begrudge spending the money on a bag of crap for every child when there could be a better alternative??? Am more than happy for it to be equally ridiculous, just want it to be worth receiving! Or am I missing the point??

controversial perhaps but would love to hear any ideas!

A Mr Man book. You can probably get them for £1 each in somewhere like The Works.

have a look at the book people website, for dd's birthday i got a book of things to make and colour for each child for about a £ per book, then i got a packet of tescos colouring pencils for 35p a pack. It was much better than buying tat that goes straight in the bin

BookPeople/Red Book Club do book sets of 10, wrap one book each for each child - can work out at less than a £1 each.

Or a little matchbox car (about £2 but still less than if you cost up party bag plastic tat)

Or something they make themselves at the party like a painting a face mask or decorating a gingerbread man and a balloon each.

something like this

For the DT's 3rd birthday we had (I think)

bubbles
a homemade cupcake
mini raisins box
one of those party blower things
hair clips for girls, toy car/ dinosaur for boys
pack of crayola crayons
A dinosaur/princess shaped cookie cutter

Oh and we also gave them a balloon to take home.

For my two childrens birthdays last year I again was sick of the party bags.

So I went to the pound store and bought those goody bags that a foil sealed which has a sweet, puzzle, colouring book and pencils in. They were £1 each and was soooo much simpler !

Just don't do it. My DD loathes the fact taht I won't enter into the competative party bag game. Do I care? Not one jot!

I prefer to think of them as "now f*ck off home" bags :) Not really, but they do bring the party to an end with ease.

The Book People are great. Last year, I went to the pound shop (actually I sent a friend to fix my party bag disaster when my books didn't arrive) and got fairy wings for the girls and horrendous World Cup horns for the boys. I wrapped those plus some fun size chocolate.I wasn't overly popular with the parents of boys (in a jokey way) bt the kids loved them :o

glow sticks (£1.50 for a pack of 10 in asda) and a light up balloon went down well at dd's party (along with cake and some fun size sweets)

Ooh, interesting thread. We've got our first kids party in June, DD (will be 4) and wants to go to the park! So we are thinking of a sports day theme.

I am therefore not getting into the whole girls/boys thing, everyone is getting the same. It will be fairly tacky though!

Would love any sporty ideas?

Paint your own Frisbee , or a mini soft football if you can find them cheap enough.

This website does inexpensive partybag toys. I've found them to be pretty good.

I got a pack of eight mini colouring books and pack of eight pencils with novelty rubbers from the pound shop and a bag of chocolate coins for £1.50.

Cake
book
pencil
balloon
chocolate coin

Done. For less than a fiver.

some good ideas ladies, I am glad to see I am not the only one who has issues with this bit!

Loving the 'fcuk off home' bag name SoupDragon and will adopt this immediately

A book sounds like a winner - and wrapped so no trying to squeeze things into those small bags.

I also got a tip for Hawkins Bazar as good for tricks and bits ...

glow sticks and glow balloons too..

Its my DD's 3rd birthday on saturday and in her now fuck off home party bags I have got: bubbles, balloons, glow sticks, raisins, lollies & those curly wurly plastic drinking straws that kids love (multi pack from tescos)

As well as the cake obviously

loving the drinking straws idea - DS loved one he was given in a restaurant once

I have tried to make the party bags unisex for DD's party as with DS's (5) I got into a pickle as to how many boys/girls I had

kangaroocaught where do you get the paint your own frisbee? Googling isn't giving me anything so far...

A bag of home made playdough - brightly coloured, cheap and you can get the DC to make it?

do you have a recipe or link? Sounds interesting!