Party Bag Alternative

[WinterWillow]

Hi All,

Our DS and DD have birthday's just 20 days apart, and so we generally throw a joint party. This year they will be 6 and 4.

This year they have asked for a Greatest Showman party and I'm looking for alternatives for party bags.

We've arranged a cupcake per child but looking for something other than the typical party bag. I tend to find the kids bring party bags home and it all goes in the bin, something I'd like to avoid.

Throw some ideas at me please

Something circus themed: juggling balls or a spinning plate and stick?

Hi notatwork I've looked at this, as it was my original idea, however they are really expensive (for what they are anyway) and as we will have around 50+ children attending it's not cost effective.

My DD came home from a party with a proper ball like this last year and she loved it. You know the sort - you can buy them for about £2 from toy shops etc. Really played with it loads. Each kid had one and a piece of cake. Perfect.

Could you find a circus skills booklet or circus themed colouring book and small pencils per child. If you bought in bulk may not be too dear.

could you give a book to each child- from the Works £10 for 10 books
www.theworks.co.uk/c/multibuys/10-for-10

I tend to always go with sweet cones with personalised stickers. Kids like em, no plastic tat to hang around your house 😂

Colouring book and crayons or story book or sticker book

Sweet cones

Make your own crafts table at the party so they have something to go home with (that they made) instead of a bag

I have to say that DD always played with her party bag stuff, it rarely went in the bin.

My own utterly useless suggestion would be to have a much smaller party. 50 kids! Madness!

or these
www.amazon.co.uk/MunchieMoosKids-Pack-12-Activity-Fillers/dp/B073RHH6DZ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?psc=1&s=gateway&keywords=circus+party+bag&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1556708362&sr=8-1-spons

www.amazon.co.uk/MunchieMoosKids-Pack-12-Decoration-Activities/dp/B07NQN2K5R/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?psc=1&s=gateway&keywords=circus+party+bag&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1556708387&sr=8-4-spons

I was going to suggest wooden spinning tops, yo yos, biff baff bats, but anything with 50 DC is going to be expensive! Would good old fashioned bubbles and a sticker or two be ok in this instance? 4 -6 yr olds usually like them!

Something like these?

Oh also for my daughters last birthday we gave each child a small bag of orbeez with instructions on how to use them. Went down well. Although not sure if it's such a craze anymore. Got them heap in bulk on eBay.

Sweets. Just sweets. Everything else is a total waste. The world is drowning in unnecessary crap. Don't create more.

Thank you all, some great suggestions.

OnlyFoolsnMothers love these, I think I might go for this! :)

50 DC is a nightmare although there is 20+ in each class, plus family and friends from outside of school! My fault for having them so close together! haha

I did a plastic lidded beaker with straw and put bubbles and haribo inside and sealed them a cellophane bags with ribbon. They were well received by the children and adults alike - although my daughter got upset afterwards as we hadn't had party bags!!! Since then I've done normal bags with tat!!!

I do not envy you. I will just put sweets/chocs in a bag with 50 kids. I saw some Grafix Jigsaw Puzzles (bigger pieces) on poundshop.com for a £1 several weeks ago.

Cone of sweets and a cupcake sounds lovely. If they are dressing up could you get some photos taken of them posing & get them printed off afterwards & hand out??

plates 50 cheap spinning plates

clown noses

A bag or wapped cone of popcorn? You can buy little red and white striped paper bags to put it in.

You can get clown/circus photo booth props. Take a picture of each child and e-mail afterwards thanking them for coming? Or instamatic camera and give them a photo each. A lot of faff though.

You could provide them with materials to make a clown face on a paper plate (paint pompoms, glue, tissue paper, and then they could take it home with them? A lot of supervision req'd for 50 DC though!

Face painting - clowns and lions - instead of present? (Seeing as they are already taking home a cup cake each.)

A coconut!

A bouncy ball?

A big swirly lollipop or some candy floss?

Thank you all for your lovely suggestions. We already have a candy floss machine, popcorn machine and slush machine as part of the party, along with a circus performer and face painter, so I think we will go with the books, which seem like a nice idea and not too much waste :)

Who knew DC's parties could be so time consuming, I think I spent less time on our wedding! haha

Colouring book and pens/pencils/crayons

It’s not particularly relevant to your theme but we’ve had a plant pot and a packet of seeds as party bag presents which were quite nice.

Lovely- hope the party goes well. I’m sure it will be fab and with a joint party at least that’s it for a year!