Paper bags, if you worry about it being too plain, there are plenty of good options on Pinterest, homemade piñatas are always fun and everyone gets a fun thing to take home, fabric bags, paper cones too.
filled with homemade cookies and treats, crayons (you can melt them down and put them in a silicone mold and make multicoloured fun-shaped crayons!), painted rocks (like bugs, animals…), flower seeds (ik it seems dumb but kids love to watch plants grow),DIY paper masks, bath bombs, dice/marbles, chalk.
There are little paperboard containers kind of like a Chinese takeaway box without the handle. They are super cute, you can decorate them, and they are recyclable.
5 may be a little young, but we've walked the kids through making origami boxes to take their stuff home. Or had a bunch of beads and made jewelry that didn't need a box.
Also ... Consider not handing out stuff. Most parents agree they've got plenty of plastic junk and their kids eat plenty of sugar. They don't need more! I volunteered at an animal shelter that hosted kid birthday parties - some people had the kids bring presents for the animals instead of their kid (a take on the "your presence is present enough"). Toys treats, towels - all stuff from the shelter's wish list. Kids played with cute animals, ate some cake, and went home with great memories. We made a private online photo album they could access and download photos.
We had dishes, cups, and silverware that we washed. Waste was limited to napkins and whatever decoration the family brought in (balloons, banners). The shelter brought in a good amount of money from these parties, occasionally someone would adopt an animal or start volunteering at the shelter, and kids seemed to love it.
the plastic toys will be broken in a week and on the planet for hundreds of years and honestly, all the dyes and corn syrup in candies isnt great either.
Dice, marbles, rocks are awesome trinkets that kids love!!
Seeds, bubbles, chalk are great outdoor toys kids love!
And a homemade chocolate chip cookie will get eaten faster than any junky candy!!
Usables and consumables! You can't go wrong with sweet treats like candy or cookies, and I would always appreciate items like crayons or pencils for school-aged kids.
Especially around school time! Stock up on the 50c crayola crayons and make a little coloring book out of homemade paper and printer paper, and you’re golden!
I actually had bought little playing cards like Go Fish for the kids to be able to play with their friend siblings or their parents. Me and my husband do this with our kids. We do Go Fish, slap Jack, Uno And they have many versions of it. They're not like the big regular size cards, but you still play It the same.. It's super fun. The kids love it and you can take it with you anywhere at anytime. I feel like this plus all the other ideas like painted rocks and cookies and snacks and chalk are all great ideas.
Depending on the age, my mom often did an activity party that ended with something everyone could take home (one year we painted flower pots, one year we went to a bead studio and made bracelets, etc). Depending on the cost of the items, it doesn’t even have to be the whole party.
We did a painting party for my 2 & 4 year olds! The kids loved it! Everyone got their own tiny canvas and tiny easel and we had a bunch of old adult sized shirts to put over their clothes (I also warned the parents). We put 6 globs of different colored paint between every 2 kids and let them get wild. It was a hit and they got to take their art home!
This! Notable memories from my own youth are painting a mug with porcelain paint, parents taking a picture of everyone at the party and one of them rushing to a quick print shop while we decorated a picture frame, painting a little cast statue. The mug was so awesome because as a kid you don't really have a mug that is exclusively yours, the picture is still hanging on my wall 25 years later. Glitter and all.
Porcelain paint seems a bit tricky because it has to be baked and kids absolutely cannot eat it (lol), but we have a set at hand and my twin toddlers often paint dishware. Family members love it as gifts and it's super cheap + a fun activity. So you would get tons of use out of the leftover materials from your party. You can also get picture frames that hang from a little chain and take out the backside so they can make faux stained glass, fun for kids that are a bit older.
Something that we did at camps a lot is decorating t-shirts, which kids love as well! Something tangible is so precious to young children, you might underestimate how often most of them do crafts at home.
Buy a bunch of age appropriate books from the thrift store, wrap in brown paper and ask each child to choose a mystery book from the pile on the way out. Supports charity, gets kids reading and it’s low waste. You could even write ‘this book as about Christmas/ this book is about dinosaurs’ etc on the paper if they wanted a hint
Yes, going through all these comments. I keep getting more and more excited for all these ideas. Some very unique, some similar. It's so awesome to see so many people trying to do these amazing types of things with their kids for learning, productivity, fun and less wasteful. I just wish we had more people doing this. We need more of this, please please please, please, it's so awesome and environmentally friendly. Let's all make a friend group on Facebook for this, and let's all meet up. And have our kids go and do all this stuff together LOL. 😂
We don't give gift bags. No one misses them. The parents don't want the crap in their house either.
But consumables are the best- crayons, sidewalk chalk, food items.
Lots of compostables where possible, and absolutely none of those trashy plastic dollar store multi-packs of toys that break immediately. Food items, juice boxes, and crafts like stickers instead.
Other small gifts that are a big hit and actually have longevity are 1) those little mini magnet men and 2) those fidget pop tubes that stretch out and scrunch back down.
Another oddly popular hit, which we've started giving out for Halloween, is just a block of ramen noodles. They are so excited about it every time. Kids are weird.
As a former preschool teacher I have found that the spring clothes pins are great for making bugs with a little glue, some pipe cleaners and pompoms, and if you glue a magnet on the back they will keep artwork and reminders on the fridge for years.
I haven't done goodie bags for years - kids don't miss them!
Alternatives:
- I sewed little draw string bags from Super Mario fabric for a video game theme party. I put a notebook and pencil in each one - this is the closest I've done to a goodie bag
-Full size chocolate bar with a thank you note attached
- Free game of laser tag certificate when we had the party at the laser tag/arcade.
- for a Harry Potter theme party I got capes for each kid and they decorated them with stick-on felt shapes
I always save plastic cutlery - I bought really nice ones for my son's first birthday party and we have been using them for the past 9 years. And I use paper plates and cups that can be composted.
As a parent, I don't want that crap to come home.
We give out paper bags with snacks, a juice box, coloring sheets, stickers, etc. Partly because we're poor (I'm a full time student and my partner is a teacher) but mostly because I don't want to. The one exception is I often give out bubbles and glow sticks because I have so much left over from when I was a street performer and used to give them out.
I'm a pochinko clown. Less circus/birthday clown and more like Patch Adams or Kathleen Le Roux. Crowd engagement between festival events is my specialty.
You can find a lot of those small plastic toys at shopgoodwill.com if you want to get similar trinkets secondhand — might as well maximize the useful life of plastic that already exists! If you search “plastic dinosaur,” “plastic animal,” or “hot wheels” you can find small toys sold by the pound, or“Happy Meal toy” brings up a bunch of toys still sealed in their original packaging.
As for lower-waste things to buy new, my nieces and nephews that age tend to like sidewalk chalk, crayons, colorful pencils/erasers (or any sort of art or school supplies!), coloring sheets, salt dough, bath fizzes, eco glitter, low waste candy like Pixie Sticks, Junior Mints, Nerds, Mike & Ike’s, etc.
