Party Bags; To Give or Not To Give

To give or not to give kids party bags, that is indeed the question that hovers in many a parents mind when planning their child’s party. Throwing a birthday party for kids these days is no small feat, in some circles there is much competition and pressure to throw bigger and better events and as a result the cost can spiral. For others the pressure to please their child is self inflicted because lets face it, they are so adorable and we want to make their special day special indeed. But where do you draw the line?

Many of my subscribers have posed this question to me, “where do I draw the line” and in discussing this topic one of the most debatable ‘must have party item’ that comes up is the tradition of giving out kids party bags, also known as a loot bag or goody bag.

My answer is firstly that no-one should feel pressured to provide anything out of obligation to others, and in saying that I am also saying one needs to consider the reason why we traditionally hand out party bags in the first place. By considering this you may find that the gift (as so often said) is in the giving.

As a children’s party expert I take it upon myself to know the origins of many celebratory traditions, but the origins of the party bag remains somewhat elusive, so I will share with you the reasons why I myself always send my little guests home with a special memento of my child’s special day, emphasis on the word ‘memento’.

As already mentioned, the gift is in the giving, and to receive that wonderful sense of delight when you give a gift you must first put some thought into it. A plastic bag full of lollies and plastic junk is I believe the ‘obligatory’ party bag which should be avoided. Of course, if you have no problem with this type of gift bag then give them away to your hearts content. But for those who feel somewhat reluctant to spend money in this way, who feel more lollies is a bad idea or who simply are watching their pennies then the always better alternative is a party memento, something that is a keeper and will serve to remind your little ones guest of the special party they attended.

Here are 3 memento’s I have given out at my own children’s parties:

My daughters’s Disco Party: I burned 10 of her favourite songs onto a disc and made a really cool CD label of her face with a disco background.

My nephew’s Pirate Party: I made paper pirate hats for each guest (not to wear at the party, but to take home afterwards) and during the party took photo’s of each child in their pirate outfit, ducked out the back while my sister was keeping an eye on things and printed them on the computer then pasted to the front of the hat. As each child left my sister plonked their hat on their head at the door.

My daughters Tea Party: We had gone out rummaging around second hand stores and purchased a very cheap tea cup and saucer for each of her guests in which to serve the tea (which was actually hot chocolate, but that’s another story). At the end of the party I washed them up and wrapped them in clear cellophane and a big ribbon and the girls were delighted.

So, next time you’re feeling unsure about whether or not your really have to give out kids party bags, just think how lovely it was of your children’s friends to attend and give them a little something to say thanks for coming that they can treasure…for as long as it stays in one piece.