Ask the Readers: How do I make frugal party treat bags?
Cathy wrote in with this question:
I am looking for some more frugal ideas for treat bags for Christmas/Valentine/Halloween parties. With multiple kids in elementary school, making treat bags can be expensive. (60 treat bags this year for us)
I also face the challenge of accommodating allergies, keeping it healthy and not wanting to waste money on junky party favor type gifts. Pinterest has some good ideas but I was hoping you and your readers had some more ideas for me.
Well.
I haven't run into a bunch of treat bag situations myself, largely because we homeschool.
(And the parties we have at dance and Kung Fu haven't been the type that require treat bags.)
So, I am extremely not equipped to answer this question.
Which means that I'm turning to you all for help! I'm positive there are a bunch of you out there who have mastered this part of parent life, and I'd love for you to share your ideas in the comments.
Help Cathy out!
One item you can add...almost for free...is an age-appropriate joke or little story or fun fact. Simply type them up on your computer, copy and paste a bunch of times to get it to repeat sixty times, print it out, and cut the paper so that you have sixty little slips with the fun fact or story on them. For other items, what about buying fun versions of things the kids can use in school in bulk and dividing them up among the gift bags? A couple of brightly colored pencils and erasers might be fun additions....or stickers.
Yes, I've dealt with the treat bag dilemma for several years now. It's not my favorite thing. 🙂 I have found it's best to just put a small amount of an age appropriate consumable in the bag because I sure don't want more cluttery junk being brought into my house. So I prefer to keep treat bags simple and consumable.
It's too late now, but for next year... (note: our school doesn't allow any food items in treat bags)
I buy low priced school supplies when they are on sale and save them for school treat bags. For example, in August, Staples was selling a box of a dozen pencils for 25 cents. I bought the maximum allowed and went back the next day and got more. I also got colorful erasers for a low price, sticky notes, clear tape, etc.
Also, there are very cheap holiday stickers available on Amazon. For example, these are 1000 stickers for $6: https://www.amazon.com/Fun-Express-Holiday-Scrapbooking-Assortment/dp/B003KEIV90/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517400288&sr=8-3&keywords=holiday+stickers+on+a+roll
I think nice fresh school supplies and some stickers makes a perfectly fine bag.
These are great ideas!
A little contrarian here, but I don’t understand the treat bags arms race. My kid does not need 20+ bags of candy and things from the oriental trading company. Whatever happened to just getting a box of cheap valentines, breaking them apart, and signing them? I promise you, I do not think at all badly of the parents whose kids go the traditional route.
The least annoying extras are pencils and erasers. You can get boxes of valentines that already come with erasers, stickers, and fake tattoos if a plain valentine isn’t enough.
Pencils are great! Consumable, useful, and inexpensive.
But so many people give out pencils that is becomes a little insane. Seriously, our boys' school hands out pencils for everything...and they are usually the cheap ones with some fancy plastic wrapping that make them look cool, but always break after sharpening.
Same! I love the intention behind it, but dread the sack of bags of crap and sugar that comes home several times a year.
Make baggies of popcorn for the treat bags! Good for allergies and super frugal.
A heads up, kids with dental work - aka spacers, retainers or braces cannot have popcorn. My ten year old currently a spacer and she misses popcorn....
So, this might not be what you're looking for, but we don't do them anymore!!! Whenever we receive one, I end up throwing out 90% of what's in there in addition to the bag itself. Valentine's Day = just make Valentine's. Birthday party = we're already hosting and contributing food and -- hopefully -- fun, plus we always tell people not to bring gifts (so I don't think people really miss out on getting a bag full of junk).
Another idea for when you're having kids over is to do an activity -- everybody decorates something and can bring it home, like a Halloween mask or Valentine's Day cookie.
That's just my two cents! 🙂
I love the idea of having kids create something while at the party and taking it home. How fun!
My daughter had kids paint rocks at grandson's birthday. The kids loved it. They did that early in the party so the projects were dry in time to take home.
This is my first time hearing about treat bags for school.
I know the kids might not like it. But maybe a bag of baby carrots and an apple per treat bag will do?
I'm sure I wouldn't be happy if my kid brought home a bag full of sugary stuff and thinks he should finish it all.