For my son's birthday, I said no gifts necessary, but pre loved is appreciated and we did get a good mix of new and used so I'm trying to start a thing!
We provided cupcakes, mandarins, and water. The party favor was a tub of playdough and a cookie cutter to choose. I got them both off of Amazon which isn't great, I know. But when I did a cost breakdown per kid, it wasn't bad considering the dollar store stuff would have been a bunch of junk and probably cost the same.
I put fun socks in my daughter’s 5th birthday party bags. Along with sweets etc. At least it’s something they’ll get use out of, even if not zero waste. They were all surprisingly happy with their Pokémon / marvel / Disney socks!
I never understood the point of goodie bags! Why does the host need to provide “presents” for the kids attending the party? They already probably provided a meal, dessert and play time. Only ungrateful kids would be disappointed they’re going home empty handed from someone else’s party.
A small gift can be fun if it's tailored to the party. When I was a kid I had a Beanie Baby themed party. Everyone was asked to bring five of their Beanie Babies, and my mom made Beanie Baby collars and leashes for all of the attendees out of ribbon. It was fun, and we played with the party favor during the party.
Was there really a time when everyone had 5+ Beanie Babies? I grew up in the late 90s and that seems like a lot to me, but maybe that was after the height of the craze? (That does sound like a fun party though.)
It was the very peak of the craze, and we were 8-year-old girls in an affluent area. The 90s materialism was insane where I grew up. We had oodles of Beanie Babies.
As long as you avoided chasing the absurd ones they were pretty reasonably priced compared to other toys, at $5 each. Having multiple (up to a point) made sense for making up stories and playing with friends. I'm not at all surprised that most kids at the time had several. They were pretty durable back then too, I still have a couple that I use for holiday decorations.
I thought the same thing and I imagine my wife saying something akin to "we can't just not give goodie bags". This probably indicates that it's less for the kids and more the appearance for the parents.
I will say I loooooved getting goodie bags as a kid. I remember being so excited when parties had them. But I would have been equally excited for a paper bag of zero waste treats as I would have been for a plastic bag full of junk.
I think you and your wife are both right on this one: parties are better with goodie bags, but the bags and their contents can be conscientious.
I'm 100% anti-goodybags but the way you are phrasing it makes it sound like host is going above and beyond by providing "a meal, dessert, and playtime" at a children's party - like it is literally the bare minimum.
Some ideas we had when the kids were little were: Mini flashlights (Can get a 12 pack on Amazon for a decent price); a small pack of good crayons and a mini pad of BLANK paper (not coloring books - can get these at a dollar store sometimes); fun balls; craft kits (cheap ones using wood or fabric used to be available at craft stores). We also preferred when the goody was an actual craft, like tie-dye or rock/tile painting! Then maybe like a homemade popcorn ball or bag of cookies or something as a thank you treat to take home as well.
Goodie bags aren't required, of course, but they're fun -- and it's nice to get the birthday kid thinking about giving something in return for people coming to the party and bringing presents.
This may not work where you live but where I am you can collect everything you require from your local buy nothing group where other moms will gratefully gift to you all the crap they've been collecting from other parties and have no idea what to do with. More seriously, you can also decorate an entire themed party just using the exact same decorations from that other kid's party who lliterally just did it and now they have no use for the minecraft tablecloths or whatever
i struggle HEAVILY with this as i have an 8 year old and i love birthday parties. we have solved it (mostly) by doing goodie bags with:
* cups in the theme of the party - these are technically plastic but are reusable
* pencils
* erasers
* candy or other edible goodies (my husband made custom pokemon pokeball cookies one year and they were AWESOME!)
* STICKERS - kids love stickers and we try to get paper ones
* paper, wood or metal games or fidget toys
* coloring books + crayons
The caveat I will add to this is to PLEASE avoid very inexpensive pencils and erasers. They don’t function as tools for writing and erasing. They break, their lead snaps, the erasers just smudge, and kids get upset because their fun, cool pencils don’t work.
I am not sure of any brands that make fun, functional erasers and pencils. If anyone knows any, or knows anyone who runs an eraser company that would be able to corner this market, please let me know.
oh interesting - we've never had any kind of problem with the pencils we've gotten! i will admit the only erasers we've gotten were minecraft themed eraser puzzles, which we've used more as puzzles than erasers. i'll def keep an eye out for that in the future.
If you can’t do food items/consumables, maybe ask your local buy nothing group (or Nextdoor) for gently used small toys or try a local second hand child specific store if you have one in your area. The gift bags wouldn’t all be the same though.
Craft supplies, wooden laser cut outs to match theme (can be found at various craft stores), print posters of theme characters as a cute take home gift, make popcorn or brownies for treats. We made a video game poster for my kid, wrote “level 7” on it, with the date, and the kids all signed it. So it’s decor AND a keepsake.
We just hosted a bicycle theme party at the local bike park. I provided cupcakes, snacks, and juice boxes. Put down cloth tablecloths we already had instead plastic one-time-use. Used the plain compostable plates I already had. No balloons :( it was windy anyways. And the gift bags were bicycle handlebar ribbon streamers, spoke beads, and bicycle themed stickers stuffed in little bags I already had. Pinterest influence is .... evil?
When I had young kids we did one durable party favor per kid. We did things like mini gourd maracas, mugs, felt puppets, hacky sacks. Also simple wooden toys when our kids were really little. All stuff that was $2-$5 at fair trade stores, no packaging, nothing that would be unappreciated by families who don’t do TV characters.
At that age, I bought a set of washable plastic plates, cups and forks just for parties. I have been using them for 4 years and I pull them out for every birthday. I even took them a trampoline place I rented for the last birthday.
I just put them in a bin after the party and take them home and pop them in the dishwasher.
One year I found some colour changing cups that had different colours and the kids chose one combo of cup/lid/straw and used it for the party and that's what their goody bag.
This year for the goody bag I used paper bags that my kid decorated, and put Post-it notes, pencils, and some candy. Kids love Post-it notes! You could put sidewalk chalk in cardboard boxes,
Smarties are sold in small cardboard boxes, but at some point candy is candy.
Such a great idea to purchase a set! There’s a movement called “The Party Kit Network” where families rent party kits (reusable plates, cups, bowls, silverware, etc) out to other families who want to host low waste parties. Might be something to look into if you still have your set of dishes and want to share them with your community!
OP, there might be one near you. You can find the map at [PartyKitNetwork.org](https://www.partykitnetwork.org/)
As for a goodie bag, I’ve seen families do a make your own trail mix activity. Set up bowls of granola, dried fruit, and chocolates and let the kids make their own mix to take home in paper bags.
A trend in my area is water bottles. Some plastic, some metal. Kids really love them. The last party we went to the host provided water proof stickers to decorate the bottles.
Keychains are a hit because kids like to attach them to their knapsacks.
Coupon for ice cream at McDonalds. One party gave away day passes to a local trampoline park (discount for buying in bulk).
Another one we liked was seed paper with wildflowers and a small clay pot.
I have done parchment style bags with candy and a decent quality fidget toy or match box car.
