Alternatives to party bags?

[Mimca]

Hi,

After the initial buzz of a party bag the kids seem disinterested in them and the parents resent more plastic tat coming into the house! So I'm looking for alternate gift ideas to give party guests instead of party bags. It's for a fairy mad 4 year old girls party but the guests will be boys and girls.

Maybe something they could make and take home? Of just a small gift? I don't know where to start.

Thanks!

I went to a party where they handed out books at the end instead of party bags, I suppose it would probably work out cheaper than buying all the plastic tat if you could find a good deal at book people etc?

I was going to suggest books or a lucky dip (cars or wands / wooden jewellery wraped in pretty paper). Lots of places have the 10 books for £10 too at the mo.

Lucky dip works well - particularly if you do it by the door as they leave - encourages them to go home!

The best one ds was given was seeds, soil and and a tiny plant pot in a paper bag. We planted the seeds and ended up with 2 good sized pumpkins to carve and make into soup last year at halloween. Ds loved it.

A balloon and a cup cake? (cup cake in a little box, balloon tied to it).

When ds1 had his 5th birthday party we gave individual boxed playmobil figures that matched the theme. Knights and princesses. They were £1.99 if I remember at the time so as cheap as a party bag can be really. What about fairy playmobil figures wrapped in nice fairy paper? Stickers too? Or a lollipop?

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/s/ref=is_box_?k=Playmobil+fairy

Lots at reasonable prices in amazon sorry for not an active link am on my phone!

Brilliant ideas. Thank you! Keep them coming!

Bright coloured melamine cups filled with sweets and wrapped in tissue or cellophane?

We still use a plastic cup ds got from a party with sweets in - must be oh, 10 years ago or thereabouts.
If you're good at that kind of thing try some balloon modelling - swords for the boys and flowers for the girls.
Or if you're not, you could get those big bouncy balloons that you attach an elastic band to and punch (sorry don't know what they're called). Add a few grains of rice inside before you blow them up and they will make a noise as well. You just want something they can play with on the way home / as they're waiting for parents to pick them up, really. I'd give sweets as well - even if it's just a little bag of haribo.

Build a bear type parties are good because the activity gives them the take home thing too. The Entertainer is good for things like large bubble wands (£1 each, but everyone loves them!).

Pencil cases/tins or purses filled with sweets.

A fairy wand/magician's wand each.
Colouring/puzzle book.
Christmas craft kit.
Framed pic of group at the party (if someone is willing to print them off quick)

We made fairy houses, try googling for ideas. For a small party we used mini bird houses from baker ross, for a larger party we used ikea plastic plates (90p for 6) and some mini pails. The guests then decorated them with gems, bits of twigs, lichen, moss, stickers etc. They took those home with some mini fairies I made, some mini 'fairy' sweet cones with tiny sweets - the mini sized smarties, skittles, mini marshmallows, just a small child's handful in each cone. Very popular with the children who were taking them in to show at school, and parents seemed happy. The making of them took 20mins for the younger, bigger party (was reception children), the older 7yr olds spent 45min decorating their 'fairy houses'. Boys made dinosaur houses. With a few fairies thrown in too!