Love Them Or Hate Them...

In the meantime, just like with Christmas, children are inevitably going to get excited by them.

For a child, what isn’t there to love about them? They get the goodies. And we aren’t talking about the sort of things most of us used to get as kids: a piece of cake – and if we were really lucky a piece of cake and a soggy paper party blower.

A survey by Tesco last year revealed that the ‘average’ spend on a child’s party bag is now £7.48! No wonder they get excited.

Don’t panic though. Some basic guidelines on putting them together can ease the process:

- Dont be intimidated (by the bags or the kids!).

- Set your budget. It’s all down to how much you’re spending on the party. If you’re completely mad and doing it all yourself (I did last year: - never again!) with a total budget of £150 then you aren’t going to be spending more than a couple of pounds a bag. If you have an entertainer and/or caterers then your budget will grow accordingly.

- Any money you do spend should be spent thoughtfully. If you’re having a themed party, try and ensure the contents reflect the theme: this continues the party experience for the child when they get home

- Try and avoid ‘disposables’. Our kids are thankfully more environmentally aware than we ever were – and to be honest why waste money (and send the wrong messages) on things that will go straight in the bin when the kids get home?

- Avoid the plastic bags. Fabric bags are great as they provide a lasting reminder of your child’s party and are great for storing small toys.

- Getting your child involved in the process is a great way of building up to their big day. Ask your child for suggestions and make use of their imagination. Why be confined to traditional party bag ware? You can also use this opportunity to manage their expectations!

- If there’s a chance of what I call ‘subversive education’ – a product that is fun but also has educational merit than leap at it. Party bags are one occasion when you have a child’s attention, so why waste it?

- Try and tailor the bags to accommodate boys, girls and their various ages (and don’t forget the babies).

- It’s up to you whether you opt to include sweets – but if you do try to avoid E numbers for the very obvious reason.

- Finally, if it’s all too much, sit back with a good glass of wine and use the professionals. It can work out cheaper as well as saving you the time, energy and stress levels!

Good luck!

By Sarah Tranter, founder of new party and gift bag company BumbleBags.co.uk. Pre-filled ethically made reusable fabric bags range from £4.50 to approx £20 and cover classic birthday party themes such as pirate and mermaid, princess and knight, football, ballerina, first birthday and more.

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