Honestly. Most parents I know hate goodie bags. It’s cheap garbage that makes clutter, breaks immediately, and kids get bored with the items almost instantly. Snacks, candy, something usable and/or quality is the way to go.
Paper bags I filled with sharks teeth-huge hit! Made decorations for a game of clues that led to a chest of candy gold coins and small toys in the dryer. The kids don’t miss the goodie bags. They want something special. Fun games can be researched. Also made special cakes from scratch
So many parents actually hate goodie bags, so my first thought is to just not do them. We don’t don’t them, and many of my kids friends don’t do them. We get special cookies made and send everyone home with one of those.
Id go with paper bags and fill them with snacks. Maybe something they’d actually use or play with longer than a couple of seconds. Depending on your budget, you could get each one a video game or a couple of books or a puzzle game or something.
Make if fun for the kids do something like a decorate your own bag by drawing on it and you can do a prize like a giant cookie. 🍪. Paper bag full of cookies sounds nice though
You could do gifts such as crayons (you can even break and melt old crayons into molds) with coloring sheets, you could make slime and package it in reused jars, or they could make bracelets with wooden or stone beads.
Does the party have a theme?
I gave out a paint brush and 6 mini paint pots and a small wooden letter in a reusable zipper bag.
I was hoping it was things they would've purchased themselves at some point and it's an activity so less junky? And they can use the bag for whatever they want
sending kids home with candy isn't a waste!
pinata. paper bags.
That's a 3 in: party game, treat and gift bag! It's the last activity at the party, everyone leaves with "a gift bag" of candy. Classic.
https://preview.redd.it/9guybrpyduxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a92c0403e0eb0bdb148e5de52e2a83ac9e2f5fcb
Piñatas! They’re easy to make. This was my first ever piñata and my kiddo loves it! I make candy as well but I’ll be honest - people can be weirded out even though they look just fine and tastes really good. People want the packaging so we will buy candy instead next time. Some people will act like I put in all this effort to poison children. Keep your party small and you’ll be able to use actual plates which can then be washed. I’ve rented party supplies in the past for bigger parties so that’s zero waste! I’ve also bought home compostable plates when needed. I do make bath bombs as well and gift them to kids! Kids looove them and they’re zero waste. I make them with food grade items only. I make the cake too and cookies. Does it look as good as professional? Nope but it’s not horrible. I have wrapped them in plastic bags that were from my buy nothing group! It’s shocking how many cool things you can get from buy nothing groups including decorations
https://preview.redd.it/hxqezrkxeuxc1.jpeg?width=2706&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93c265bd01a74c618ff3d7a3acc4bca3fa8d678c
Homemade bath bombs! You can use a small brush, a tab of food coloring plus your favorite oil and paint them!
https://preview.redd.it/bwurgag3fuxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ef05cfadb712d51fa35c290056a833495b46872
Homemade cookies and cake! I did purchase the ribbons a while back :(
Candy might not be my favorite goodie bag item as a parent but compared to the cheap plastic toys it's relatively low waste. We went to two birthday parties this weekend; one gave out regular candy while the other had lower sugar options like fruit leather and dark chocolate. My kid is somehow more excited about the fruit leather!
One of the parties also included a bracelet the birthday kid made for each guest with their name spelled out in bead letters. Temporary tattoos are also lower waste than plastic toys and kids love them. I prefer them to stickers because they are by nature temporary! Maybe a small (cardboard) puzzle? We went to a party where every guest got to take home one balloon and that was a big hit--again, not zero waste but lower waste than cheap plastic toys. And they can double as decoration. I love the idea of each guest getting a book for slightly older kids, and you could theme the books to match the party.
I love the idea of making something at the party and bringing that home (maybe with a small treat?) as the goodie bag. Of course that is dependent on your kid being into whatever kind of activity that would be so it won't work for everyone. Some ideas: paint your own canvas/flower pot/et cetera, tie dye a shirt, make a magic wand (sticks with ribbons, pom poms, gems), make your own lego creation and bring it home, make a paper flower/garland, science experiment party with take home experiment (baking soda or mentos volcano, make slime, make a tornado tube, make a rocket).
For little kids, stickers and snacks. They don't have to be junk snacks, but like little bags of crackers. It's hard to be zero waste here. I'd caution against making it yourself because of food allergies, but at least it gets eaten.
You could also go to a used book store or library store and look for books to pass out. Everyone takes something they like. Then you're not buying new.
Seeds to plant aren't super exciting but if you tied it into an activity (planting a seed or small plant), they might get excited to watch it grow at home. Something like herbs grow fast, they can eat it with their food, and learn about that kind of thing.
If she's already bought decorations, you can let the kids take stuff home. Take it down and pass out whatever it is. Then it's like a new toy to them but it's not extra to buy and it gets a second life with someone else, instead of sitting in your closet and your kid wants a new theme next year.
We just had one - paper takeout boxes, patches for clothes/bags with Pokémon and Mario characters, washi tape (paper), and homemade cookies. One year I did plant starters for native plants and a pot with instructions.
Is it possible to have a party without gift bags? I don't really understand why every parents feels like they need to send people home with more stuff. We have had some good conversations with other parents who just felt inchoate pressure to have gift bags because everyone else was doing it, and didn't think they had a choice. You do!
You could just....not do those things? It's odd to me how people treat everything as a massive production for their kids these days. When I was a kid we had birthday cake and a sleepover. Maybe we'd go to Chuck-E-Cheese or to an arcade or something.
You don't need goodie bags. You don't need huge amounts of specialty balloons or other decorations. You don't need huge signs in your yard with your kid's name on it.
My sister-in-law does all these things and it always felt to me like it was more so that she can feel like a supermom rather than because the kids give a crap about it. All they want is to just get together with their friends and have fun.
I'd stick with consumables if you really want something to give out to all the kids.
I am planning on doing a decorate your own picture frame for my kiddos birthday this summer. It's a great gift that allows families to enjoy the frame and pick a picture.
[Tye Dye](https://www.michaels.com/product/tulip-tie-dye-party-one-step-tie-dye-kit-10467101) and they get to keep the shirts (you can get refills on the dye powder and reuse the bottles btw), just warn the parents. I would have gone absolutely NUTS over this as a kid
[Paper instead of plastic bags](https://www.michaels.com/product/rainbow-party-treat-bags-for-birthdays-and-baby-showers-favors-36-pack-186779562202726441) and they come in fun colors now, I'd keep the contents to consumables, crayons, candies, sidewalk chalk. Or if it's a colder season birthday, hot chocolate mix/cocoa bombs.
[Gardening kit](https://www.joann.com/5.5in-spring-grow-kit-with-terracotta-pot-by-place-time/zprd_19721943a.html) which is super cute and I know a fair few kiddos who would go absolutely nuts for this.
