other than sweets/chocs if you could choose 2 items for a party bag....

[smellywellies]

what would it be? nothing to plastictastic!

children will be 5, girls and boys. will need 30 bags so nothing too pricey!

thanks

a pencil.

or stickers

Yoyo, toy car, dice, hair clips/ties. I used to hate balloons in party bags and anything that made a noise.

tiny pack of crayons (or buy huge packs and split) and some colouring pics printed off the internet

I did a pack of plasticine (£1 each) and a slice of cake in each bag for my 5 year old's party.

A packet of seeds goes down well at this time of year.

I mean appreciated not swallowed.

www.amazon.co.uk/Flair-099036-Plasticine-Colour-Pack/dp/B0007QJMWO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304408960&sr=8-1

I didn't do bags. I got biodegradable cardboard pots from the garden centre and put soil and sunflower seeds in.

I also put little lolly sticks in and wrote 'love xxxx' on.

And I also gave them a tiny tub of bubbles. Both the parents and the kids were impressed and it's been great getting updates on how things a growing!

Bubble mixture and keyrings.
We went to Paris a couple of months ago, we got bargaintastic 6 Eiffel towers for a euro for DDs party bags. She will also be having pencils (8 for a euro) and superbouncy balls (10 for a euro) in the first ones she's ever given out.

sheet of stickers - this kind of thing

Sparkly hair clips for girls and a little car for boys. Sexist? Yes but that is what they like!

A bottle of bubble mix is a great idea.

glowsticks are always a winner bit of a trend round here.

the only things that tend not get binned in our house are stickers pensils and rubbers.

i bought a few packs of moshi type shaped wrist bands and put a couple of those bands in each bag. good for boys and girls.

much easier to keep them gender neutral tbh.

hate balloons since dd inhaled one from a party bag and I had to pull it from her throat.

some fab ideas here thanks so much

agree, will keep gender neutral.. i prefer easy life...

itsabiggy you gave me shivers about your dd's balloon incident... hope she recovered okay and you..

she did recover. both a bit shacken but put it down to near miss so not to panick her too much, bless her she now automaticaly hands over all unblown up balloons strait away for me to blow up.

Definitely bubble mixture (the best you make yourself with water, non-scented original Fairy washing up liquid (better than other brands for this) and glycerine to be found in the baking section in supermarket). Second thing would be a sticker sheet.

a helium filled ballon with something tied to it (eg car) is a good alternative. or buy a large pack of books from the book people and split them up.
or a 'make your own cakes' kit from the supermarket (but they are about £2). or get them to decorate their own party bags and collect their prizes in them - you could buy medals for distributing.
my friend once gave out fireman helmets.

fwiw someone will hate whatever you give - a prety bag of sweets (ribbon etc) is not too plastic but obviously there is the teeth thing, a balloon is too floaty, a book is too intellectual/wrong level, a packet of seeds is too pretentious - ask your child what they want to give!

packet of seeds. carrots are good. can get them for about 30p each in wilkos.

A book each from the book people. They have the complete Roald Dahl collection for £15 right now, or Charlie and Lola /Clarice Bean set

Usually you can get books for about £1 each there

pretty!
got a bit excited about party bags
(SGertie, great minds think alike..)

as something the kids will love and the paretns hate - a small face paint set?

bubbles and stickers definitely

I once split packs of plasticine for a big party and gave them one colour each, iyswim, wrapped in cling film.

Amongst other bits, I'm not that stingy!

whoopee cushion. 59p for pack of 6 or 8 from Home Bargains....kids love em

bouncy ball/skimmer ring/mini frisbee

Have you looked at www.yellowmoon.org.uk/

Don't do it, strike a blow for independence and the end of bags of plastic tat!