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JDaniel4s Mom

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23 Moms Share B-Day Treat Bag Ideas

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JDaniel’s birthday party is on Saturday and I really want to put together really fun treat bags that the kids will love and that won’t cause parents to groan when they see its contents.  JDaniel has been a wide variety of things as a guest at his friend’s birthday parties. I had some thought of my own, but I decided to ask the mom bloggers on the Kid Bloggers Network what the like and don’t like to find in treat bags.
Many shared their thoughts on treat bags and several shared great party guest gifts they have given.

Here is what they shared-
 
Jenny from The Good Long Road shared:
My mom made reusable treat bags from Winnie the Pooh fabric we had for our Pooh-themed 2nd party for one of the boys, and we put teddy grams in them. We had also thought about adding gummy bears, but there were little ones coming and we thought teddy grams were better.
Cari from Time for Play shared: 
We like to give a book that goes along with our birthday theme, I get them through Scholastic. The worst thing is whistles or anything noisy. They are terrible for the drive home after the party. Those usually disappear when we get home. I went to one party where they put air horns in the gift bags!! Ugh! That’s just mean!!

Erin from The Usual Mayhem shared: 
For younger kids, I always include a tub of Play-Doh. It is inexpensive and always a hit.
Deborah from Teach Preschool shared:

CD’sThe worst is an apple or banana slice! ( I can’t imagine giving banana slices. They would be a mess.) Sensory or messy materials like Play Dough, finger paint, tattoos, and makeup can be messy too.

Laura  from Come Together Kids shared:
One year I burCDswith my son’s favorite songs. I made little labels and covers to put on them.

Ticia from Adventures in Mommydom shared:
 
I always like to give something slightly bigger to go with the party, rather than lots of little things. For a pirate party a few years ago we did a bandana, pirate patch, and foam swords. All told we spend $2 per kid.
 
 
Erica of What We Do All Day shared:
 
The worst is tiny plastic toys. I love the idea of giving a book as a party favor instead of a bag filled with lots of different items.
 
Oh, and once my 3-year-old got a homemade superhero cape as a birthday treat! All the kids got capes with their initials on them. It was awesome. That mom was waaaaaaay more ambitious than I am.
 
 
Jill of Blessed Beyond a Doubt shared: 
 
A gift certificate to an ice cream place or someplace kids like to eat. They can get an ice cream or something little with it.
 
Chelsey of Buggy and Buddy shared:
 
My daughter was just at a party and her ‘goodie bag’ was actually something the mom and daughter made for all the kids. It was a silk scarf wand and a homemade little bag.
Cathy of the Nurture Store shared: 
 
We like to keep birthday treat bags simple and make something at the party for the kids to take home with them. At our ‘baking’ party the kids took home the cookies they had decorated.
 
Becky shared: 
 
I really hate cheap plastic trinkets so, I went to a clearance section at a bookstore and bought 25 different books. Each for about a dollar. We set up a library on a table outside and as the kids left they could pick out a book to take home. My parents repeatedly told me it was the best party favor ever. (Crystal  of True Aim and I both think this is a wonderful idea!)
 
Christine of Scribble, Doodle, and Draw shared: 
I have to agree with others above books are great, baking, stickers, play dough, and bubbles, but the worst is the plastic toys. As well we have gotten into problems with having boy-girl twins because my son would get cars and stuff which of course my daughter wants and she would get candy and makeup which then he would want. So if possible gender neutral toys that are the same would probably be appreciated especially in families that have siblings attending.

Jamie of Frogs, Snails & Puppy Dog Tails shared: 
 
We made homemade soap for my son’s first bday last yr and homemade lip gloss. I put them out in a try and had decorated paper bags next to it with a sign to make a goodie bag to go. For my older son, we did Oreo pops one year and homemade cookies and soap another because it was such a hit at a little brother’s party.
 
 
Sujua of Blog Me Mom shared:
If you don’t want to go the homemade favors route and are not a big fan of plastic trinkets there are always these wonderful “create your own kits” which are always on clearance at the craft store and at Target Create your own owl, squirrel, hedgehog, etc..There is always a kit like that that would work as a favor.

 
Monko of Taming the Goblin shared: 
We hired a place for the goblins’ third birthday and they provided the bags and they included plastic whistles. Needless to say, nearly every mum sent me a smackdown email for their horrendous trips home with their kids tooting the whistles the whole way. Oops!

The best part bag we have had wanted was a bag, it was just one thing, a sticker book. All you needed. It was great!
 
 
Anna of the Imagination Tree shared:
 
I usually make homemade play dough in a jar with a cutter. I’ve also sent home a plant pot which the kids had painted at the party and planted seeds inside, sticker books, picture books, etc. I hate small plastic treasures with a vengeance!
 
 
Kat of Creative Playhouse shared:
 
I think homemade playdough, pots of glitter and tubes of glitter glue, notebooks and pens, stamps and mini ink pads, and books are great.
 