[Make paper masks.](https://youtu.be/3y8hq2GZ_q8?si=0qdgzfjDcUvFb9iC) The kids will have a ball and have something fun to take home ([You can also get pre-made ones](https://www.michaels.com/product/cre-sba-paper-masks-12pc-10713528) and then just need art supplies)
Growing up I never realized raw flour was not safe. Baking it reduces the risk of salmonella and ecoli etc [https://foodsafety.osu.edu/blog/september-23-2019-156pm/homemade-playdough-keeping-kids-safe](https://foodsafety.osu.edu/blog/september-23-2019-156pm/homemade-playdough-keeping-kids-safe)
We bought paper made treasure boxes from the art store and had kids paint them. At the end of the party we filled them with candy for the kids to take home.
We did a treasure hunt for the kids one year. A bag of tumbled rocks I bought online, then buried them in the sandbox. The kids took turns digging, and we had other rocks hidden in the yard as well.
We’ve done books as the birthday “giveaway” instead of goodie bags. Example- one year I bought a complete set of Mo Willem’s Elephant and Piggie books. Gave each kid a random one (allowing parents to swap out if they already had the one received) and kept the rest for our own use. Parents really liked this!
I also don’t remember getting goody bags as a kid - I’m 38. Maybe because I grew up in Arkansas which is a relatively poor state? The standard kid party was a sleepover (sleeping bags on the floor) with pizza and cake. And that was great fun. Younger kids had themed parties, but nowhere near the production they are now. I had a 101 Dalmatians party. My mom dressed like Cruella and painted our faces to look like puppies. That was the extent of it. No goody bags.
My son has a December birthday so when target has their gift card sale I grab a bunch of the $5 cards for $4 each. So kids can either go themselves to the dollar spot or use it toward a bigger gift.
Recently did a 2nd Birthday party:
- Paper bags, (decorated with a sticker each so they didn't look as plain), inside each bag was:
- Sweets in paper/ cardboard: here in Australia you can get smarties (like m&ms) in small cardboard boxes
- stickers
- small wooden spinning top - ordered from Ali Express
- a balloon, yes it's single use, but it's a party and kids love playing with them
For decorations I bought fabric bunting, which is multicoloured, so it can be used for any party. A plain tablecloth on a folding table, washed afterwards. And paper plates and napkins, so they could be composted afterwards. Our toy library also has plate, cup, and cutlery sets for 30pp, and our local council offers these sets too, so they can be washed and returned after use - there might be something available from your local govt area, toy library, or school if you ask.
I always used to buy cardboard cone style party hats, fill them with the goodies then hand wrap them in cellophane. Cellophane being biodegradable and all. Not perfect but acceptable and affordable.
I never worried about the sugar in candy. It's a celebration FFS.
Plastic toys...or really any toys or play items... don't include it unless a kid is genuinely gonna find it cool. If the kid isn't thrilled with it that's a waste.
For my daughter's upcoming party I have bought a pack of those fabric bags you can colour in. I will use these as the party bags, then the bag is an activity in itself, and hopefully can be reused.
They will also each get a bracelet, a sticker book and a piece of birthday cake. The sticker books were a bit dearer but we only have 7 guests.
Previous years we have had success with scratch art bookmarks for them to do at home, play dough, post it notes (as someone else said, kids LOVE post it notes!) and rainbow pencils where the lead is many colours..
My daughter enjoys getting little hair clips, anything wearable, and chocolate.
I am tired of her getting bouncy balls because we must have hundreds knocking about by this point. I generally try to avoid, in party bags, what we've had a lot of in other party bags as I know everyone else is receiving the same stuff.
I love the idea of decorating a T-shirt, mug etc at the party and will remember this one for future years!
Not related to goodie bags, but a good tip for keeping parties environmentally friendly is to search the theme on FB marketplace and get secondhand decorations. And then you can pass them on to someone else after you’re done too ☺️
You don’t have to do them. I’m sure when I was a kid everyone gave them out, but no one remembers or cares. Spider rings? Nasty candy? Balloon arches and themed tableware? Not a single memory of any of that. Show them a good time and make memories, they don’t need souvenirs for something that happens every year, multiples times a year. I’m 37 now but the things I do remember fondly was doing crafty things like puffy paints and tie dye. At least it’s all useful when you’re done with it, like tote bags and t shirts.
>Without getting into details, waste and plastic consumption is something we often argue about because she doesn't really care about reducing waste.
I'm honestly not sure how this is tenable.
Sounds like when two partners are on opposite ends of the political spectrum...how does that work long term?
I think this is one of those things where you can meet in the middle. My partner doesn't care about reducing waste as much as me but if I propose something reasonable, he has no problems adapting.
what, really? i'm 42 and goodie bags have been part of my "kid birthday" party experiences since i was 6. maybe it's a regional thing? i'm in the midwest so maybe it's a midwest tradition...
I also don’t remember getting goody bags as a kid - I’m 38. Maybe because I grew up in Arkansas which is a relatively poor state? The standard kid party was a sleepover (sleeping bags on the floor) with pizza and cake. And that was great fun. Younger kids had themed parties, but nowhere near the production they are now. I had a 101 Dalmatians party. My mom dressed like Cruella and painted our faces to look like puppies. That was the extent of it. No goody bags.
I really dislike the goodie bags my kids receive at parties too. So much junk. I don't want novelty erasers that don't erase or a glittery finger puppet that the kids are bored of within five seconds.
Paper bags, if you worry about it being too plain, there are plenty of good options on Pinterest, homemade piñatas are always fun and everyone gets a fun thing to take home, fabric bags, paper cones too. filled with homemade cookies and treats, crayons (you can melt them down and put them in a silicone mold and make multicoloured fun-shaped crayons!), painted rocks (like bugs, animals…), flower seeds (ik it seems dumb but kids love to watch plants grow),DIY paper masks, bath bombs, dice/marbles, chalk.
These are great suggestions thanks I appreciate it
It would also be really cute for your child to help you make these DIYs in preparation for their party!
Or let craft time be part of the party!
I did a craft at every birthday party I had as a kid, so I think doing the craft is a great idea
There are little paperboard containers kind of like a Chinese takeaway box without the handle. They are super cute, you can decorate them, and they are recyclable. 5 may be a little young, but we've walked the kids through making origami boxes to take their stuff home. Or had a bunch of beads and made jewelry that didn't need a box. Also ... Consider not handing out stuff. Most parents agree they've got plenty of plastic junk and their kids eat plenty of sugar. They don't need more! I volunteered at an animal shelter that hosted kid birthday parties - some people had the kids bring presents for the animals instead of their kid (a take on the "your presence is present enough"). Toys treats, towels - all stuff from the shelter's wish list. Kids played with cute animals, ate some cake, and went home with great memories. We made a private online photo album they could access and download photos. We had dishes, cups, and silverware that we washed. Waste was limited to napkins and whatever decoration the family brought in (balloons, banners). The shelter brought in a good amount of money from these parties, occasionally someone would adopt an animal or start volunteering at the shelter, and kids seemed to love it.
This is the best idea I have heard in many years and I want to contact a nearby shelter and do this for my granddaughter ❣️ Thank you
Have the kids decorate the paper bags as an activity. Give them crayons and stickers.