Me too! As a retired teacher, I do not see the point of treat bags at school. I agree with keeping it simple. Kids do not need all these treats. When my daughter was growing up, most parents stopped giving out goodie bags at birthday parties after a few years.
So.... maybe I'm a mean mommy, but we do not send treat bags to school. As a point of principle. Is it possible for you to consider not sending anything in? I know that in different schools there are different amounts of pressure, so you have to find a solution you can be ok with.
If my kids really want to take something in, we help (depending on their age) them to make some cards that say `Happy whatever holiday` and call it a day. If they can cook unsupervised (8 and up), we let them bake if they want and share them at school, but we don't get involved.
I guess I got tired of the pressure on the parents (because it was me doing those bags), the added waste. Many of the things we receive end up unused or in the garbage (the crayons break and cannot be used, for example) and we end with lots of little plastic bags that I don,t know how to use again, or a sticker has been stuck and that is that.
We do talk about waste and mindfulness and they've accepted and have now integrated this view.
How about leading the movement to end treat bags? I went my entire childhood without getting one. I have no idea where this new-ish fad came from, but it's wasteful and most parents seem to hate it. So, let's just stop the madness. Everyone is busy enough these days without making treat bags for kids who don't need anything. And even if you avoid plastic junk, you're still wasting a plastic bag.
Absolutely agree! Let's be the pioneers in this! I cringe at the cellophane in the landfills, the piles of junk that even the kids don't care about, the smooshed questionable baked goods, meaningless stickers stuck on things where they shouldn't be...
A Valentine is lovely. A craft that kids participate in is OK. Let's lose the rest, and most of all, the expectation that we need or want these. I HATE the "favors" that wedding couples, showers, etc. feel they have to give out...
I second this! Treat bags are ridiculous. It's too much to ask of people to do this whether it's food or stuff, so why not just have a meeting with the teacher and do away with it? I'm sure the kids will survive.
Can I "third" this? Treat bags seem so wasteful! The old fashioned box of Valentine's where one buys a box of paper cards and gives one to each child in class was fun. Ten they can go in the recycling bin a week later, or when the child no longer wants them. If that is no longer perceived as enough, maybe you can tape a box of candy, such as a small cardboard box of sweethearts, to each card.
My children attend daycare/preschool, so I haven’t dealt with this yet, but I guess I question the necessity of treat bags.
I know birthday parties often have a party favor; at my son’s third birthday, which was two days before Easter, we did an egg hunt as the main activity and the kids took eggs home. At another party we attended, children of many ages were excited to choose stickers to take home, but it wasn’t a whole bag.
I do understand that peer and social pressure play a role in choices to do this sort of thing. If choosing not to make the bags isn’t an option, I really like the idea above about school supplies.
Definitely check Dollar Tree for the treat bags but if you check after holidays, the treat bags are always on deep clearance. Although my girls are grown, I've bought them for gift or cookie bags. Pinterest has some really cute, cheap ideas for treats. A friend popped popcorn, put it in a clear bag, added two googly eyes and a black bow tying it shut for Halloween. Rice krispie treats are easy and you could sprinkle colored red sugar on top for both Valentine's Day and Christmas. If you have access to a printer, you could print 2 seasonal coloring pages per sheet or a word search or game. Oatmeal mixed with glitter make reindeer food to show Santa how to find your house for Christmas. Look on pinterest for the poem that goes with it. The small containers of bubbles for weddings would also make a cute Valentine's day treat. Hope these help!
Another vote here for opting out. Handmade or store-bought Valentine cards are what we send in. Doing treat bags when you have multiple classes becomes a burden quickly!
I have one child in Kindergarten and one in preschool and we get those annoying little bags ALL THE TIME. Like many of the parents, I too may seem mean, but I also do not need all of those little "thingies" in my house, so they get thrown away. In the past, I have purchased a coupon book from a local pretzel place (for $5) that gives you 20 coupons for a free pretzel. This has been handed out with a valentine or halloween pencil. I do stock up on holiday themed pencils after the holiday to give out. Kids and classrooms always need pencils. Thanks for the reminder: I need to check with the pretzel shop to see if they are selling them this year.
I don't do treat bags. The kids don't appreciate them because the holiday itself is so exciting. Then I wind up throwing away the whole lot a few weeks later.
I do buy Valentine's pencils for Valentine's Day (10 for $10) and the kids include those with their valentines.
