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Parties/celebrations

Whether you're planning a birthday or a hen do, you'll find plenty of ideas for your celebration on our Party forum.

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Original poster

Would like to do something instead of party bags......

24 replies

allmytimeonmumsnet · 19/03/2007 14:16

I hate party bags. I always feel guilty about the waste. In the past I've tried to be creative and include things which are practical and useful and not just tat.

However I think I would like to do away with them altogether for my DD (7) party but I know the kids expect them and she will feel "wronged" if I don't do them so I would like to do something instead. I was thinking of a packet of sunflower seeds. However the party has a superhero theme so I'm not really sure it works. The only alternative is to get a cheap puzzle book about superheros and just give each child one of those. I do like the idea of seeds though. I run the school gardening club. Most of the infants will be at the party (its a small school!). They are not allowed in the club but they always hang around a watch me so it would be lovely to give them something to grow. Any suggestions for anything more superhero like?

OP posts:

melpomene · 19/03/2007 14:22

Hmmmm... if you give them flowerpots to go with the seeds, maybe you could stick superhero pictures onto the flowerpots. You could try to get bright red or yellow pots.

MuminBrum · 19/03/2007 14:22

Put the sunflower seeds in envelopes decorated with Captain Sunflower/Super Sunflower drawings? Is that too naff?

auntymandy · 19/03/2007 14:26

we got sunflower seeds at a party and my ds's have loved watching them grow.
We went out and bought plant plots and decorated them with stickers. so if you gave a plant plot and packet of seeds and a pack of stickers i think it would be fantastic!

PestoMonster · 19/03/2007 14:28

I think this is such a lovely idea. Much nicer than all the usual tat you find in party bags. Gardening theme rocks!!

Original poster

allmytimeonmumsnet · 19/03/2007 14:29

Excellent - party pots it is then!

OP posts:

paulaplumpbottom · 19/03/2007 14:41

Can you sew? You could make them all their own cape with a personalised Superhero name on the back.

collision · 19/03/2007 14:43

DS came home from school with a pansy in a pot and he has to watch it grow.

I think that that would be lovely in a nice pot with a superhero sticker on it.

Spidermama · 19/03/2007 14:47

My ds had a Peter Rabbit party and my dh made rabbit ears for all the guests. They left with ears and a piece of cake.

About a month later, on comic relief day, we saw three kids (including siblings of the ones which had been at the party) wearing the rabbit ears.

I agree about party bags on the whole. Landfill fodder. Dreadful tat for a cheap thrill then forgotton forever.

Make a stand. Say 'NO' to party bags. We can beat this madness.

beckybrastraps · 19/03/2007 15:07

We did a knights party for ds and everyone made their own shield, which they then took home. This year it was a balloon animal and a lollipop. For dd, a creepy crawly and a lollipop. I also say "NO" to party bags. I love the seeds idea, and shall certainly be stealing it

ipanemagirl · 19/03/2007 15:09

I didn't do party bags this year - we decided to save money on that and let ds invite more kids from his class. Only one child asked and loads of mothers came over and said - well done - they are s**e!

Original poster

allmytimeonmumsnet · 19/03/2007 15:51

Presumably party bags started as a way of sending the cake home. Can never see the point in that. You spend ages making a beautiful cake (or spend a fortune on one) and then it gets wrapped in paper and rendered totally inedible. I've always made a point of eating the cake at the party with the food. This makes the whole party bag thing even more pointless. I do like the idea of making things to take home. We made wands for a harry potter party one year. Can't see myself sewing 16 capes though. What else do superheros have? Gloves? But then you have to buy it all again and it soon adds up. I was thinking of just handing out a pack of seeds but I think I will get packs and divide them with a pot - looks more and what I save on the seeds can go on the pot. I suppose we could always do a pot decorating session as an activity. Just wish I could think of a plant which has more Superhero qualities than sunflowers, although at least they are giant. I did wonder about a beanstalk or even spinach!

OP posts:

Cappuccino · 19/03/2007 15:52

my dd once went to a party where the girls were presented with a tiny tin with glitter inside, beautifully wrapped in tissue paper

and nothing else. No cake. No green chewy worms. No hair bobbles.

they were all beyond themselves happy

beckybrastraps · 19/03/2007 15:53

How about superhero masks?

sweetheart · 19/03/2007 15:54

Baker Ross or Yellow Moon do bulk things of seeds and pots - I did this one year for my dd's birthday

Butkin · 19/03/2007 16:21

When I read the title of this thread it immeditely reminded me of a party my DD went to in January. It was a Jack and the Beanstalk theme and she got exactly what you are all describing -

a single sunflower seed (creatively wrapped) with a note about it being magic etc. This came with a little plant pot with a sticker on it giving DDs name and saying thank you for attending xx's party on Jan X.

DD has loved to watch it grow = although it soon had to be repotted!

At yesterday's party it was a princess theme (ho hum...) and she got a (presumably cheap) clear plastic shoe that had a variety of sparkly lip gloss. You've never seen a 4yo child happier!

mollymay · 19/03/2007 23:21

ooh butkin you don't where she got this cheap and tacky plastic shoe with lip gloss do you? sounds perfect for my dd's 6th birthday party...

magicmummy · 19/03/2007 23:36

If you want to add something 'super hero' related, there is a shop near me that does 4 spiderman spinning tops, badges or window suction pad characters for 25p.
Can check if they have any left next time I'm there if you want.
You could always stick the badge to the plant pot.

catASTROPHE · 19/03/2007 23:39

your seed idea is lovely - i will steal it too.

for ds's party yesterday i made lots of playdoh for the kids to play with, then while they ate their tea i put it into little plastic boxes with thir names on, and they each got a box of playdoh and three biscuit/playdoh cutters to take home.

catASTROPHE · 19/03/2007 23:43

re the super heroe thing, could you do something along the lines of those egg head things? You know, when you decorate and egg shell with a face, then grow the cress seeds indie it to make the hair? So decorate a littl pot with a superheros face, and then grow his hear? Sorry, not very coherent at this time of night...

fortyplus · 19/03/2007 23:46

I've done tie dye t-shirts before. Really easy if you use elastic bands. Just make sure the t shirts are wet before you start - if they're dry the dye seeps right through.

If you use machine dye you can do the 'tying' at the start of the party, chuck them in the machine with dye & salt and they'll be ready at the end.

catASTROPHE · 19/03/2007 23:52

good idea fortyplus. i remember painting t-shirts at a party when i was about 10, and i just loved it.

fortyplus · 19/03/2007 23:53

Yes - tie dye is one of those things that seems to appeal equally to boys & girls

Tinkerbel5 · 20/03/2007 15:03

DD got an easter egg instead of a goody bag recently, this could work out quite cheap if bought in bulk

Butkin · 21/03/2007 09:26

mollymay,

The label says The Strawberry Co. I suspect it may have come from Tescos (although I don't know) because some of the other gift bag items came from there.

It is about 3 inches long and looks like a clear plastic mule.

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