Are books as a party favour a big no??

[MumNeedsTea]

Hi all, I'm currently in planning mode for DS's 6th birthday party and I cannot decide whether to go down the plastic tat route for the party bags or get everyone a book and a sweet cone!

I've read some threads on here saying that parents love to get a book, but the kids hate it. Is that true? We received a few books at parties last year and DS didn't complain about them.

Are books a big no and shall I stick to the standard party bag with stretchy man, bubbles, sweets etc??

TIA :)

My DS has had books as party favours - he absolutely loves reading them all the time, but the plastic tat didn't get a second look.

I had this thought last week; do I try and find an alternative to the tat or not? I’ve gone for the tat. Bubbles, paper sword, rainbow drops and a ballooon.

A book is a wonderful & generous party favour!

Books in party bags are definitely for the parents not the kids, so it depends on what you're aiming for.

I sometimes get a box set from book people and give a book and small bag of haribo. Seems to go down well and can actually cost less that plastic tat.

Well. I totally see why you would do it, and I love books so it's a bit U of me. But I think you would come off a bit like That Mum who only allows wooden toys and carob cocoa.

We got them books related to the party theme one year and they went down well

• it was a science party and they were science puzzle books - I think they were 7yo

I think it was a novelty as no one else had done books as party favours in that year group / class I think they would be less popular if the got them every party.

I try to avoid plastic tat where possible
I.e when we had a football party they all got a football

Depends on the books I think.

DD went to one party where it was early chapter books for five year olds, because apparently that was the expected reading level! Err no. A picture book would have been more inclusive and exciting to most of the kids.

As you get a bit older it's even harder as the reading age can very so much until you are well into KS 2 and it's evened out a bit.

My DC would enjoy funny books in a party bag.

In my experience the bit they're really interested in is the sweets. So I think a book and a sweet cone would be just as popular as tat and sweets.

Puzzle/colouring books also good

Weve had books but they're a bit meh. If you're a family that likes books you either buy or visit the library a lot so a £1 book that your child may or may not be interested in/may or may not be at their level/may or may not already have.

Having said that mine love a sweety cone and lots here do "just" that!

Lovely idea. If anyone has already got the book given perhaps they could do a bit of exchanging!

I would have preferred my child had a book rather than tat, go for it

DD went to one party where it was early chapter books for five year olds, because apparently that was the expected reading level! Err no. A picture book would have been more inclusive and exciting to most of the kids.

Far better to get an early chapter book for this age group since some will be reading and most will be having them read to them. Even those who are not yet there will get there and so it can be kept for a bit later. A picture book would have had many tossing it to one side since theyve outgrown it already.

I found book people fab for this. £10 for 10+ books. Each bag had a book, a sweet and a piece of cake. Sorted.

Thanks all. Instead of a book to read, I cod get them all an activity book with some crayons.. That may go down better. Really trying to avoid the plastic tat!

Countess I had to google carob cocoa to see what it is Given that a couple of parents already did this last year, I doubt they would see me as one 'those' mums.
Disclaimer: I have absolutely nothing against wooden toys and special cocoa :)

Could not cod

A book instead of a party bag is a massive yes yes from me. I still remember my son getting Little Rabbit Foo Foo after a party 6 years ago. I thought it was a genius idea- they eat the sweets from a party bag but no one really plays with the bits and pieces- and we read it so many times and have kept it for sentimental reasons.
Just add a large slice of birthday cake or a pack of sweets.

My kids have always been really pleased with books. I’ve never seen a child react negatively to any party bag though.

Mine always love a book but they love reading.
Just go with a cone of sweets.

I’m not a fan of books in party bags as I think it’s a hard one to get right.

Most of the party bag books my DC have received have been ones that don’t interest them - a subject they don’t like, wrong for their reading age or just badly written - or decent books that duplicate ones we already have at home.

I know a pp suggested exchanging books if it’s one you already have but I worry too much about that coming across as rude.

Books are the norm (or a different tat alternative) around here. My DC enjoy them as much as a bag of breakable tat that gets discarded as soon as they're home

Books are normal here too. Ds is having a star wars party next week for his 6th birthday. We have lego star wars early reader, inflatable light saber and cake for the party bags.

I'd have loved it as a kid so long as it was at my level - which I guess is the difficulty - you could have a table where they pick their own and their own sweet cone?

The stand out party bag I can remember from my own childhood was the one where I got Prince Caspian. C S Lewis had not been on my own parent's radar so I'd never come across Narnia before. I was enthralled and demanded the rest of the books for Christmas and birthday presents.

I wouldn't be offended if the guests swapped the books about, why should I know what's already on the children's shelves at home?

The colouring books/crayons would also work well.

I did books for DS 4th birthday and they went down well. I think books work well for younger kids.

For my DS 6th birthday I did sweet cones, those punch balloons and glow sticks. Birthday is in winter with dark evenings and it was dark when the party was finishing. They went down really well, as glow sticks are so cheap we gave 5 per bag. And those punch balloons stay up forever!