Also, schools are different, but most of the moms I have encountered really enjoy making a treat bag, which is why they do it. I don't think they are looking to see who else did one.
I never had to do treat bags for my kids, so I don't have a lot of ideas either, but I also wonder if the treat bags could be avoided somehow? My kids gave out the little cheap Valentine cards, or sometimes I made a batch of heart shaped cookies and we wrapped them in plastic wrap, one cookie per child, but that was as far as it went. I remember, though, that birthday party favor bags were really going over the top back then -- my kids were coming home with tons of stuff from each party they attended, and it was getting ridiculous. I went against the tide and refused to make them. At a water themed birthday party we had, the guest kids got to keep the cheap water pistols they had played with, at a scavenger hunt party they got to keep the candy they found, and at a hay ride party, they got no favors at all, but all of them said it was one of the best parties they had ever been to, so I don't think they missed them. The ideas of new school supplies, coloring pages, or maybe balloons, sound good to me, if a treat bag has to happen. I'm not there to see how much pressure one is under to provide the bags -- I know it can get almost mandated by the school, so do what you have to and good luck!
Right now you might be able to find Christmas Hershey's kisses at deep clearance prices. I bought some at Safeway and I'm using the Kisses wrapped in red and silver foil for Valentine's Day and I'll use the Kisses wrapped in green foil for St. Patrick's Day.
Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it. Be eco-conscious and say no to all that stuff made in China.
See if you can find packs of themed pencils! After each holiday, stock up. I recall them being very fun to receive. I really think it's fine to give a cute card and a clementine. Or a novelty eraser or pencil topper, if you happen to find them cheaply. You could also give stickers.
My mom used to help us make these little airplanes for class treats. It was some work, but 30 years later it's still a happy mother-daughter memory. https://goo.gl/images/DccAjZ
That airplane is so cute!
Personally, I like favors that have a craft or activity for the kids, or some healthier snack. For instance, how about a plain paper mask with some stickers and feathers that the kids can decorate themselves?
Regarding little trinkets, since I hate throwing anything away, I bought a cardboard box from Ikea with small compartments and a lid. Every time we get a trinket or prize from a party, I put it in one of these compartments. On snow days or sick days, the kids have a fun time discovering this little "treasure box" and finding the little toys they forgot about. There are things like rings, necklaces, little spiders from Halloween, snow globe from Christmas, whistles, balls, figurines or toy soldiers, tattoos and stamps, dice, etc.
The treasure box idea is a good one. All these mass produced little pieces of junk drive me batty when I find them around the house!
One party I took my son to asked for no presents and for everyone to bring a gently used book. At the end of the party all of the kids got to look through the books and take a new one home. We also liked the parties where one of the activities is a craft they can take home.
The book party is a great idea! It could also be done with toys.
I've noticed the treat bags/must add a treat to everything increasing as our boys get older. To me, I think it teaches kids to EXPECT something for every little thing. I think it takes the focus off of the experience and on to stuff. I'm a pretty staunch minimalist, so I'm trying hard to teach our boys about having fun versus focusing on what they are receiving. It's made a million times harder when they keep getting trinkets and treats en masse. I really wish more parents would consider what this whole treat at every corner is teaching their kiddos!
We are doing popcorn drizzled with white chocolate and red/pink/heart shaped sprinkles on top! Put them in a little bag with a homemade heart tag that says, "you make my heart POP". Popcorn is nice and cheap and can go a long way!
As a parent I'm really annoyed with treat bags from school. They're usually junk toys or pencils that just get thrown out. We've handed out Little Debbie snack cakes, that proves to be the least expensive store bought option (only store bought food for class parties). Oatmeal Cream Pies or anything that is single packed is my go-to. I've also added a packet or two of Swiss Miss, it all seems to go over well with the students.
Donate the pencil back to the teacher - they will always have a child who needs one...
We always use those pencils that the school gives or that is sent home in a treat bag. A lot of that stuff does get thrown away though. I usually just take three small suckers and tie them together with a holiday themed curly ribbon to give each child. I don't like cellophane or bags. Small bits of curly ribbon seem like much less waste.