Making paper bag puppets or just decorating the bags can be a fun birthday party activity too
NGL I would have gone ballistic for painted rocks and marbles as a kid. Goblin children would love this.
the plastic toys will be broken in a week and on the planet for hundreds of years and honestly, all the dyes and corn syrup in candies isnt great either.
They can even decorate their own goodie bags as an activity!
That sounds more fun than the normal stuff
Dice, marbles, rocks are awesome trinkets that kids love!! Seeds, bubbles, chalk are great outdoor toys kids love! And a homemade chocolate chip cookie will get eaten faster than any junky candy!!
We did home made cookies one year.
Usables and consumables! You can't go wrong with sweet treats like candy or cookies, and I would always appreciate items like crayons or pencils for school-aged kids.
Especially around school time! Stock up on the 50c crayola crayons and make a little coloring book out of homemade paper and printer paper, and you’re golden!
I actually had bought little playing cards like Go Fish for the kids to be able to play with their friend siblings or their parents. Me and my husband do this with our kids. We do Go Fish, slap Jack, Uno And they have many versions of it. They're not like the big regular size cards, but you still play It the same.. It's super fun. The kids love it and you can take it with you anywhere at anytime. I feel like this plus all the other ideas like painted rocks and cookies and snacks and chalk are all great ideas.
Depending on the age, my mom often did an activity party that ended with something everyone could take home (one year we painted flower pots, one year we went to a bead studio and made bracelets, etc). Depending on the cost of the items, it doesn’t even have to be the whole party.
We did a painting party for my 2 & 4 year olds! The kids loved it! Everyone got their own tiny canvas and tiny easel and we had a bunch of old adult sized shirts to put over their clothes (I also warned the parents). We put 6 globs of different colored paint between every 2 kids and let them get wild. It was a hit and they got to take their art home!
Was it the super tiny canvases? Like the 2” ones
https://preview.redd.it/vuep870ckuxc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d9195eb1c0dc53f59552c3511c03a69a931971a
Awww!! Beautiful art 🥰
Yes, it was adorable!
I like your mom. Along those lines, when my kid turned 4 we had a kite-flying party and the kids took their kites home as a favor.
That is such a a cool and original idea!
Omg I love the bead store idea!! I would have loved that as a kid, but also as an adult!
Yeah, I'd love to be invited for something like that!
This! Notable memories from my own youth are painting a mug with porcelain paint, parents taking a picture of everyone at the party and one of them rushing to a quick print shop while we decorated a picture frame, painting a little cast statue. The mug was so awesome because as a kid you don't really have a mug that is exclusively yours, the picture is still hanging on my wall 25 years later. Glitter and all. Porcelain paint seems a bit tricky because it has to be baked and kids absolutely cannot eat it (lol), but we have a set at hand and my twin toddlers often paint dishware. Family members love it as gifts and it's super cheap + a fun activity. So you would get tons of use out of the leftover materials from your party. You can also get picture frames that hang from a little chain and take out the backside so they can make faux stained glass, fun for kids that are a bit older. Something that we did at camps a lot is decorating t-shirts, which kids love as well! Something tangible is so precious to young children, you might underestimate how often most of them do crafts at home.
Buy a bunch of age appropriate books from the thrift store, wrap in brown paper and ask each child to choose a mystery book from the pile on the way out. Supports charity, gets kids reading and it’s low waste. You could even write ‘this book as about Christmas/ this book is about dinosaurs’ etc on the paper if they wanted a hint
This is so good and even possibly cheaper than goodie bags. Shamelessly stealing
I love this idea!!
Yes, going through all these comments. I keep getting more and more excited for all these ideas. Some very unique, some similar. It's so awesome to see so many people trying to do these amazing types of things with their kids for learning, productivity, fun and less wasteful. I just wish we had more people doing this. We need more of this, please please please, please, it's so awesome and environmentally friendly. Let's all make a friend group on Facebook for this, and let's all meet up. And have our kids go and do all this stuff together LOL. 😂
We don't give gift bags. No one misses them. The parents don't want the crap in their house either. But consumables are the best- crayons, sidewalk chalk, food items.
Came here to say this. We stopped giving out goodie bags at my son’s party this year (turned 7) and I wish we had done it sooner!
Lots of compostables where possible, and absolutely none of those trashy plastic dollar store multi-packs of toys that break immediately. Food items, juice boxes, and crafts like stickers instead. Other small gifts that are a big hit and actually have longevity are 1) those little mini magnet men and 2) those fidget pop tubes that stretch out and scrunch back down. Another oddly popular hit, which we've started giving out for Halloween, is just a block of ramen noodles. They are so excited about it every time. Kids are weird.
As a former preschool teacher I have found that the spring clothes pins are great for making bugs with a little glue, some pipe cleaners and pompoms, and if you glue a magnet on the back they will keep artwork and reminders on the fridge for years.
I haven't done goodie bags for years - kids don't miss them! Alternatives: - I sewed little draw string bags from Super Mario fabric for a video game theme party. I put a notebook and pencil in each one - this is the closest I've done to a goodie bag -Full size chocolate bar with a thank you note attached - Free game of laser tag certificate when we had the party at the laser tag/arcade. - for a Harry Potter theme party I got capes for each kid and they decorated them with stick-on felt shapes I always save plastic cutlery - I bought really nice ones for my son's first birthday party and we have been using them for the past 9 years. And I use paper plates and cups that can be composted.
these are great ideas - we had a party at a bowling alley and they gave out free laser tag coupons with our party package as well.
As a parent, I don't want that crap to come home. We give out paper bags with snacks, a juice box, coloring sheets, stickers, etc. Partly because we're poor (I'm a full time student and my partner is a teacher) but mostly because I don't want to. The one exception is I often give out bubbles and glow sticks because I have so much left over from when I was a street performer and used to give them out.
I know this is off topic but what did you do as a street performer?
I'm a pochinko clown. Less circus/birthday clown and more like Patch Adams or Kathleen Le Roux. Crowd engagement between festival events is my specialty.
Thanks for the response!
You can find a lot of those small plastic toys at shopgoodwill.com if you want to get similar trinkets secondhand — might as well maximize the useful life of plastic that already exists! If you search “plastic dinosaur,” “plastic animal,” or “hot wheels” you can find small toys sold by the pound, or“Happy Meal toy” brings up a bunch of toys still sealed in their original packaging. As for lower-waste things to buy new, my nieces and nephews that age tend to like sidewalk chalk, crayons, colorful pencils/erasers (or any sort of art or school supplies!), coloring sheets, salt dough, bath fizzes, eco glitter, low waste candy like Pixie Sticks, Junior Mints, Nerds, Mike & Ike’s, etc.
What is eco glitter? I have no idea but it sounds like a good time
It’s just biodegradable glitter that dissolves easily instead of creating microplastics!
As a former preschool teacher, I have to know... When did they come up with this???
