Party bag alternatives

[Gobbledigook]

Any ideas? Want to keep the cost down, don't like the usual crap you get in them and actually disagree with them in principle but don't want ds's friends to have a go at him about having no party bag! Don't mind if it's not a bag, just need ideas for something to take home along with the cake.

Anyone?

Oooh, I like the stationery idea too. Hmmm, got too many choices now

Depends when the party is... for instance my DS1's party is this Sunday coming and they break up from school the following week ..... so we are doing Easter Eggs instead of Party bags ..... so many good offers that it is working out at less than a pound per child!!!!
We are mainly doing this option because he has got in excess of 30 kids!!!!!!!!!

At a party dd went to a few weeks ago, all the girls (around 5 and 6 years old) got an outfit for their Barbie and a piece of cake (I think the boys got a toy car?), which I thought was the best party bag ever, and dd loved it.

Why bother with anything if they've had a nice time?
I've spoken to my closest mum mates, we've all got kids the same age and we've decided not to do party bags....the children are all around 3. Assume things will get more difficult once they're school age??

at dd's 3rd birthday I gave all kids homemade playdough - they could choose 3 different colours from about 6 I think. I included the recipe for the mums/dads . V cheap and what kid doesn't like playdough? She had 2 parties that year and at the other party everyone got large colouring book and chunky coloured pencils ( all bought in summer sale)

PLAYDOUGH??!!!!!!!!!!!!!

arrrgggghhhhhhhh!

Welshmum - I totally agree but ds1 has been to quite a few parties this year already and all of them have had party bags. In some ways I want to brave enough to not do them but don't want ds1 to suffer for my stinginess!!!

its the same with Christmas pressies for adults - aunties and uncles and grown up neices and nephews - ridiculous! and if you say anything you're called a tight b@st@rd!

Oh, I don't care about the adults but don't want ds1 to get picked on!!

JT - got some favours to ask you..yes, MORE!! Well, one actually.

lets hear it .......................

Got a briefing on Tue 29th March at the office - could you babysit?

Also, kids are on hols from nursery so wondered about coming up to the cottage for a day or two w/c 4th April to do the train and boat?

Gobbledigook - understand your reluctance at being "forced" to do party bags, but the issue is that kids expect them. If you don't provide, you run the risk of kids leaving the party feeling let down, rather than excited at having had a fun time. I completely agree that it shouldn't be that way, and much prefer your idealistic view, but think you'd be better off to use some of the creative ideas on this thread so everyone leaves happy.

Oh I am doing Earlybird - that's what I mean. I wish I could just not do them because I hate that expectation but I will do them because everyone else has done them and even ds will wonder where they are!

I'm confident I can do nice ones for not much dosh thanks to this thread

Sorry for not reading thru all this thread - are we talking about parties at home where you make up your own bag, or parties at e.g. Jungle Jim's where they include one in the price of the party? DS is having his in a fortnight at a playbarn, it will be a very basic party bag I think, do you parents add things to these?

Like twinsetandpearls I got some craty packs from ELC and split them - coloured feathers etc. Also the stars and moon that glow in the dark -split a bag.

Bascally anything that can be split - cutting up sheets of stickers etc.

I used the crinkly small sandwich bags and tied them with pink ribbon for the girls and siver for th boys.

I made it into a lucky dip game at the end of instead of just giving out the bags. THe children 'dipped' into a plastic toybox. I used those small polystyrene squiggles used for packing.

How about making your own play doh make a couple of big batches in 2 or3 different colours chuck in some sequins and wrap in clear cellophane. Let me know if you want the recipe.

I was going to suggest a small easter egg each also, if the party is just before Easter.

Party cups which cost about 65p from the party pieces catalogue & fill with pkt raisins(healthy) & few small pkt sweets. The cups are reusable/dishwasher safe & last for ages & ages.
I had 38 kids to Sam's party yesterday & the cups etc cost less that £1.00 each.
Spiderman & Ballerina cups but loads more to choose from & all sealed in a clear bag. Looked great.

gdg, I did 30+ party bags for ds/dd joint party last yr (it was so many because of being joint) and iirc I got some playdough in little pots with a cutter on the lid (4 for £1, not sure where from, sorry); gel pens from Asda for ?£2 for 10, and some cheapie plastic bits from Toys R us (jacks sets, bubble stuff, wiggly snakes, garish rings etc). everyone got a mini choc bar, cake, a balloon (but yes, I will now be blowign those up thanks to this thread!) a pot of dough, a gel pen and one piece of plastic tat (which is what they love as Cod says).
total cost approx £1-£1.50 maybe. Spent an entire evenign filling them btw, organised like a military operation thanks to dh who loves that sort of thing!
For ds2 who is 2 next month I?m going to keep it simple; bag with cake and a choc bar, a blown-up balloon on a ribbon and a book from the Red House/Book People selection. The 2yos won?t know any different in terms of expectations of big bag of stuff, and the mums might be pleased to have sthg they can actually use!
Lots of fabbbbbby ideas on here as ever!

seeds are a silly idea!!

went to get some today and cheapest inasda are £1.70

where can you buy cheap seeds?

Message withdrawn

nur nur n nur nurrr

been to drop dd at brownies called in a t lidl and got some for 29p per packet
yay

PMSL!!! Yeah, I've gone off seeds and will probably go with the 'plastic crap' - Baker Ross do lots of it!

I think you're doing the right thing, Gwenick. I myself had a very happy hour buying plastic crap for my boys' party bags today. I have to say, somewhat sadly, that I suspect they would be utterly mortified if I gave out seeds to their mates instead. They are about to be six though- I don't think they'd have minded quite so much a couple of years back. These days 'the done thing' is a very important to them. When I told them I'd got their party bags almost ready one of my boys said anxiously "What did you get? Party bags need sweeties, a balloon and a small toy, you know." I said "Oh no! I got a few small toys... do you think that will be ok?" and was rewarded by a megawatted.

Oh holy heart. what is.......... and was rewarded by a megawatted.
???

I have so much to learn.