Where can I buy a Pin the Tail on the Donkey?

[MandarinOrange]

It's my daughter's 4th birthday party at the end of the month.

Rather than buying disposable themed items, I thought it would be nice to get some more durable items that I can use at future parties. I hate the way all the food, plastic and paper goes into black bin bags at the end of 2 hours. So I've bought washable, re-usable plastic platters, bowls and a cake stand.

I thought it would also be good have re-usable games. For example, a Pin the Tail on the Donkey with velcro rather than stickers. But I can't seem to find one online. Can any clever mumsnetters help? Or any other re-usable party ideas?

Thanks

The best way to have an eco-friendly Pin the Tail might be to adopt the "reuse" principles and draw one on a big piece of cardboard (white goods box?) and stick on paper tails with sellotape. If the sellotape comes away cleanly, you could keep for another year. But if not, it can go into the recycling.

I like the idea of a home-drawn donkey. But I think it would need some with better crafting skills than me to make nice-looking paper tails with double-sided sellotape.

Sigh. I have just bought a disposable kit from Party Pieces.

The best homemade version that I've come across during my internet travels is this stupendous 'Bang the frying pan on Flint' from Tangled. Wow.

blog.littleavocado.com/2011/08/peytons-5th-birthday-party.html

You don't buy them, that's the whole point. You draw a donkey and make a tail out of a bit of string and a drawing pin.
If you wish you can posh it up a bit if you want, but it's a traditional party game that requires no money!

I don't think you've ever been able to buy them have you? No artistic skills in my family whatsoever, but my mum certainly used to draw one...

Get a picture of a donkey from t'internet and print it out, then fashion tails from bits of wool. That's the way we do round here, and no one has ever complained.

www.amazon.com/Gemmy-Self-Inflating-Tail-Donkey-3-5-Feet/dp/B0012KI36K

It's on the Amazon US site and out of stock (so not too much help) ... but is this what you were looking for?

I still have one in my drawer. Toy stalls in Markets are usually a good source of such tat stuff.

I guess the trouble with having velcro is that you would need the donkey to be all velcro or at least fabric, otherwise, it wouldn't stick wherever you put it, and part of the fun is putting it somewhere silly. My girl's parties have been quite busy recently so haven't done it because it takes too long + they get bored, but dd1 has small party so could revive it. You could put celophane on top of the donkey, and use bluetack, but if you are putting names on to keep track you would need to make new ones another year.

Thanks for all the replies. Now I am feeling like I have been taken in by consumer culture - unable to conceive of making such a simple item by myself and thinking that the only option is to buy it! There is a tendency to buy everything in round here. My daughter refused to wear my homemade halo (coat hanger and tinsel) for her Nativity play - she wanted one from a shop like all the other children!

cutteduppear - The string approach sounds fine for adults and sensible older children, but I think I would get a lot of dirty looks if I let 3 and 4 year olds play with drawing pins?!

GinwillFixit - the donkey on Amazon looks v cute and close to what I want but as you say it is US only and out of stock. Also there is a problem with 3D donkeys because I reckon you could feel where the tail needs to go with a blindfold on.

This has to be an opportunity for a small business.... a picture of an all-over velcro donkey with a set of different colour velcro tails to pin on. Maybe I should write to Dragon's Den.

Blue tack?

Definitely make your own. It doesn't have to be a donkey either. Many moons ago when I was a lass and we were older than four we had pin the mole on Madonna (it was the 80s). I had a poster attached to a polystrene board. Twas great!