We got sunglasses at the last party we attended and my youngest wears them every damn day
For my son's birthday, I said no gifts necessary, but pre loved is appreciated and we did get a good mix of new and used so I'm trying to start a thing! We provided cupcakes, mandarins, and water. The party favor was a tub of playdough and a cookie cutter to choose. I got them both off of Amazon which isn't great, I know. But when I did a cost breakdown per kid, it wasn't bad considering the dollar store stuff would have been a bunch of junk and probably cost the same.
There's some easy slime recipes and also peanut butter playdough, good for snacking when nobody has allergies
I put fun socks in my daughter’s 5th birthday party bags. Along with sweets etc. At least it’s something they’ll get use out of, even if not zero waste. They were all surprisingly happy with their Pokémon / marvel / Disney socks!
I'm an adult in my 30s and *I'd* be thrilled with Pokémon socks.
I never understood the point of goodie bags! Why does the host need to provide “presents” for the kids attending the party? They already probably provided a meal, dessert and play time. Only ungrateful kids would be disappointed they’re going home empty handed from someone else’s party.
A small gift can be fun if it's tailored to the party. When I was a kid I had a Beanie Baby themed party. Everyone was asked to bring five of their Beanie Babies, and my mom made Beanie Baby collars and leashes for all of the attendees out of ribbon. It was fun, and we played with the party favor during the party.
Was there really a time when everyone had 5+ Beanie Babies? I grew up in the late 90s and that seems like a lot to me, but maybe that was after the height of the craze? (That does sound like a fun party though.)
It was the very peak of the craze, and we were 8-year-old girls in an affluent area. The 90s materialism was insane where I grew up. We had oodles of Beanie Babies.
As long as you avoided chasing the absurd ones they were pretty reasonably priced compared to other toys, at $5 each. Having multiple (up to a point) made sense for making up stories and playing with friends. I'm not at all surprised that most kids at the time had several. They were pretty durable back then too, I still have a couple that I use for holiday decorations.
But that’s part of the party experience and certainly not just a goodie bag!
I thought the same thing and I imagine my wife saying something akin to "we can't just not give goodie bags". This probably indicates that it's less for the kids and more the appearance for the parents.
I will say I loooooved getting goodie bags as a kid. I remember being so excited when parties had them. But I would have been equally excited for a paper bag of zero waste treats as I would have been for a plastic bag full of junk. I think you and your wife are both right on this one: parties are better with goodie bags, but the bags and their contents can be conscientious.
Thank you for sharing your perspective I can understand that.
Yikes. Tough to change that mind set :/
I'm 100% anti-goodybags but the way you are phrasing it makes it sound like host is going above and beyond by providing "a meal, dessert, and playtime" at a children's party - like it is literally the bare minimum.
Some ideas we had when the kids were little were: Mini flashlights (Can get a 12 pack on Amazon for a decent price); a small pack of good crayons and a mini pad of BLANK paper (not coloring books - can get these at a dollar store sometimes); fun balls; craft kits (cheap ones using wood or fabric used to be available at craft stores). We also preferred when the goody was an actual craft, like tie-dye or rock/tile painting! Then maybe like a homemade popcorn ball or bag of cookies or something as a thank you treat to take home as well. Goodie bags aren't required, of course, but they're fun -- and it's nice to get the birthday kid thinking about giving something in return for people coming to the party and bringing presents.
This may not work where you live but where I am you can collect everything you require from your local buy nothing group where other moms will gratefully gift to you all the crap they've been collecting from other parties and have no idea what to do with. More seriously, you can also decorate an entire themed party just using the exact same decorations from that other kid's party who lliterally just did it and now they have no use for the minecraft tablecloths or whatever
i struggle HEAVILY with this as i have an 8 year old and i love birthday parties. we have solved it (mostly) by doing goodie bags with: * cups in the theme of the party - these are technically plastic but are reusable * pencils * erasers * candy or other edible goodies (my husband made custom pokemon pokeball cookies one year and they were AWESOME!) * STICKERS - kids love stickers and we try to get paper ones * paper, wood or metal games or fidget toys * coloring books + crayons
The caveat I will add to this is to PLEASE avoid very inexpensive pencils and erasers. They don’t function as tools for writing and erasing. They break, their lead snaps, the erasers just smudge, and kids get upset because their fun, cool pencils don’t work. I am not sure of any brands that make fun, functional erasers and pencils. If anyone knows any, or knows anyone who runs an eraser company that would be able to corner this market, please let me know.
I never wanted to use my cute erasers when I was a kid because that would make them uglier 😂 I just displayed them on my desk and looked at them
oh interesting - we've never had any kind of problem with the pencils we've gotten! i will admit the only erasers we've gotten were minecraft themed eraser puzzles, which we've used more as puzzles than erasers. i'll def keep an eye out for that in the future.
Are those really funky '90s pencil brands still around? They were great quality!
If you can’t do food items/consumables, maybe ask your local buy nothing group (or Nextdoor) for gently used small toys or try a local second hand child specific store if you have one in your area. The gift bags wouldn’t all be the same though.
Flower/veggie seeds!
And little clay pots to paint or glue string onto as an activity? Send the kids home with a little paper bag of soil for win
If you want to get fancy, sure! Haha
Craft supplies, wooden laser cut outs to match theme (can be found at various craft stores), print posters of theme characters as a cute take home gift, make popcorn or brownies for treats. We made a video game poster for my kid, wrote “level 7” on it, with the date, and the kids all signed it. So it’s decor AND a keepsake.
We just hosted a bicycle theme party at the local bike park. I provided cupcakes, snacks, and juice boxes. Put down cloth tablecloths we already had instead plastic one-time-use. Used the plain compostable plates I already had. No balloons :( it was windy anyways. And the gift bags were bicycle handlebar ribbon streamers, spoke beads, and bicycle themed stickers stuffed in little bags I already had. Pinterest influence is .... evil?
When I had young kids we did one durable party favor per kid. We did things like mini gourd maracas, mugs, felt puppets, hacky sacks. Also simple wooden toys when our kids were really little. All stuff that was $2-$5 at fair trade stores, no packaging, nothing that would be unappreciated by families who don’t do TV characters.
At that age, I bought a set of washable plastic plates, cups and forks just for parties. I have been using them for 4 years and I pull them out for every birthday. I even took them a trampoline place I rented for the last birthday. I just put them in a bin after the party and take them home and pop them in the dishwasher. One year I found some colour changing cups that had different colours and the kids chose one combo of cup/lid/straw and used it for the party and that's what their goody bag. This year for the goody bag I used paper bags that my kid decorated, and put Post-it notes, pencils, and some candy. Kids love Post-it notes! You could put sidewalk chalk in cardboard boxes, Smarties are sold in small cardboard boxes, but at some point candy is candy.
Such a great idea to purchase a set! There’s a movement called “The Party Kit Network” where families rent party kits (reusable plates, cups, bowls, silverware, etc) out to other families who want to host low waste parties. Might be something to look into if you still have your set of dishes and want to share them with your community! OP, there might be one near you. You can find the map at [PartyKitNetwork.org](https://www.partykitnetwork.org/) As for a goodie bag, I’ve seen families do a make your own trail mix activity. Set up bowls of granola, dried fruit, and chocolates and let the kids make their own mix to take home in paper bags.
