We are having our son's 5th birthday party at a bounce place next week. This is his first "kid party" (all of his other b-day parties have been for family only) and there will be about 20 kids coming. For my daughter's 5th birthday, we had it at an expensive kid play place, and they provided goody bags for everyone. For my daughter's 6th and 7th birthdays, I just sent each kid home with a balloon animal that I made. No goody bags.
Despite the location listed in my profile, I live in the Chicago area. I don't know if it is a regional thing, but I don't think any of my kids have ever been to a birthday party where they didn't receive a goody bag. I must admit, I hate goody bags. That junk just clutters my house until it breaks or I throw it away. My kids live for those things though.
For my son's party, the only food I will be serving is popcorn balls and juice for the kids. Chips and beverages for the parents. The combined allergies of all the kids made it so that I can't serve milk, nuts, wheat, eggs, or soy. Hence the popcorn balls instead of a birthday cake.
My question: I am planning to send each kid home with another popcorn ball (nicely wrapped and decorated) and a helium balloon. Can you think of anything else that is simple (and cheap!) that might be fun to send home with the kids? I guess I feel a little pressure to send the kids home with additional stuff because all of my kids' friends seem to give out rather elaborate goody bags at their birthday parties. I'm trying not to cave to peer pressure on the goody bag thing, but I also want to fall within the spectrum of what is normal out here. What do you think?
Thank you all for your input! I have decided to just skip the goody bag idea. I don't even know that I will bother sending the kids home with an extra popcorn ball. (Could turn into a sticky mess for the parents if the kids dig into them in the car on the drive home.)
I find party, wedding, and shower etiquette to be a little different in the Midwest than it is on the West Coast where I am from. I just don't want my lack of goody bags to be considered rude, like not sending thank you cards (which we do!).
Patty K, unfortunately, two of my three kids are the ones allergic to milk, nuts, soy, and eggs. Another guest is also allergic to milk. And yet one more guest is allergic to wheat. What a pain! But at least my kids and their friends enjoy popcorn balls. Maybe I'll make some rice crispy treats and Chex mix treats too...
I have to admit I like the idea of socks. It is a bounce house party - a pair of socks with a little note attached that says "thank you for bouncing with us" would be really cute. And if someone forgot their socks, they could have their "goodie" early.
I live in the Chicago area and goodie bags are disappearing. I think what you're giving is just fine!
If you're really stuck on it I suggest pencils, erasers and tattoos. Kids seem to love and use those no matter what.
If you don't like doing goody bags - don't do them. It's that simple, really.
You are already paying for the kids to have fun. So WHY do you HAVE to do goody bags?
At my oldest son's 13th birthday - yes - I gave goody bags - BEFORE the party - we were doing a paint ball party and it gets hot fast under the masks - each kid got a REALLY NICE water bottle - they were metal insulated with color tops. From what I understand - all the kids STILL use it and love it.
At my youngest son's party - he just turned 11 - we did pool toys - yes - it was expensive - we were having a pool party. I served cupcakes, pizza and drinks.
I did the goody bags because I WANTED to - not because I felt like I HAD to. If you don't want to do goody bags, don't. If you do - find something that you can afford to do - like pencils, crayons, erasers - school supply stuff - that you can get cheap at stores now - and do that. Seriously - you do NOT HAVE to do them.
Don't give in to peer pressure. Set an example. Help stop this silly fad. No one likes their kids to bring home goody bags, no one. Not even the kids like them.
They are a waste of money and time and effort. Help stop this fad. It won't cause gossip, it's won't get you ostracized, it will set an example.
No cake????????? Don't parents send a nut free, flour free, egg free, dairy free cupcake with their allergic child? Your sons birthday and he cannot even have a cake. 😞😞 That's like in American. Don't mean to sound snarky, but. Never did goody bags. Think maybe once at 5yo for my first, but realized the money spent could be better spent.
since school starts soon maybe some school supplies. Crayons, pencils, glue sticks, notebook paper, etc. I hate "goody bags" too. but at least school supplies are useable. and if they dont need them they can donate them to their school. IF I am doing a take home goody I hit up the clearance section of the Disney store over a few months and let the kids pick something.
Oh my goodness, JUST two days ago, I said to my husband, "I wish moms everywhere could just decide collectively that there would be NO MORE GOODY BAGS!! There's pressure to do one, but I hate that stuff in my house!!" Looks like you've made a decision and I didn't read the other replies...but maybe this will be the start of less junk in your group of friends! :)
One really useful thing we received in a goody bag is a mini beach ball.
It's been at least 10 years since we got it and we STILL use it!
I keep it deflated in my beach/pool bag and we blow it up anytime we want a ball to toss around at the pool.
http://www.orientaltrading.com/inflatable-mini-beach-ball...