I have never done treatbags, but usually buy valentines with an “extra” of some sort attached. For my son, he’s done valentines with pencils for both Kindergarten and First grade and we always ended up with so many leftovers I can’t deal with buying anymore pencils this year. This year, we are just doing these mini-boxes of Starburst jellybeans where you can write right on the box. My son has lots of food allergies, so we usually throw out most of the candy either because it’s chocolate or it has no way for me to look up the ingredients, so I figure this way he’ll at least have something he can eat. My daughter is in preschool, so I wanted to avoid sending candy and she picked out Valentines with stickers instead.
My youngest is in middle school this year so we have just dodged the treat bag bullet! However, I'm a little confused. Unless it's for a birthday, why are you sending in gift bags for each holiday? Our school would do a party ... the teacher, perhaps, would give a gift bag, but for the rest of the kids, there would be a gift exchange between two kids with a price limit (usually $5) and each kid would be assigned a food item to bring in, and that would be it. Valentines with maybe a temporary tattoo or pencil or something, but not a gift bag from one kid for all the other kids in the room. That would be an overwhelming amount of junk for each kid to haul home. I must be missing something. 😛
My above comment being said, cheap dollar store lip balm or hair doodads for the girls is another option. For party favors at my kid's b-day parties, we have purchased cheap t-shirts from the dollar store (usually available in August), and had them use fabric markers to sign each other's shirts. Huge hit! At my daughter's b-day party this past fall, we did crafts -- 1) decorated mini-pillows which she and I cut out from drop cloth fabric with pinking shears, sewed up and stuffed prior to the party--then the girls put sticky-backed felt letters and flowers on the pillows which I hot glued on to make them more permanent and 2) used washi tape to decorate a cardboard initial and an inexpensive dollar store small frame. The projects turned out well even by the non-crafty girls, were inexpensive, unique, and it kept them happily busy during the party. Win-win.
After raising four kiddoes and serving as home room mom for several years i found this: Keep it Simple, Sweetie. KISS it! For home room parties it was "something salty, something sweet, something healthy, and something to drink". You could also apply that to a goodie bag and the child would actually find it fun AND use it up. We often did pretzels or popcorn, a fun size candy bar or gummy snacks, an apple or orange, and a Capri Sun or bottled water. For birthday parties I LOVED buying those tiny play doh containers, stickers, fun pencils for school, hot wheels, and mini craft kits. Dollar Tree, Mac Frugal's, and Target were my haunts. I miss those days!
For a birthday party you host for your child, a craft you make and take is a great idea. We've also done a pinata and whatever you grab you get (this gets into the sugary treat thing, though). For a class party we get store made cards and look for something useful from the dollar section to attach (erasers, pencils, glow sticks). Dollar Tree has inexpensive bubbles (the size you get at weddings), and all the glow stick/bracelet/wands you could ever imagine wanting. My daughter's class is really into memes these days, so we might look for a couple that would make fun Valentines, print a bunch, and tape something useful and fun to the back. Good Luck!
Seems like a lot of parents would prefer not to have their kids bring home another item they don't really need. Instead of giving treat bags why not ask kids to bring something that can be donated to a local homeless or animal shelter?
Great idea! Have to get the teachers on board, but the main thing is to try to change the kids' way of thinking!
The 2 non-food treats that were the biggest hit with my kids: DIY Valentine madlibs that we printed 2 per page and then rolled up like a scroll and tied with a red ribbon with a little gift tag attached and a CD with pop songs about love that were vetted for clean lyrics. Think mix tape from back in the day. I don't know that the CD is a great idea anymore given the change to streaming music. For party goody bags, I've done a few sparkly gel pens and a variety of candy.
Oooo, I might suggest the mad libs to my 2nd grader this year. Thanks!
Glow sticks from the dollar store are cheap, consumable and also good for homemade Valentines: You make my heart GLOW! Hope your day GLOWS a little brighter Valentine!
But glow sticks are NOT consumable. It’s a couple hours of fun for something that will sit in the landfill for thousands of years.
We did Mad Libs for a few years when the kids were in second and third grade. We also did homemade Valentine's Day cards, in which the base was an index card and I used my languishing scrap book supplies for decorations. My daughter was even interested in learning a little calligraphy from me to write things nicely on them. I flatly refused to go buy yucky candy, plastic toys, or anything like that.
