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Original poster

Party Bags - what do you put in them??!

26 replies

janjas · 26/08/2009 15:33

Hello
I'm doing a party this weekend for dd who will be 3. There will be a mixture of 3 - 7 year olds coming and I need some ideas of what to put in the party bags. There are both boys and girls coming. Don't have a great deal to spend so party bags on a budget would be great! There is no particular party theme going on.

This is all new to me, so thankyou for any advice!

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Itsjustafleshwound · 26/08/2009 15:35

Piece of birthday cake
Chocolate buttons/packet of ceap sweets
Some 'find' from the local pound shop??

bigchris · 26/08/2009 15:36

great ideas so far
also a balloon for them to blow up when they get home

Itsjustafleshwound · 26/08/2009 15:38

cheap - not ceap

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Granny23 · 26/08/2009 15:41

Bubble blowers from the pound shop are always very popular here with boys and girls. Birthday cake breaks up and never gets eaten, better with an individual cup cake or piece of fruit.

Squidmission · 26/08/2009 15:47

I always serve the cake at the party so put some chocolate in the bags.
Most party bags we've got have had stuff like stickers, water pistols, little jigsaws, pens, dinosaurs, balloon and bubbles.
Pound shops are good for that kind of stuff.

GooseyLoosey · 26/08/2009 15:50

No bubbles - my heart sinks when I see them in party bags that the dcs bring home. They do enjoy them, but the stuff ends up everywhere.

I second sweets, balloon, stickers, bit of cake. Also, I use sandwich bags with each child's name written on and a sticker - much cheaper than party bags.

neversaydie · 26/08/2009 17:23

I found stretchy lizards went down well with that age group. Both sexes liked them.

brockleybelle · 26/08/2009 23:45

Our local Tesco's (south-east London) has a section with lots of little toys, small balls, bubbles etc to put in party bags. Not sure if all bigger tescos have this section. The pound shop's a good suggestion - you'll find lots of stuff there.

IOnlyReadtheDailyMailinCafes · 26/08/2009 23:47

I dont do party bags, tend to do a bookpeople book each.

sillysalley · 26/08/2009 23:50

We have a lovely little homemade wooden toy shop near where we live. They have a section of £1 toys that are real good quality e.g. little wooden animals/ trains/ whistles/ cars/ pop up toys

They look fab and last, unlike some of the cheaper tat you normally get.

PiggyPenguin · 27/08/2009 13:14

I normally buy a couple of things from here

baker ross craft and party bag things

you can generally get them in quantities of 12 or 30 and they are often only 30p-ish each.

littlecherry · 27/08/2009 13:47

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Ceolas · 27/08/2009 13:50

Have you paid to advertise, littlecherry?

Fruitysunshine · 27/08/2009 13:50

A piece of cake, a balloon, a little "thing" is all I usually put in.

I go by what my kids do with the party bags when they get home and the answer is "not a lot!"

Geocentric · 27/08/2009 13:52

Last birthday (DDs 5th) I gave out hoops (and a couple of lollipops too). They were dead cheap and the kids all seemed to enjoy them.

GrimmaTheNome · 27/08/2009 13:58

Haribo sweets. I don't know why, never buy them for any other purpose but that's what party bags in DDs cohort always seem to contain.

Cake is fine in a party bag so long as you wrap it properly - requires a little organisation at the last minute. If you want to be sure it gets eaten, make sure its chocolate cake!

NorbertDentressangle · 27/08/2009 14:08

The most popular thing in the bags for DS's party was the punch balloon -I had lots of Mums ask where I'd got them as their DC had had loads of fun with them after the party so they wanted to buy more (they were actually 10 for £1 from the Poundshop!)

I also bought a few bits and bobs from Tesco (giant bouncy balls in multipacks), Wilkinsons (wooden pencil sharpeners with ladybirds etc on for about 50p), pretty hairslides (about 20 for £1 from the Poundshop)

IOnlyReadtheDailyMailinCafes · 27/08/2009 16:27

Yes punch balloons always seem to go down well. I may look into that for dd.

Original poster
janjas · 27/08/2009 19:49

Thankyou all for your suggestions. I went to Asda this morning and managed to find all sorts. They do lots of little bits & pieces such as hair slides, fairy wands, yo-yo's, creepy crawley things, all for 50p each (or 12 for £5).

thankyou again. x

OP posts:
leisurely · 28/08/2009 08:52

I am almost blushing. I refuse to reward children for coming to DD's party. She is mortified that I am the only Mother who won't even consider them. I overheard her telling a couple of friends that her party itself would be brilliant but the ending a bit poo because of this. IMO, they start off smallish but end up being competative, we recently went to a party and the leaving gift was a lot more expensive than the present she'd taken to the birthday girl.

sep206 · 09/03/2017 14:02

Glow sticks are always a cheap crowd pleaser. Some good ideas here: www.glowtopia.co.uk/news/budget-party-bag-fillers/

LJBBLL · 08/04/2019 23:33

Ecofriendly party bag filler ideas here: www.makeitpop.shop/ecofriendly-party-bag-fillers

Jackshouse · 09/04/2019 08:59

I hate the plastic tat of party bags and it’s normally in the bin by the end of the week. We are giving out books.

ecoware · 02/06/2021 13:21

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Ducksarenotmyfriends · 02/06/2021 13:39

If you want to avoid plastic tat I quite like www.ethicalkidz.co.uk/shop/kids-parties/party-bag-fillers/ and it's pretty affordable too.