What’s the best thing your child has ever received in a party bag?

[whattheactualfffff]

I’m hoping for some inspiration rather than tat that will not even be enjoyed before going straight in the bin 😂

Sweets

One time DD got one of those ceramic bird whistle pot things that you put water in and it makes a sound like birds tweeting when you blow in it. There are plastic ones, but the ceramic one was nice. We still have that ten years later!

This kind of thing:

https://www.thomann.co.uk/thomann_ceramic_chirping_bird.htm?srsltid=AfmBOoqnaW1_Tf5c3WmSmgSWfD7JQyAX55kCqRu1VvPwaJB1L9igAIycda0

https://amzn.eu/d/3nxMzLX

Couple of recent hits have been

Someone had a mermaid/seaside theme and bulk bought little bucket and spades instead of party bags. Piece of cake in the bucket, job done 👍 They're getting played with lots!

Someone gave the kids an empty paper bag and they'd hidden sweets round the other room whilst we'd been having the party food. Sent the kids off to find their own party bag fillers while the cake was cut up. I thought it would be carnage but it was a mixed age group and the older kids were so sweet at making sure the toddlers got a fair share!

Glitter ball theme - little glitter ball keyring, sticker and sparkly balloon and a packet of magic stars. Simple but clever and they just loved it!

That's the type of thing I'd give as the actual gift to the birthday child.

Voucher for a kids cone at a local ice cream parlour

https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/educational-toys/lets-dig-out-dinosaur-figures-eggs-10-pack-set/p/166403?srsltid=AfmBOooQcv00MdQXrwGPDRGemcNObqWR68AKOdlMkxHe2uG7ESJ2Z16QnxM&gStoreCode=G105

We did these one year for a Dino party and had lots of parents say they went down well.

DS got a hot wheels car last week in a party bag which went down well. One party had little soft toys they could choose on the way out which he liked too!

Some great suggestions here thank you!

my Daughter would also love that monstrosity 🤣

Sweets. Always the sweets. And an egg which you put in water and a dinosaur came out, and some sunflower seeds. 5 year old DD.

Least favourite are books (not generally - generally loves them), the last time she got a book, we had to hurry out after she palmed it off on me with an “I don’t want this AGAIN”.

Christmas Birthday - decoration making kit (hobbycraft) or bauble for the tree, their favourite was a grow your own xmas tree (still growing several years later!)

Spring Birthday - seeds / grow your own vegetable patch type things

Hair scrunchies
Hot wheels cars
depending on age spa parties are all the rage this year so face mask, nail polish, hair bands etc

as a parent i prefer things you can use once and then goes in the bin or that have some longevity to it like pencils, seeds etc . Absolutely hate the plastic tat - stickers, those spring things, slime, playdough, that get touched once then clutters up drawers and just pointless

I feel like I do this well - socks, Lego sets etc.

Favourite to receive have been Where’s Wally, a spy pen.

Yep the stretchy little figures or the ones that can 'climb walls'. Also bouncy balls.

Putting in more consumables also works well, so as well as cake, some fun size Mars bars or other brands - they sell multi packs of them in Asda including their own cheaper variations.

The trick with the tat is to have a "tat box" it goes into. We have one, and I take a handful of tat out and put it in a small bag when we're going out to eat or on a long road-trip with the kids.

O mine always love these, I use to put them in bags too.

I don’t think it’s a one size fits all, it’s dependant on the kids involved. Mine hated getting books, I hate giving and reviving books, we have a house full fathered to my DCs tastes so we don’t need random books no one wants.

Mine have loved, slime, stickers, tattoos, hair, scrunchies, popular key rings, colouring books and crayons, note books, and matching pencils, rulers etc… Most importantly sweets, they are the first thing they go for.

We bought these from Hobbycraft one year and they went down well.

My son got a cheap little spinner that spins briely in the air and he got so much play and enjoyment from such a simple little item. Also really helped with fine motor skills.

Also stamps, snap or regular bracelets, bookmarks, erasers.

My DS absolutely loved it when he got a little Playmobil knight with a helmet because he was going through his castle and knights phase.

Sweets and cake
Lego mini figures
Pokémon mini figures
Stick on tattoos
Kids size football/ Basketball in cool colours

Gymnasts ribbon

One of those magic invisible writing pens with a light so you can see your secret writing

Metal straws.

We got socks the other week from someone, bright patterned ones, that was fab. Useful and even an 8yo was still all, oooh, cool socks!

A sticky man thing that u threw against the wall they played with it all day every day for nearly a week 5 and 3 if that helps

I put fluffy slime in DDs party bags once. Apparently it was a huge hit.