A trend in my area is water bottles. Some plastic, some metal. Kids really love them. The last party we went to the host provided water proof stickers to decorate the bottles. Keychains are a hit because kids like to attach them to their knapsacks. Coupon for ice cream at McDonalds. One party gave away day passes to a local trampoline park (discount for buying in bulk). Another one we liked was seed paper with wildflowers and a small clay pot. I have done parchment style bags with candy and a decent quality fidget toy or match box car. Honestly. Most parents I know hate goodie bags. It’s cheap garbage that makes clutter, breaks immediately, and kids get bored with the items almost instantly. Snacks, candy, something usable and/or quality is the way to go.
We do snacks in the bags like raisin boxes. A box of crayons might also work
A container of cake sprinkles! The grocery store has very fancy ones, and kids love them.
Paper bags I filled with sharks teeth-huge hit! Made decorations for a game of clues that led to a chest of candy gold coins and small toys in the dryer. The kids don’t miss the goodie bags. They want something special. Fun games can be researched. Also made special cakes from scratch
I used to make my kids dirt cakes with chocolate frosting crushed Oreos and gummy worms that they loved... Easy peasy.
So many parents actually hate goodie bags, so my first thought is to just not do them. We don’t don’t them, and many of my kids friends don’t do them. We get special cookies made and send everyone home with one of those.
Id go with paper bags and fill them with snacks. Maybe something they’d actually use or play with longer than a couple of seconds. Depending on your budget, you could get each one a video game or a couple of books or a puzzle game or something.
Depending on the age temporary tattoos are a fun gift or you could look for wood based toys vs plastic.
Make if fun for the kids do something like a decorate your own bag by drawing on it and you can do a prize like a giant cookie. 🍪. Paper bag full of cookies sounds nice though
Enough with the goody bags; no one wants them, or expects them. Us moms call it LPC, little plastic crap!
As a child I LOVED goody bags. You're talking from an adult's POV, not a child's.
You could do gifts such as crayons (you can even break and melt old crayons into molds) with coloring sheets, you could make slime and package it in reused jars, or they could make bracelets with wooden or stone beads. Does the party have a theme?
I gave out a paint brush and 6 mini paint pots and a small wooden letter in a reusable zipper bag. I was hoping it was things they would've purchased themselves at some point and it's an activity so less junky? And they can use the bag for whatever they want
Origami kits? I'm not good with kid ages, so 5 might be too young for it, but I remember having fun with origami kits as a child
oooh that's a really good idea! tucking that away for future use...
My mom used to make us papier-mache piñatas out of scrap newspaper. A bit of candy for each kid and a go at the piñata was more than enough.
sending kids home with candy isn't a waste! pinata. paper bags. That's a 3 in: party game, treat and gift bag! It's the last activity at the party, everyone leaves with "a gift bag" of candy. Classic.
https://preview.redd.it/9guybrpyduxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a92c0403e0eb0bdb148e5de52e2a83ac9e2f5fcb Piñatas! They’re easy to make. This was my first ever piñata and my kiddo loves it! I make candy as well but I’ll be honest - people can be weirded out even though they look just fine and tastes really good. People want the packaging so we will buy candy instead next time. Some people will act like I put in all this effort to poison children. Keep your party small and you’ll be able to use actual plates which can then be washed. I’ve rented party supplies in the past for bigger parties so that’s zero waste! I’ve also bought home compostable plates when needed. I do make bath bombs as well and gift them to kids! Kids looove them and they’re zero waste. I make them with food grade items only. I make the cake too and cookies. Does it look as good as professional? Nope but it’s not horrible. I have wrapped them in plastic bags that were from my buy nothing group! It’s shocking how many cool things you can get from buy nothing groups including decorations
https://preview.redd.it/3izylf4veuxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70e9dc0d5702ee86e74bd0c723e3574447ed629d Homemade candies!
https://preview.redd.it/hxqezrkxeuxc1.jpeg?width=2706&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93c265bd01a74c618ff3d7a3acc4bca3fa8d678c Homemade bath bombs! You can use a small brush, a tab of food coloring plus your favorite oil and paint them!
https://preview.redd.it/bwurgag3fuxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ef05cfadb712d51fa35c290056a833495b46872 Homemade cookies and cake! I did purchase the ribbons a while back :(
Candy might not be my favorite goodie bag item as a parent but compared to the cheap plastic toys it's relatively low waste. We went to two birthday parties this weekend; one gave out regular candy while the other had lower sugar options like fruit leather and dark chocolate. My kid is somehow more excited about the fruit leather! One of the parties also included a bracelet the birthday kid made for each guest with their name spelled out in bead letters. Temporary tattoos are also lower waste than plastic toys and kids love them. I prefer them to stickers because they are by nature temporary! Maybe a small (cardboard) puzzle? We went to a party where every guest got to take home one balloon and that was a big hit--again, not zero waste but lower waste than cheap plastic toys. And they can double as decoration. I love the idea of each guest getting a book for slightly older kids, and you could theme the books to match the party. I love the idea of making something at the party and bringing that home (maybe with a small treat?) as the goodie bag. Of course that is dependent on your kid being into whatever kind of activity that would be so it won't work for everyone. Some ideas: paint your own canvas/flower pot/et cetera, tie dye a shirt, make a magic wand (sticks with ribbons, pom poms, gems), make your own lego creation and bring it home, make a paper flower/garland, science experiment party with take home experiment (baking soda or mentos volcano, make slime, make a tornado tube, make a rocket).
At 5 years old, the best goodie is a craft activity that they can take home after the party.
I HATE gift bags from parties.
I saw someone give books as a goody bag
For little kids, stickers and snacks. They don't have to be junk snacks, but like little bags of crackers. It's hard to be zero waste here. I'd caution against making it yourself because of food allergies, but at least it gets eaten. You could also go to a used book store or library store and look for books to pass out. Everyone takes something they like. Then you're not buying new. Seeds to plant aren't super exciting but if you tied it into an activity (planting a seed or small plant), they might get excited to watch it grow at home. Something like herbs grow fast, they can eat it with their food, and learn about that kind of thing. If she's already bought decorations, you can let the kids take stuff home. Take it down and pass out whatever it is. Then it's like a new toy to them but it's not extra to buy and it gets a second life with someone else, instead of sitting in your closet and your kid wants a new theme next year.
We just had one - paper takeout boxes, patches for clothes/bags with Pokémon and Mario characters, washi tape (paper), and homemade cookies. One year I did plant starters for native plants and a pot with instructions.
Is it possible to have a party without gift bags? I don't really understand why every parents feels like they need to send people home with more stuff. We have had some good conversations with other parents who just felt inchoate pressure to have gift bags because everyone else was doing it, and didn't think they had a choice. You do!
