One of my favourite parts of parenting, is planning parties. I love a theme, I love a Pinterest board, I love a bit of crafting. The run up to a party is so exciting to me, however, I won’t lie; the actual party itself stresses me out somewhat.
I’m an anxious gal, who comes across very awkward and I constantly feel like everyone is having a bad time. But my own stresses aside, one thing I have spent many hours researching, is a good party bag. I know, I know, children love a bag of plastic tat – mine certainly do. But as someone trying to be a little more eco-conscious and creative, I’m always on the hunt for some more fun options, without the guilt. So here are some of my favourites.
Paint your own…
We’ve put one of these in every party bag for the boys and I’m such a big fan. They’re really affordable and can be personalised to the child or the party theme, but they’re a great activity.
We’ve had the Grufflo for Indie’s 3rd birthday, and Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach for Ruben’s 5th birthday. These Bluey ones are perfect too!
I love that it comes with the right colour paints for the characters so you’re not trying to do Princess Peach in primary colours!
If you don’t have a specific theme, you could use these paint your own initials ones, personalised for each child.
For a slightly less messy craft, these make your own initials keyring are a great option At my son’s school, keyring are a big thing. They love to put them on their book bags and we’ve had a few really cute ones from party bags that the kids have loved showing off. I absolutely love crafts and personalised things (as someone with a name that was never found in gift shops!), so this is something I’d have loved!
Another fun keyring, especially for a Lego themed party, is this 3D printed Lego letter. It comes in so many different colours and connects to actual Lego bricks too which would be fun! (For a lego themed party bag, you could also include these)
Bamboo Flyers
These bamboo flyers are such a simple idea but they look like they’d be so much fun! Bamboo is a pretty eco-friendly material so it’s perfect for a plastic-free party bag.
These little wish bracelets are a lovely option too. Again, cheap and personalisable but something practical that the children can use.
These decorate-your-own superhero mask would be really fun for a goodybag, or even a craft/activity at a superhero party.
We’ve been to parties where the parents have let each child choose a book and that’s been a real crowd pleaser! The Works has a 10 for £10 offer which is a great deal, and means that the children go home with something that can be loved for years to come.