Help PLEAAAAAAAAAAASE - affordably party gifts for lots of kids

[peckarollover]

Next sunday is DDs birthday party. Halloween themed fancy dress and a magician.

Im a big softie and we also have lots of family kids and friends with kids so the numbers are somewhere in the region of 30 - 35 kids.

What can I do about party bags? When I have smaller numbers I end up spending a fortune but simply cant afford to do that for this number. Even at 2 quid a bag we would be talking 70 quid !

Come on everyone, what can I give them instead that is still fun and cool and good and, and, and, (I like to have good parties y'see)

Before you say dont bother with them - I definitely want to bother with something - its the highlight for DD handing out the goodies to her friends and think it is a nice thing.

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Have you been to Asda? Lots of Halloweeny stuff. We're doing bat shaped cookies and make your own mask kits - separating arty bits and elastic etc and cutting out shapes from card or foam - using Tesco mask kit for templates, but there'll be lots less little kids at ours. I love parties too.

books from the bookpeople? How old is dd - I have bought Farmyard tales sticker books (usborne books) for £1 each (ie 10 for £10) normally £5 for ds2's 3rd b/day party (next April dh says I'm a bit pre-organised!)
That on its own looks like a nice gift, with a balloon and a piece of cake.
They have others eg Little Miss set for £30 (45 books) I'm not keen on the books myself but again its a bargain.

Pound shops are wonderful places for getting large packs of things like pencils, notebooks and rubbers. Asda do little packs of coloured pencils for pennies each, and Ikea do packs of 12 (I think - it might be 15) felt tips for about 30p. I also put in a pack of sunflower seeds (to plant), they had big packs with 12 packets in for about £1.50 in Wilkinsons - although that might be more of a summer thing. Primark have bags full of hair accessories (bobbles, scrunchies and so on) at a couple of pounds, which the girls might like - I can't remember how many there were in each bag but it was something like 30 or 40. They do bags of lip glosses and nail polishes too.

DD will be turning 6

Kids will range from 12 months to 8 years mostly in the 5 - 6 year old region. Equal split of boys and girls!

I add to my bag as the party goes on.

You could have a hunt for jelly spiders, or whatever and then get the children to put them all together and divide among bags.

We also decorate cakes with theme and again these are wrapped and added to bag.

We give out lollies for best dancer etc but I add them to the bag rather than let the kids have them.

A lucky dip is another good idea, like a bran tub thing, where the prize is really just £1, some for boys and some for girls.
My sis and some other mums did a big party for 4 girls and the girls got a bag with some bits of jewllery and felt tips while the boys got a fab sling-shot aeroplane which won us many friends at the park the following week. Presents were wrapped up, all got cake as wel, I think they were just rfom the pound shop so genuinely a £1 prezzie. DD and the DSs (6, 4, 2) were all delighted.

I would head for tescos or asda, lots of multi packs of stretchy creatures, finger monsters, finger puppets, glow in the dark skeleton, stickers. Buy a few packs and split up. Poundstretchers do tubs of party toys, some stuff is crp but most in tub is OK.I chucked the really crppy stuff and it was still good value.

Perhaps get plain paper bags and get your kids to decorate with halloween stickers, stamps or draw pictures. Tie with orange or black ribbon or just fold over and stick with plain white address labels or halloween stickers.

Another idea would be to print off halloween colouring sheets , tie in a scroll with ribbon and give out with cheap packs of pencils about 20p in Tesco. Should cost no more than £9 even if you count the paper to print on and the ribbon too.

How about finding some halloween prints on the internet to be coloured in? Then add either a pack of crayons (about 50p) or a couple from a big pack to coulr the pictures in with. Cheapish pressie to help fill up your bag!

Rarrie you copying me

Sorry, have a durgh brain... too late, need sleep

I got small treat bags & filled it with assorted candies, The kids LOVED them....