Haven't read all the suggestions, so these may be duplicates. BUT, here's what I've got:
1) for Christmas my daughter received a soap-making kit from a relative. She was dying to use it, so we did, and she made dozens of soaps, which are now becoming class valentine's gifts for her classmates (no food allowed, and soap is a good little consumable).
2) Slime is a big craze here. For her birthday celebration in school, we may make slime & put in little (reused) containers for each kid in the class.
3) For her birthday party at home, we did crafts. Rather than having a separate goody bag, the crafts that were the activity doubled as the take-home for kids, thereby doing double-duty. We did tie-dye t-shirts and craft frames that each girl painted. I took photos of the girls in dressup we already had, and then printed them out & put them in the frames.
I liked giving Dover children's books for a doller or two each. You can find them on Amazon. This is instead of giving a treat bag.
We do the cheap-o valentines with temporary tattoos in them now, but when treat bags are more important we've done DIY melted crayons with glitter in them. I bought a heart shaped silicone baking sheet and we went through the kids' crayon tub and picked out all the broken nubs. It was fun to do AND inexpensive.
For our last birthday party, we made popsicle-stick ornaments with pictures of each kid on them.
Kids like stickers and temporary tattoos, and I don't think it's a bad thing to have minimal treats in the bag. I'm always grateful to the parents who don't do a lot for those things.
Good luck!
I don't do treat bags (call me a rebel) but it sounds like a lot of people are throwing the stuff away. Why not dump that stuff into a container and recycle it by putting it back into a treat bag if you really need/want to send one out. For my kids birthdays we make cookies and hand those out as the goody bag. I remember when I was a kid and only the birthday boy/girl got a gift. Pinterest is the demon of this trend. Some of those themed parties are so over the top. I wish I had that much spare time in my life.
At Christmas this year, my daughter's K class did "stocking stuffing" and were asked to each bring in 20 things to stick in stockings. I had big plans to get Frozen-themed travel-kleenex (it has been a very nose-runny year), but my daughter insisted on going through her stuff and getting 20 different oriental trading company and similar things from former pinata parties and treat bags and used those instead.
We literally could not tell that she had taken 20 things from her stash.
I'm a bit confused. Is the questioner running the party at school, such as in cooperation with a few other parents to take stress off the teacher? Or is the question about what to send in from home with the child to give one item/bag/card to each classmate?
I would wish for some guidance from the teacher or school about what to send in, though probably at the beginning of the school year. I can't think the teachers support lots of sugar, wrappers, or cheap toys or pencils. Nor should it be a subtle economic issue among families.
That aside, some neat suggestions here! I like the mad-libs or word games ideas. Websites exist to make and print your own word searches, so they could be designed with the name of the school, teacher, holiday, etc.
Daughter has a class of 32. Do the math and figure the cost of putting together a treat bag for each kiddo...yikes. My solution? At our town swimming pool you can rent the pool for a hour and a half for 40 dollars...they play music and have beach balls and all kinds of other water toys as well as slides and a rope swing.
Did this for years (invite was on each cheapo valentines card) and all the kids loved it. Daughter is in high school now so class parties are few and far between but it made for a lot of fun times.
You must live somewhere where it's warm during the school year! Or maybe it's an indoor pool?
Oh how I wish I was somewhere warm right now 25 out this morning...brrrr. Anyway, its a huge (Olympic sized with a separate deep end) indoor pool. Makes it nice in the winter when you've got a group of restless kids and its to nasty outside to burn off energy.
I don't do treat bags, but if I do feel the need to provide a small gift, I try to make it something like a Little Debbie snack cake that is holiday related--like the holiday trees for Christmas, a heart shape for Valentine's, etc. For Halloween, I usually go to Wendy's and get their coupons for free Jr Frosty's. They come in a pack of 5 for $1.00. I give each child 1 coupon. An added bonus is that all the funds support adoption for children in foster care, a cause near to my heart!
Also, keep in mind, that many schools do not allow home-made snacks (mine doesn't). It must be store-bought and individually wrapped.
This does not speak directly to ideas for treat bags, but more to options other than treat bags.
By the time my son was in 4th grade, we room moms were tired of planning activities/crafts for class parties, and the kids weren’t really into Valentines anymore.
Instead, we planned care packages for our local police station and fire department. If families wanted to participate, they could sent in fruit, treats or coffee shop gift cards. The kids made cards for our public servants.