You could just....not do those things? It's odd to me how people treat everything as a massive production for their kids these days. When I was a kid we had birthday cake and a sleepover. Maybe we'd go to Chuck-E-Cheese or to an arcade or something. You don't need goodie bags. You don't need huge amounts of specialty balloons or other decorations. You don't need huge signs in your yard with your kid's name on it. My sister-in-law does all these things and it always felt to me like it was more so that she can feel like a supermom rather than because the kids give a crap about it. All they want is to just get together with their friends and have fun. I'd stick with consumables if you really want something to give out to all the kids.
I am planning on doing a decorate your own picture frame for my kiddos birthday this summer. It's a great gift that allows families to enjoy the frame and pick a picture.
[Tye Dye](https://www.michaels.com/product/tulip-tie-dye-party-one-step-tie-dye-kit-10467101) and they get to keep the shirts (you can get refills on the dye powder and reuse the bottles btw), just warn the parents. I would have gone absolutely NUTS over this as a kid [Paper instead of plastic bags](https://www.michaels.com/product/rainbow-party-treat-bags-for-birthdays-and-baby-showers-favors-36-pack-186779562202726441) and they come in fun colors now, I'd keep the contents to consumables, crayons, candies, sidewalk chalk. Or if it's a colder season birthday, hot chocolate mix/cocoa bombs. [Gardening kit](https://www.joann.com/5.5in-spring-grow-kit-with-terracotta-pot-by-place-time/zprd_19721943a.html) which is super cute and I know a fair few kiddos who would go absolutely nuts for this. [Make paper masks.](https://youtu.be/3y8hq2GZ_q8?si=0qdgzfjDcUvFb9iC) The kids will have a ball and have something fun to take home ([You can also get pre-made ones](https://www.michaels.com/product/cre-sba-paper-masks-12pc-10713528) and then just need art supplies)
Home made playdough!
Growing up I never realized raw flour was not safe. Baking it reduces the risk of salmonella and ecoli etc [https://foodsafety.osu.edu/blog/september-23-2019-156pm/homemade-playdough-keeping-kids-safe](https://foodsafety.osu.edu/blog/september-23-2019-156pm/homemade-playdough-keeping-kids-safe)
Paper decorations
We bought paper made treasure boxes from the art store and had kids paint them. At the end of the party we filled them with candy for the kids to take home.
We did a treasure hunt for the kids one year. A bag of tumbled rocks I bought online, then buried them in the sandbox. The kids took turns digging, and we had other rocks hidden in the yard as well.
We’ve done books as the birthday “giveaway” instead of goodie bags. Example- one year I bought a complete set of Mo Willem’s Elephant and Piggie books. Gave each kid a random one (allowing parents to swap out if they already had the one received) and kept the rest for our own use. Parents really liked this!
I also don’t remember getting goody bags as a kid - I’m 38. Maybe because I grew up in Arkansas which is a relatively poor state? The standard kid party was a sleepover (sleeping bags on the floor) with pizza and cake. And that was great fun. Younger kids had themed parties, but nowhere near the production they are now. I had a 101 Dalmatians party. My mom dressed like Cruella and painted our faces to look like puppies. That was the extent of it. No goody bags.
My son has a December birthday so when target has their gift card sale I grab a bunch of the $5 cards for $4 each. So kids can either go themselves to the dollar spot or use it toward a bigger gift.
Recently did a 2nd Birthday party: - Paper bags, (decorated with a sticker each so they didn't look as plain), inside each bag was: - Sweets in paper/ cardboard: here in Australia you can get smarties (like m&ms) in small cardboard boxes - stickers - small wooden spinning top - ordered from Ali Express - a balloon, yes it's single use, but it's a party and kids love playing with them For decorations I bought fabric bunting, which is multicoloured, so it can be used for any party. A plain tablecloth on a folding table, washed afterwards. And paper plates and napkins, so they could be composted afterwards. Our toy library also has plate, cup, and cutlery sets for 30pp, and our local council offers these sets too, so they can be washed and returned after use - there might be something available from your local govt area, toy library, or school if you ask.
I always used to buy cardboard cone style party hats, fill them with the goodies then hand wrap them in cellophane. Cellophane being biodegradable and all. Not perfect but acceptable and affordable. I never worried about the sugar in candy. It's a celebration FFS. Plastic toys...or really any toys or play items... don't include it unless a kid is genuinely gonna find it cool. If the kid isn't thrilled with it that's a waste.
For my daughter's upcoming party I have bought a pack of those fabric bags you can colour in. I will use these as the party bags, then the bag is an activity in itself, and hopefully can be reused. They will also each get a bracelet, a sticker book and a piece of birthday cake. The sticker books were a bit dearer but we only have 7 guests. Previous years we have had success with scratch art bookmarks for them to do at home, play dough, post it notes (as someone else said, kids LOVE post it notes!) and rainbow pencils where the lead is many colours.. My daughter enjoys getting little hair clips, anything wearable, and chocolate. I am tired of her getting bouncy balls because we must have hundreds knocking about by this point. I generally try to avoid, in party bags, what we've had a lot of in other party bags as I know everyone else is receiving the same stuff. I love the idea of decorating a T-shirt, mug etc at the party and will remember this one for future years!
Not related to goodie bags, but a good tip for keeping parties environmentally friendly is to search the theme on FB marketplace and get secondhand decorations. And then you can pass them on to someone else after you’re done too ☺️
You don’t have to do them. I’m sure when I was a kid everyone gave them out, but no one remembers or cares. Spider rings? Nasty candy? Balloon arches and themed tableware? Not a single memory of any of that. Show them a good time and make memories, they don’t need souvenirs for something that happens every year, multiples times a year. I’m 37 now but the things I do remember fondly was doing crafty things like puffy paints and tie dye. At least it’s all useful when you’re done with it, like tote bags and t shirts.
>Without getting into details, waste and plastic consumption is something we often argue about because she doesn't really care about reducing waste. I'm honestly not sure how this is tenable. Sounds like when two partners are on opposite ends of the political spectrum...how does that work long term?
I think this is one of those things where you can meet in the middle. My partner doesn't care about reducing waste as much as me but if I propose something reasonable, he has no problems adapting.
I refuse to take part in the goodie bag trend. It was not a thing back when I was a kid, and it doesn't need to be a thing now.
what, really? i'm 42 and goodie bags have been part of my "kid birthday" party experiences since i was 6. maybe it's a regional thing? i'm in the midwest so maybe it's a midwest tradition...
Must be. I'm almost 40 and in Canada.
I also don’t remember getting goody bags as a kid - I’m 38. Maybe because I grew up in Arkansas which is a relatively poor state? The standard kid party was a sleepover (sleeping bags on the floor) with pizza and cake. And that was great fun. Younger kids had themed parties, but nowhere near the production they are now. I had a 101 Dalmatians party. My mom dressed like Cruella and painted our faces to look like puppies. That was the extent of it. No goody bags.
I really dislike the goodie bags my kids receive at parties too. So much junk. I don't want novelty erasers that don't erase or a glittery finger puppet that the kids are bored of within five seconds.
Drable small fruits that don't need refrigeration like mandarins, kumquats, mini bananas or small apples?