Crayon boxes and a coloring book
I hope your son can have a birthday cake????
Despite all the allergies/food restrictions of the other kids?
We sometimes go to the Party store or dollar store and get little things like little bouncy balls, cute erasers, pencils, etc. Then you can maybe put in lolly pops or fruit snacks or something that you can buy in bulk.
I didn't do goody bags and the kids never seemed to mind.
in addition to good advice below, we have also done relatively simple goody bags. kid just love something tiny to take home and from experience don't care if it is a great deal of stuff or just one or two things. If you would like to add something, you could even add a small box of raisins or a small eraser...we have always just put in 2-3 things. a food and small toy...whatever you do will be great.
The old goody bag debate. I can see both sides. I know you've already made your decision, but wanted to add my two cents anyway:) I like it when the goody bags are practical and purposeful and hate it when they are filled with junk, or even worse, junk that makes noise!
Someone below suggested socks - practical and purposeful. At my son's last birthday party, we did a bit of a Cat in the Hat theme and I gave a book to each child. I think the main reason I like themes is so I can provide a purposeful (not always practical - ex. pirate theme goodies) goody bag. Pirate theme was costume stuff (sword, eye patch, bandana) in a pirate bag - a real bag that can be used to hold said junk easily.
So, again, I like the sock idea for your kid party. And, yes, here in SoCal, I've yet to go to a party where there weren't goody bags of some sort. And, yes, my son LOVES them as well.
My son's just turned 7, and his party is coming up. I think the goody bags are pretty simple: a kick ball, some dinosaur tattoos and a mim can of playdou.
He's been to a few parties, and the goody bags have always been fairly simple. It's nice. The kids have a little something to take home, but not a bunch of junk.
I hate, hate, hate goody bags. Hate them. If they aren't full of junk that is a total waste of money and gets thrown away, its far too expensive. Either way its unnecessary. Most moms in my circle hate them too!
I think the popcorn ball and balloon is a great idea. It's something that will be used! I wouldn't add anything to it.
Like you, I thought it was wasteful to send kids home with a bunch of plastic junk and/or candy that none of them need. Imho, sending them home with a popcorn ball is unique and phone, and they will also get a balloon. That is plenty.
Another idea that I usually did when my kids were young was to go to a dollar store and buy something a little more substantial than the plastic trinkets. It cost $1 for each kid, and they always loved it! It always cost a lot more than $1 per kid to put together an assortment in goody bags. Sometimes you can find something that fits the theme of the party. For example: my daughter had a tea party theme, and we found little tea sets for $1 each, for a summer pool party each kid got a water gun (but write their names on them right away so there are no squabbles about which one belongs to which kid), for my son's space theme party we found rockets, etc.
I have given books for my son's last couple of parties (when he turned 5 and 6). I get the reader-style books that are, at most, $3.99 and sometimes less. You can sometimes find bundles too that bring the cost down to less than $3 per book. I like giving books because they aren't junky toys, it's not candy, and it's something they can actually enjoy for a long time.
I hate goody bags too - it's as if you have to reward guests for coming to a party where you already provided food and entertainment. I say, take the lead and stop pushing things on families that everyone hates. The cheap stuff breaks, the expensive stuff breaks the bank and sets up the next party hosts to feel they have to match or exceed you, and then it becomes a big contest, which is how we all got into this situation in the first place.
The other problem is the trend toward these huge parties - 20 kids is a big expense and a big responsibility, and the birthday child rakes in 20 gifts from friends. So there's added pressure to give out more stuff to the attendees to "justify" the big haul of presents, which the guests do not get to see the child open because it just takes to darn long. So the who situation just mushrooms.
If you can have someone take pictures of all the kids (making sure you get at least 2 of each kid), and then email them to the parents afterwards, that's a fun "gift" that shows thoughtfulness but doesn't cost anything. Give the photographer a list of kids and make sure they're all represented in small group shots or some individual shots.
Hi! I know how you feel. I blogged about this a while ago. http://heyyougetreal.com/momblog/what-about-birthday-part...
It starts like this:
First, know that I am not the “normal” mom when it comes to birthday parties. I believe that the whole birthday thing has gotten out of hand. Here are my guidelines for parties:
I hope you find it useful!
I think that's enough . If anything else give them something that isn't plastic junk . I just watched that documentary about all of the swirling plastic in the ocean . Just horrifying ! I feel so guilty giving/buying all that junk . A $1 mcdonalds gift certificate maybe or a hershey bar ? Maybe a new pair of socks because the ones they wear at the party will be ruined :) What ever you do , have fun and Happy Birthday to your son !
How about a smallish/medium sized kick ball?
They have them from $1 to $5 each.
If not that, then how about a $5 beach towel?
You might want to add some more snacks for the kids (they hungry when they are active). How about some pretzels, chips, punch etc?
