Party bags are a token of your appreciation that your friends have come to your party. Back in the day (1990’s for me!), we’d get a colourful plastic bag with a slice of cake in a napkin, some kind of stationery, a plastic toy, a balloon, a bottle of bubbles and some sweets. They were great to receive but nowadays parents are more savvy about being eco-friendly and not giving so much plastic away which may just be used the once and thrown away.
These days for party bags, my favourite contents are little chocolate bars, bubbles, a book, some stickers and a slice of birthday cake. There are other items you could include, as seen below, but party bags don’t have to cost a lot and they don’t need to include a lot of plastic.
You may notice as we go through that there is hardly any mention of party balloons in the party bags.
I’m hesitant to include balloons in party bags because of the environmental impact. We do have balloons in our house every so often but I still have my conscience telling me they aren’t good for the planet. Even bio-degradable balloons take years and years to break down (so I’ve been led to believe) and I’ve read the story Marli’s Tangled Tail with my daughter. It’s a story about a puffin getting caught in the string from a balloon in a balloon release and needing help from humans to get strong enough to go back to her baby and partner. It’s just heart-breaking that a balloon release could cause this to any animal so I strongly dislike balloon releases and so try not to reduce the number of balloons we have in our house for parties and celebrations.
Why not have a look at my blog post: How To Be Eco-Friendly With Kids.
What Kind Of Packaging Should I Use For My Party Bags?
I would recommend using some kind of paper or re-usable packaging for your party bags.
I found some white paper bags on Amazon which are great either for decorating before the party with stickers and pens, or for the party guests to decorate themselves at the party.
During Lockdown in 2021, my eldest daughter turned two and because we couldn’t have a party, I decided we’d try to take the party to my daughter’s friends and family so when we saw them for passing birthday presents on, we gave them a paper party bag decorated with Postman Pat stickers as that was her choice of theme for her second birthday. I, unfortunately, didn’t take any photos of the bags or contents, but my daughter really enjoyed drawing designs on the bags and putting the stickers on for her friends.
What Do You Put in a Party Bag for a Baby?
This all depends on the ages of the babies. The NHS advises that babies can start to be weaned onto food at the age of 6 months so food-based favours would not be a good idea for those under that age.
Balloons, when popped, are a choking hazard so I do not recommend them being included in party bags for this age group.
Bouncy balls are another item to avoid due to the choking hazard.
Here are some food-based party bag ideas for babies from 6 months to one year.
Other ideas for babies up to the age of one would be books, soft toys, rattles, and bubbles (for adults to blow for them).
What Do You Put In a Party Bag for 1-Year-Olds?
One-year-olds will be looking for yummy snacks, cake and toys in their party bags. Be careful about sweets and lollies because many are choking hazards at this young age. We avoid chewy sweets, lollies and sweets that are hard and/or round and much prefer melt-in-the-mouth food such as chocolate.
I think a book would go down a treat too so I like to include one of those too. Ones from multipacks bring the cost right down.
The bubbles could either be for an adult to do for them or for them to have a go at themselves. I know my 22-month-old would love her own bubble wand and mix!
What Do You Put In a Party Bag for 2-Year-Olds?
We still didn’t give our two-year-old sweets when she was this age due to them being a choking hazard, so chocolate became her treat. I’d be inclined to go with little chocolate bars, a book, a small toy and some birthday cake for a two-year-old’s party bag.
The Works sometimes have 10 books for £10. They did stop it for a while but then brought it back for a limited time.
When we had our wedding, we made little party bags for the kids to keep them occupied at the table during the meal and I thought these little vehicles were fun for this age group.
The wooden dinosaurs game can be split up and individual dinosaurs given in party bags. No-one will know they came from a bigger game.
What Do You Put In a Party Bag for 3-Year-Olds?
When my daughter was three, she liked chocolate, colouring, books and she started showing an interest in princesses and dressing up.