After school, a few of us took our kids to deliver the baskets. Everyone was surprised and appreciative. We even got a tour of the fire station!
This is such a sweet idea.
I do like the idea of focusing on giving, rather than receiving, especially for holidays: veterans, first responders, food pantries, disaster victims, elderly neighbors, animal shelters, special-needs people could be recipients but would need to know what would be helpful so as not to pile junk on them. Could check with local people in charge. Kids can write cards or letters, make art, etc. home-schoolers could do this, too!
The party favor thing is crazy! I'm not sure if the original person meant that every kid in a class has to give a gift to each classmate for each holiday? That's terrible. Certainly leads to hardship and hurt feelings!
When I was a kid I remember a parent made treat bags from dollar store mini paper sacks. They filled them with specialty flavored popcorn. I think it was like a homemade pink white chocolate popcorn.
Once I took my child to a birthday party. Instead of the ubiquitous gift bag, each child received a small puzzle from the dollar store. I loved this because there was no plastic. It was an activity the child could do over and over. If it still had all the pieces, it could be passed down to someone else when the child outgrew it.
Halos/cuties and fun mini erarers!
We homeschooled but still treatbags came up-birthday parties, etc. I just didn't do them. I did try to include a craft or activity they could take home. I hate junky treat bags too. Maybe some candy hearts at Valentines but if your school doesn't allow candy, back to memories. They will remember the activity more, anyway.
We avoided treat bags by having apples or oranges to take home/ give out. Never had any complaints.
I have 3 currently in elementary school and have not yet done a treat bag. I print Valentines on card stock at home and the kiddos fill them out (with help if needed.) Then we staple a single fun size candy to each card- being mindful of known allergies. It is more than enough when multiplied by a whole class.
Try print-outs of coloring sheets or activity sheets. For my son's 4th birthday, we had a Wild Kratts themed party (PBS.org has lots of free printables for their shows). I printed out a few different versions on plain office paper (no color), rolled them up, wrapped them in twine for a decorative effect and added a simple label with a Wild Kratt themed thank-you. You could inexpensively pair it with pencils or crayons for more of a gift feel.
We homeschool now, but when my kids were in public school we always did pencils. Cheap, useful, and easy to find in the appropriate holiday theme.
I am doing flower seed bombs in the shape of red, pink and white hearts this year. Last year I got packs of six heart shaped silly straws from the dollar store and attached a tag to it. I don't want to add more trash or sugar to this world so I'm not a fan of candy bags or the little crappy toys so I am always looking for alternatives. Instead of birthday goody bags, I've given out strawberry plants (my daughter's 1 year old strawberry themed party), shirts, and $2 art sets from Michaels. If you're willing to get creative and have a little bit of time to make, it doesn't have to be wasteful or bad for their bodies. Not saying it's easier, just saying it's possible. Good luck!
We made seed bombs for party favors for my youngest's bar mitzvah party. Got some close friends together to mix up the ingredients and shape the balls (which was a fun activity in itself). We put 4 of them in a small muslin bag that we'd decorated with an ink stamp of a bee and a dragonfly. I designed little hang tags for them just using Word on my computer and a few fun fonts, then printed on kraft paper card stock. People loved them because the seeds were for flowers to attract pollinators and because they weren't favors of useless plastic junk. LOVE your strawberry plant idea1
How about turning it around and having the kids *make* the treat bags? I don't have kids but a few years ago I adopted a small assisted living home. I provide them treat bags consisting of crackers, cookies and candy along with a personal care item or two like small packs of tissues or a new toothbrush on most holidays including Super Bowl Sunday. 🙂 Older people who can't get out don't get those *sugary treats* that parents don't want their children to have and are absolutely thrilled with whatever treats I send. I usually include a few extra bags for the staff (who are woefully underpaid) to enjoy. Send the items to school and have the class assemble them and then have your kids deliver them. I can almost guarantee a positive result for all involved.
I teach second grade, here's what we did for Christmas. Each student decorated a paper bag which were displayed on the windowsill. These were our gift bags. I sent a note home explaining that, if they felt like it, families could provide goodies for their child to distribute in each student's bag. I put a pair of $1 stretchy gloves in each kid's bag. There were pencils, pudding cups, candy, stickers, home-made slime, apple sauce cups, glue sticks, and, by far the favorite, decks of playing cards. Each family could participate or not. There was no pressure and nobody kept track. We went sledding, came in for cookies and milk, and opened goodie bags. It was awesome.
