Party bags help!

[Babyshark33]

What do people do for party bags after a party? We've been to a few who do a bag with toys, crisps, sweets etc, we have 15 kids going it seems quite expensive to do this. Do you buy the bags made up or is there an alternative?

Honestly? I buy a job lot of tat from amazon.

I try and not have anything too 'disposable plastic' but tbh it's what the kids want. One year I got little fidget popper silicone keyring things, novelty pens, and glow sticks.

Completely depends on the age of the children and party.

I once did thick plastic pirate cups and filled them with sweets. Parents loved them and said they used the cups for years.

I used to buy the bags - paper bags and fill them.

First activity at the party would be to decorate a plain paper bag with your name. Then, any prizes won throughout the party would go in the bag. At the end everyone got a piece of cake, some sweets, and something like a book/colouring pencils/seeds/mini Lego (one of these!). This worked well from about 3-7. 8,9 we I just filled the bags in advance, then they'd grown out of party bags by 10ish.

We did little sand buckets and spades, they were very popular. Think we got them from poundland but have seen similar in Tesco. Popped some Haribo packets and a cake into them.

You can get little multipacks of things (pens, bubbles, bouncy balls, notebooks etc) from Tesco. They are almost always on 3 for 2 as well.

I love doing nice party bags. I think they're part of the party! In the past I have bought individual sets of items such as notebooks, play doh, pencils, bouncy balls, sweets, but this year I bought a set of made up party bags and have added to them. Don't buy cheap tat on Amazon. Buy a few nice things or get a ready made up one or a few age appropriate things and fun sweets. I've seen people give Easter eggs or chocolate boxes or books or seeds.

We bought a multipack of playdoh and gave each child a pot, with some cake and a sheet of stickers from The Works.

I gave each one a bottle of matey bubble bath, or you could give a book ( you can get them for £1 each) I wasn’t getting drawn into ridiculous expensive party bags from peer pressure…break the mould x

I don’t do plastic tat. Stickers or temporary tattoos, little bag of haribo, slice of cake. Kids do expect them and it’s the traditional signal that the party is over.

This only really works if you know the kids are able to use it. Some
of the kids coming to our DC party have eczema so wouldn't be able to use this.

I usually do stickers, sweets, pencils, stamps, temp tattoos, cute note pads, key rings, mini torches etc. you can get good deals on Amazon. Tiger is good for more interesting sweets.

We had thirty odd kids so I got a mr men library. Each kid had a mr men book and some cake. I looked a bit of a worthy twat but the kids were happy and it was cheap!

We just buy the bags and fill with plastic tat. Kids love a rummage through a party bag to see what they get.

Also have been given sweetie cones, books and flower pot and seeds.

It’s just an example that you can buy one item and it’ll be ok x

The Works do a big pack of books for cheap and you can buy a multipack of haribo.

Why don't you find an activity to do at the party, decorate a pot, or mug, then give that as their take home gift. If you do an acrylic pour, that is fun and cheap, or make slime, Mugs are 70p in Asda. The activator for slime is also in Asda.

I really can’t stand the cheap little plastic junk—it ends up in the bin after five minutes. Total waste of money and terrible for the environment.

I’m from Europe, and I find the whole “you came to my party, so here’s a gift bag” concept a bit odd. Personally, I think you should either give something thoughtful and useful or nothing at all.

I usually go for things like books, baking kits, or seed packets. Never had a complaint—and even if I did, I wouldn't mind.

I get lots of tat, tend to buy from Chinese retailers as it's cheaper than Tesco etc and there's a better selection. Things like pencils, novelty erasers, highlighter pens, small toys, stickers, notebooks, hair accessories, craft kits, gems, mini torch. Then some mini Haribo bags, maybe a small chocolate. It costs a fair bit (for a while class party) but it's just once a year (soon to be twice a year now dc2 is old enough) and then they grow out of it.

I try to avoid plastic where possible. I know the kids love it but I hate getting it home and just binning it within like 10 mins. This year everyone got some Pokemon cards, scratch art bookmarks, pencil with a funny rubber on top, little ceramic painting kit, some sweets, and a mini Foldimal to make.

Etsy has loads of party favours. The ceramic kits were pretty cheap and come in various themes and with paint etc.

Sweet cones are popular here. Cheap enough if you buy the cones online and then the sweets in bulk online, doesn't take too long to make up either. The benefit is that parents don't have to have any more tat in their house, if any don't like sweets/aren't 'allowed' them then not your issue, they look nice and colourful and satisfy that yay i got a party bag type thing without being full of tat and expensive.

Not a big fan of plastic tat but party bags are genuinely a highlight for each child after the party. I don't think a parent's snobbery regarding consumerism needs to take precedence over a core childhood memory. There are so many other opportunities to make informed buying choices or do things for the environment and it doesn't HAVE to be at a birthday party. Children love plastic tat and sweets, just let them enjoy it. Even if it gets binned, the memory of the party will always be there.

If price is an issue, discount stores like TJ Maxx often have hugely reduced toys or mass packaged erasers and pens. Amazon have loads of cheap party favour sets including all the bags and gifts. If you want gifts that don't get thrown out, you can always opt for tattoos, stickers, chalk, erasers, pens, bubble bath, soap, bath pearls etc. Single packaged hot chocolate sachets or children's tea bags would also be unusual ideas (obviously as add-ons, not just those).

Kids do love that tat sadly.
how old are the children?
for children under about 8 I think the following applies:

you can often get good deals at charity shops of fairly nice things in big bags -think Lego mini figs, hot wheels, Playmobil figure etc!(area depending of course - lots of the CS near me group then into a bag of 3 for which they charge £1- I find that expensive, near my mum they seem to be much cheaper)
we have also got a box of party bag/pinata gifts from Amazon - I hate it, they love it. Was good value- I have done three parties and one piñata from the one box which cost £10
Add a small back of sweets, a fredo, a balloon, slice of birthday cake all in a paper bag. I did a cone of homemade rainbow popcorn too this time which was a lot of effort (first time melon hard crack sugar) but I think I pull do it again as v cheap, looks great and kids loved it.

after 8 I’m not sure - would want one more decent small item that related to the party theme, plus the snacks I think.
pays to be creative and to think ahead (eg taking apart cheap advent calendars marked down after Xmas can be a good way yo do this)

I got reusable bags that looked like cartoon bags and filled with sweets and stickers.
The kids have been reusing the bags so not total tat 🙂
I got these.
amzn.eu/d/flboJXS

Oh also instead of a bag of stuff you could go for one of those bubble wands is really nice - often available at the range and b&m for £5 pack of ten. Tie a “thank you for coming to my party” sign/ popcorn cone in the end and send them off with a slice of cake and jobs a good’un

I was determined never to do party bags
I had a complaint from a 4yo and DS 2nd bday
I then did lovely ones with little 2nd hand Beatrice potter books and themes chocolates etc in at his 3rd bday, and one of the parents later commented that the book was “really weird” (tbf unedited BP is a bit long for 3yo)
so I’ve caved.