What Do You Put In a Party Bag for 4-Year-Olds?
For a four-year-old’s party bag, you could include chocolate treats, stickers, a colouring book, funky colouring pencil, a friendship bracelet, a book, some bubbles or a seed planting set.
I especially like the seed planting idea and the types of seed may need to be changed for what season the party is in as you’d want the guests to be able to plant their seeds straight after the party.
Some ideas would be vegetable seeds for summer/autumn, sunflower seeds or green beans for spring/early summer.
Do You Have To Give Party Bags At A Kid’s Birthday Party?
You don’t have to give party bags at a kid’s birthday party. Many parents give out a slice of cake in a napkin and that is perfectly fine. We shouldn’t teach our child to expect things given to them all the time.
The hosts will have spent money on cake, entertainment, venue, decorations etc all for their child and his or her friends to enjoy themselves for an hour or two.
What Age Do You Stop Giving Party Bags?
I would say to stop giving party bags around the age of 12 to 14. At this age, having big birthday parties will dwindle and it’ll more likely be a small group of close friends celebrating with the child who all just want to spend time with the birthday teenager and won’t care about party bags anymore. It seems a shame for the contents of the bag to go to waste.
What Should I Spend on Kid’s Party Bags?
Set yourself a budget for the whole party including the party bags. Many parents aim to spend between £2 to £4 on each bag and can do so by purchasing multipacks of items, however it all depends on how many children are invited to the party and the budget of the host.
What’s The Point of Party Bags?
Party bags or party favours are a token of appreciation for guests at a child’s birthday party. They are usually only given to other children who attend and are given at the end of a party for the child to take home with them. I have very fond memories of receiving party bags and looking through them whn I was back home after birthday parties.
Is It Rude To Not Open Gifts At A Kid’s Party?
It is completely up to the host as to whether or not to open presents at a kid’s birthday party. It will all depend on how long the party is going on for, the number of guests and whether there is entertainment being put on. I don’t believe it’s rude at all.
Opening presents may take up time which would be better spent playing games or bouncing on a bouncy castle with their friends.
Many hosts nowadays set up a gift table and when guests arrive they place their gifts there and then join in with the party. The child whose party it is will take the presents home and open them after the party.
For some children receiving so many presents all in one go can be quite overwhelming so opening them in a more relaxed atmosphere and at a pace that they’re comfortable with can be a much better option.
Should Children Have A Birthday Party Every Year?
It is completely up to the parents of the child as to whether they have a birthday party every year. When a child is one or two, the party is not really for the child but for the adults. It can be a lovely occasion to get friends and family together though so it’s no reason to not celebrate.
When the child is older, having parties every year is dependent on costs and how many siblings the child has. If you live in a home unsuitable for parties, hiring a hall, some entertainment or bouncy castle, buying party bags, putting on food and making or buying a cake can all add up and if you do this multiple times a year, it really adds up.
As long as the party is for the child and not for the parent to show off, I don’t have any issue with children having parties every year. When I say for the child, I mean that the party guests are the child’s friends and not just friends of the parents.
How Do You Politely Say No Gifts For A Birthday Party?
You can simply write, “No gifts, please,” on the party invitation and if anyone does turn up with a gift, take it graciously and say your child will open it later at home and put it away so as not to make other guests feel uncomfortable. First, make sure your child is on-board with the idea of no gifts.
I feel like we have so many toys and so much clutter in our house that adding more cheap toys to the mix will just make keeping on top of the house even harder for all of us. But it’s not about me. It is a party for my child so I will ask them and respect their wishes.
Are Parents Supposed To Stay At Birthday Parties?
I would say that parents should stay with their children at birthday parties up to the age of 5 and then it will depend on the location, who is hosting and how confident your child is. Always discuss this with the hosts and see what they and you are comfortable with. It is not ok to just dump your child at a party and leave them there with no discussion with the hosts.
Happy partying! Let me know on social media whether this post helped you!
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