6 Perfect Party Bag Presents
In our last blog, we shared some of the ways that we are helping to save the planet here at Imaginacts. We mentioned the huge waste that can come from the low quality, plastic toys that often go into party bags; many of these items break very quickly, or are played with just once or twice before ending up in the bin. Read on for some perfect party bag presents that will keep your guests and the planet happy!
Seed Packets
Why not give your guests some beautiful flowers to grow at home with seed packets! They’ll be able to plant and watch their flowers grow, and may even attract some wildlife such as bees and butterflies. Sustainable packets are readily available, and can be customised with your child’s name and a message to thank your guests for coming to their party. We love these packets, which are fully recyclable once you have planted your seeds, as they contain no foil or plastic. These are a great addition to a party bag, or even on their own as a party favour (along with a slice of cake, of course!)
Bath Bombs
The biggest waste from party bags are items that children simply won’t use and throw away – how many slinkies, bouncy balls, mini notebooks, pencils and rubbers does one five-year-old need? A great solution is fun but practical items, such as bath bombs! These can be matched to the theme of your party, and are certain to make a splash with your guests! If you have attendees without a bath at home, there are fun shower products which you could substitute, such as shower steamers, or foaming shower gel. We love supporting small businesses, and recommend shopping small or local for these where you can. Our favourites are Bathe Enchanted.
Books
A fantastic alternative to traditional party bags is to send each guest home with a book! Books2Door sell bumper packs of children’s books, helpfully categorised by age group. Why not make a mystery book selection, and wrap each book in a colour according to what it’s about? Yellow for magical and fantasy books, green for dinosaurs… You could even pop a sticker in each one thanking them for coming to your child’s party, as a nice memento!
‘Bake your own’ bottles
A sweet treat and a fun activity! Simply fill jars or bottles with the dry ingredients needed for a favourite recipe – maybe chocolate chip cookies, or pancakes – and add a recipe card. All your guests need to do is add the wet ingredients and bake! These are a particularly great sustainable party bag option if you have lots of empty bottles and jars that could do with a second life. If you’re short on time, these can also be bought rather than made.
Craft Activities
Another fun activity that your guests can do at home! You could provide an activity themed to your party; for instance, a magic wand or superhero mask. These can be easily bought from craft stores, or made, and are usually made from recyclable materials. Each party bag then just needs a handful of fun materials to decorate with; sequins, pom poms, stickers, the possibilities are endless! As they’ll be taking them home, there’s no need for you to provide glue or colouring pens/pencils – and no clean up for you to do either!
Polaroids
This is a lovely way to send your guests home with fun memories of your party! Especially great for slightly older children; you could take a photo of each guest with the birthday child, a character, or even set up a fun photo booth! Older birthday children may want to write a little message to their friends on the photo, or smartphone printers may let you edit the photo to add a message before printing. Guests can take home a great memory of the day, without the wasteful party bag.
There are so many fun options of party bag items, and party favours to send your guests home with that don’t cost the earth. It’s also important to remember that there is no pressure to make a huge bag of gifts for each child – each party is different, and that’s ok! We hope that some of these ideas are helpful, and maybe you’ll use them at your next party!