We don't do treat bags but when we have a pinata what they catch is what they bring home
I have read all the comments and would just like to say that children do get excited about these parties and look forward to them. I won't get into a discussion as to what is politically polite or environmentally correct. I have dealt with 6 children over the years and have been room mom more times than I can count. School policies also have evolved from child 1 to child 6. I buy individual packets of goldfish crackers, pretzels ,and animal crackers. My local Publix often has these items BOGO and we would prepare in advance. I often bought empty treat bags at Dollar Tree to fill. This year I have small decorated paper sack type bags that were purchased last year for a nickel a piece on clearance. We make small foam hearts with names and stickers and use curling ribbon on them. Many of the children in our area are from very low income households and these treats make them so happy. My youngest graduated last year but I still volunteer.
And thank you for the excitement you share with the children!
I find this whole concept to be ridiculous and we’ve completely opted out. The kids also seem to get a goody bag for all of their classmates’ birthdays. With four kids of our own, it’s out of control. But even with one child, I think we would not participate. It makes me feel gross to think of all those trinkets etc ending up in the garbage.
The last birthday party I did where my kids were "treat bag" aged was a tea party for our then ten year old daughter. We shopped together for her high tea foods to serve and set the tea up just like they do in England. I requested NO GIFTS. For "treat bags" I had my daughter pick out books she would recommend to each girl for $1.00 each at our local Goodwill store, then she made a bookmark for each girl and placed in inside the book for them as their place settings. It was absolutely fabulous, because it started tea conversation about books, what they liked about the books, and what books they would like to read. I wish I had thought of the idea sooner, even preschool aged children and babies (and their parents) like books to read aloud and get tired of reading the same thing at bedtime.
We also just opt out of treat bags for anything school-related. I don’t even do them for birthday parties any more. We usually do some kind of project or craft the kids can take home, buy small games to play during the party that we then give to the guests (Uno, or other card games), or have the party at a bowling alley that gives the kids tokens for arcade games or coupons for a free game of bowling.
I find treat bags frustrating - either my kids don’t like or need the candy, or the cheap toys break and/or clutter up their rooms.
I do like the idea of stocking up on colored pencils or crayons in the fall for small gifts - not sure I’d remember for birthday parties, though, as my kids are June and July!
The blog Life with Fingerprints has some very cute free downloadable tags and ideas for both candy and non-candy valentines.
http://lifewithfingerprints.com/downloads/
There are some easy, healthy ideas for Valentine's day and other holiday parties at school on Kitchen Stewardship's website:
https://www.kitchenstewardship.com/valentines-cards-without-candy/
I went and bought valentines this weekend at the grocery store ($2.99 for 24, they all included some treat— we picked the origami animal option). Then today we got instructions from school—no cards, no candy, they’re doing a book exchange. (Luckily there are plenty of books in the gift closet from duplicates DC2 has gotten.)
The idea that schools are now banning homemade treats and that everything must be individually wrapped makes me very sad. It seems yet another way the schools are owned by the corporations and are submitting to a consumerist, bland, one-size-fits-all mentality. What is the reasoning behind it? Is it allergies, knowledge of ingredients, something like that? Whatever the reason, it will drain a bit more of the richness out of some kids’ lives.
Forgot to say, so distracted and taken up by my rant: for my daughter’s sixth birthday we had just bought our first home and it had a hot tub. We were pretty poor otherwise at the time. We went to a place called Imagination Market, where you could buy recycled products from companies, super cheaply. (Like stuff a paper grocery bag as full as possible for $10.) There we’re things like the shiny backing left after the rows of sequins had been cut out, feathers, outlines from around stickers, packing materials, all kinds of things. It was a fabulous place. Then I went to the paint store and got enough of those free hats for all the kids. We set up a craft table outside and they went in and out of the hot tub when they felt like it. The hats were an enormous success and they took them home instead of goody bags. All food and treats we made from scratch using whatever was in the pantry already. The whole party pretty much cost $10 and to this day, both of my older kids remember it as the best birthday party we had over all those years. And that includes some seriously fancier/more expensive ones later on!