Kids party bags

[Pumpkinseason3]

How much are you spending per bag on average and what are you putting in? Hosting our first party and I’m clueless 😂
Im thinking a small craft and some cake rather than a pile of stuff? Or are kids expecting the tat and bubbles etc? 4yos if that makes any difference.

Also, if you’d been a bit of a numpty and forgotten to put a date to RSVP by on the invites (😱) for a venue that’s paid per head and providing the catering 🫣 - how many extras would you account for on the day? I have no other way of contacting the parents other than sending out a physical reminder card 😓 Less than 40% have responded.

I would send a follow up text to those who haven’t responded and ask them to respond by a certain date. I’d then make those number of party bags up, maybe a few extra in case. A small crafty thing and some cake is fine, maybe a book or some bubbles thrown in because kids really do love the party bags. I hope it all goes well!

@Ellieostomy I don’t have contact numbers for them unfortunately. I’d have to send out a physical reminder card via nursery. Which feels a bit rude 🫣

Cake, craft or book, party blower (ludicrously popular with this age group), fi size sweet.

Quick WhatsApp to individuals “hi I need to confirm numbers for catering the party and forgot to put an rsvp date on the invitation! Is Billy able to join us?”

A small craft set went down very well at that age (when we received them…not even what we were told when we gave them!). Bubbles….errr…you can swing by our house and take all the unopened ones? I guess DSs were always tired after parties and then the weather wasn’t good enough and they built up.

I HATE all the tat. I put in a couple of decent things (full size play dough, animal mask) and a freddo and some raisins. The world is drowning in little shitty bits of plastic! Don’t add to it!

The RSVP things a bit of a bummer. Although to be fair you don’t get replies on time when you do put a date on 🙄🤣 can’t you ask the parents at pick up?

@NavyJumpers I don’t have any contact details for them unfortunately so text/whatsapp is out of the question.

@DelurkingAJ Thanks 😂 mine isn’t a big bubble fan but I know other kids are usually daft for them lol.

@SherlockHolmess I’m with you on the tatt issue 😂 It’s precisely what I’d like to avoid! Nursery has a 8-9am open drop off time and I’m literally the first in the door to make it to work on time so I barely see any other parents then. And then I’m one of the later parents to collect during the 5-6 pickup window due to work so I miss most of them. The parents I usually see are the ones I’ve heard back from.

I have been to many 4th birthday parties. Most do bags of tat (which personally I don't mind - we have a storage box that it all goes in and it always keeps the kids entertained during play dates), but we've also had a craft activity, or a book. Last party did a book wrapped up with a balloon and a little bag of sweets, which was nice.

We've had a mix of both, tat and expensive bags and both have gone down a treat.

Fyi, maybe mention to the nursery staff that you haven't had many rsvps to the party and see if they can prompt the parents. My DDs nursery did this for us

I'd get fun sized treats (good time of year to get haribo and cadburys), gold choc coins, balloons, some slime, bubbles and some fidget toys

@PlatinumDollFace Thank you! Turns out one the kids had moved some of the invitations off the pegs 😅 all sorted now! Have got rsvps from 3/4 of the invites that went out so I’m happy with that! Although nervous not to cater for the rest incase they just turn up 😅

@Hayley1256 I’ve got some of the fun size treats in 👍🏻 Although we’ll see if any are left come party time as DH seems to have taken a liking to them 😂 I’ll be sending him for a restock at this rate I think lol

although books are a nice idea every time they get one a party they are disappointed. The kids love the tat. Bouncy balls are a good one too. I try to put something in that might be useful like hair clips/ bows or gloves. I get the multipacks and split them. It’s nice to see the using them at school.

If you're worried about extras turning up just have plenty of cake to give but I wouldn't worry buying loads of extra craft things.

In my experience you usually get a couple of drop outs on the day due to illness etc so it'll probably even out even if you do get some extras.

For party bags we do: balloon, stickers or tattoos, pencil, bouncy ball, one of those mini kinder bars and some birthday cake in a paper bag. Keeps the plastic to a minimum, kids love it, not too expensive.

Thank you all, this is great 😊 really helpful!

Lol, hopefully he doesn't eat all of them! I hope the party goes well and all the kids have a nice time

@Hayley1256 Thank you 😊

For a Harry Potter party recently (kids between 7-10), I did a balloon, one of those curl up whistly things, a ‘magic towel’ which unfurls in water (reduced to 50c a piece), and each kid was allowed to cut down a golden snitch and flying key from the decorations.

The snitches were Ferrero Rocher with paper wings.

They were happy.

If you haven’t made a WhatsApp group for your class, then get one sorted. It makes communication -re all
class info- simple, but also means you have all contacts for all parents. Life saver for the next 6 years.