 
Kristen of  Busy Kids= Happy Mom shared: 
I love it when birthday party activities become part of the goody bag. We made rocket “jet packs” and those went home with the boys. We usually try to give 1 good thing- like a Lego mini figure instead if a bunch of small stuff. I also think that consumables are great (candy, school supplies, etc). That stuff doesn’t linger around for too long.

Gina of East Coast Mommy shared: 
I have a collection of 30 ideas here for treat bags in this post. 


Cerys of Rainy Day Mum shared: 

I put in craft kits themed on the party theme with a combination of stickers, paints, cardstock, glitter, etc…
 
 
Mari  of Inspired by Family Magazine shared:
We love goody bags! If you’re making paper treat bags don’t stick a cookie, yummy bread, or cupcake in it without a place in it in a baggie or wax paper otherwise the butter/grease will seep and it doesn’t look too cute with a huge butter stain on it.

 
Jacquie of KC Adventures
 
We’ve included practical but fun things such as fun hair accessories, school supplies that fit our party theme, and shoelaces. Both of my kids also have enjoyed including small science or magic kits and mini notebooks with mini crayons.
 
I will be sharing the treat bag I created for JDaniel’s birthday party next Tuesday in a post on his birthday party. 
Disclaimer- Not all bloggers that responded left their blog names. If I was given their blog name, I linked their comment back to their blog.

 
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What do you like or dislike finding in birthday party treat bags?



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Comments

  2. Great ideas! My sister downloaded an photobooth app for her wedding and I’ve taken to using that.. having each child take a photo with my birthday child and then sending it home with a small item of candy attached.

  5. The one I forgot to share when you were asking about this. One year we did a carnival theme, and they decorated canvas bags, and as they played games they “won” chocolate and plastic coins, and that was a wildly popular treat bag.

  8. These are great ideas! For my daughter I usually make fashionable flower hair clips. Since i have all the supplies in stock, I just take the 10 minutes to make enough for each girl. But not everyone can do that, and if you don’t already have the supplies on hand, it can get pricey.

    For my boys, I usually have a game/craft we do at the party and that goes into their party bag. I also have little treats in the party bags, and a little toy that go along with the theme of the party. So one year it was Star Wars, so the kids got A Star wars blow up lightsaber. It was a hit with all the boys.

  10. Thanks for including us. This is a great list. I think books are great too. My favorite book tie-in for a party was actually what my friend put together for my baby shower – she asked that everyone bring a children’s book with a written note in it for the baby instead of a card. A treasure those books. It was such a brilliant idea!

  11. This post goes hand and hand with a post that will be live on http://www.be-quoted.com in the next hour. Please check it out. We’re doing a giveaway from a company that provides personalized party favors and the like. I myself am gearing up for my daughters 3rd birthday. I’m super grateful for this list. I’ll need it! Andrea…Visiting from SITS.

  13. I love the book idea! I think it would be really great to give out a book based on the theme of the party. I like to give little gifts to the guests as it is usually younger kids so it makes everybody special!

  14. Love the ideas. We gave away seedlings last year for the bday party. Everyone raved about it. They loved the idea of teaching kids to care about the plants and grow them. These were indoor plants, so they could keep them right in their room 🙂
    -Reshama
    http://www.stackingbooks.com

  17. i agree with your readers, I hate the plastic toys, they are cheap and a waste of money. Things like bubbles, crayons, coloring books, pencils, etc. are what I like!

  18. These are great ideas! I love the idea of finding books on clearance. They are something that could be treasured one day.

    Tesa @ 2 Wired 2 Tired

  20. Great post! I’m surprised that nobody mentioned candy. I cannot stand getting sent home with a bag of candy, especially after my kids ate cake. We don’t throw many birthday parties, but one time when we did we sent each kid home with a balloon tied to a container of bubbles. It was simple, inexpensive, and fun. 🙂

  21. Great tips! It’s always super great to get different feedback and perspective on this, I try to find activities or games that are appropriate to their age, and we like to find a book that fits into the themes as well!

    Happy Thursday! or is it Happy Belated Wordless Wednesday?

    Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly

  27. Thanks for the great list! I just pinned it! Treat bags were not a big thing when I was growing up, but now kids feel ripped off if they don’t get one at a party which is kinda sad. I wish more kids could enjoy it as a treat and not an expectation.

  28. My daughters first birthday was a rainbow theme so everyone went home with a handmade fan and a little slinky. Her second birthday was outside at a park so all the little kids got a pair of cheap sunnies. They loved it.

  29. I love the book idea! My boys birthdays are coming up in June. I am planning a paw patrol theme party. Instead of goody bags, I am going to have a basket with little stuffed/beany puppies in it. With a sign that says “adopt a pup”. I pretty much am looking forward to their party just to utilize this idea! Ha! Last year we did jake and the Pirates. I had bandanas, eye patches, “maps” for each kid. They followed me around our back yard to find treasure. Which was 3 buckets of sand that had necklaces, gold coins, pencils and bouncy balls. 🙂 kids each had buckets and shovels too.

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