what & how much to put in party bags?

[TiredMumZzz]

It's my dd's party this weekend, she'll be 6.
We went to a birthday party the other day and the kids were given party bags filled with loads of stuff, plus a present each (e.g. book).
Whenever we've had parties before we've just put a few little things in the bag and some cake. What do other people do, are we really that stingey and is there some kind of escalation of these things - I'm sure there was often only a slice of cake and a balloon if you were lucky when I was a kid...

When dd1 was 4 and 5 (2 separate parties obviously) we did a "lucky dip" one year and a small present (wrapped) the next year.

The lucky dip was a small toy/stationery set £1-£2 in value. Girls wrapped in pink and boys wrapped in blue. Then they had a couple of goes on a sweet lucky dip as well.

With the presents, it was all girls and dd chose a pretty hardback notebook and glitter pen for them all (about £2 in total each). I did a tea party and served the cake as pudding.

Just make it clear if you do this that it is instead of a party bag.

I get so fed up of chucking plastic tat and cheap balloons and stale cake in the wheelie bin.

Great idea, thanks!

I think its best to spend more on one semi-decent present, cake and sweets than loads of plastic tat which goes straight in the bin. Having said that most kids seem to like the tat.

Nearly at the end of goodie-bag age now, but in the past have kept my eyes open for sale bargains all year round.

Never spent more tha £1 on goodie bag present. Have given purses, bubble bath for older girls, books (sets split from Book People), pencil cases, mugs filled with sweets. Claire's sales are always handy for lucky dip stuff and prizes.

Nice cheap little hardback notebooks in The Works at the moment. I would go for the cheap retro option I think, squahed cake in a serviette, a balloon, and a stocking filler bit of tat, fancy pencil maybe?