What is a good alternative to the birthday party goodie bag?

I think you should reconsider. When I was little goodie bags were the great thing ever. If there was a party and I got a goodie bag, I’d be happy for a few months.

Well it depends. Are you trying to get rid of the goodie bag altogether or replace the crap items with other really good items? I’ve been to parties where they gave out things kids could use as school supplies like markers and crayons. Or you could give out puzzles and things that will help the kids exercise their minds more but those are only a few suggestions if you wanted to keep the goodie bag. If you didn’t, you could always try doing an activity where they make something and that can be their goodie prize. I think kids these days need to appreciate the value of things they make themselves versus someone just handing them something. When I was about 10 or 11 I went to a birthday party where we made homemade bells/windchimes. My friend’s mother just went to a craft store and bought tiny little flower pots, decorative string, paints and glitter. We painted the pots and decorated them and then tied coins and other metal objects on the string and then tied that through the hole of the flower pots. I loved my little charm, I couldn’t put it outside so I hung it on a switch for a lamp in my room. It’s still there and I’m 21 years old…

For my daughter’s 4th birthday, we painted pet rocks. I bought little boxes at IKEA (in the kid’s section – plastic boxes with lids from a discount store would work as well) and shred construction paper for the “bedding.” I put “Hello my name is” stickers on the boxes. With the paint, boxes, and other supplies, it was a very inexpensive activity and take home goody. The adults even joined in on the fun!

I’m looking for a way to evoke that excitement via something other than a bag filled with candy and cheap plastic toys. I’m with you though simone, I loved that feeling of pulling out several things that were just awesome to a 6 year old.

I’d like to be able to give the kids just one thing or have them choose from a basket of things as a thank you. Dunno that I am suited to guide 5 year olds through a craft, but I may come across something.

I remember loving those big activity books that had all kinds of dot2dots and word searches and riddles in them. Maybe I can find a stack of those at the dollar store or something.

oooh there’s an idea. Pet rocks. I may be ale to pull that one off. Thanks!

How about gift cards?

I thought about movie tickets, but that was getting kinda expensive with 15 kids. But no more so than a goodie bag I suppose.

When my daughter turned 5 we had a “garden” party. To go along with the theme, I had the kids decorate styrofoam cups (use a flower pot, instead though…trust me on this) and they planted marigolds to take home with them. Easy-peasy, kept them occupied for a good long time, and they all loved it! I’d tend to think of an activity/craft that goes with your theme (if you have one).

What is the theme, if you have one?

For my kids parties we used to have a basket of Beanie Babies (or Beanie Baby clones) and a basket of Hot Wheels cars. Each child was allowed to pick one for each hand as they went out the door on their way home. We have also offered inexpensive nail polish, plastic horses, plastic dinosaurs, small stuffed animals, swim goggles or yo-yos, depending on the theme of the party.

At one of my daughter’s parties we planted bluebonnet seeds in paper cups and at another we made picture frames out of twigs glued to cardboard and used the magic of digital cameras and color printers to send home a souvenir picture from the party.

My daughter picked “Hello Kitty” this year. That’s going to be a lot easier cake to decorate than Tinkerbell was last year. :)

Cat beanie baby clones would work well, and could be bought for under $5. Between that, and a balloon, I think most 5 year olds would be happy. They also make Hello Kitty candy.

Are you having all girls at the party?
If so, they make a TON of inexpensive Hello Kitty stuff (even stationery and pens) and Target sells it in their dollar section.

Go to the Hello Kitty store nearest you and go through the bargain bin. Get more things than there are kids and give the leftovers to your daughter. You might also check out any of the big biox stores that carry Hello Kitty stuff.

Both boys and girls. I like the Idea of a few beanies and a few hot wheels that they can pick from.

Great ideas flutherites. Man I dig the fluther concept.

ps: I am so jealous that you can decorate cakes! Around the ages of 7 or 8, each of my children begged me to buy them a store decorated cake!

I have my Mom to thank for that. She made and decorated every birthday cake through about 16 for me and my two brothers and she even made our wedding cakes. I have decorated many many cakes in my life and I have the hand muscles to prove it. ;)

I decorated all my kids cakes, too. My most impressive cakes were two, each a three-dimensional design. One was a big sheet cake with a multi-car pileup on a major highway, complete with emergency vehicles and news helicopters for my son’s “car” birthday party, and Godzilla stalking along the shores of the Hudson River with the burning skyline of New York in the background for my daughter.

mine were all just icing, and words…maybe a little ribboning around the edges. If I were my kids, I wouldn’t want those cakes either!

what about refrigerator boxes?

My aunt owns a jar in which she collects little trinkets suitable for children – items from cereal boxes, kinder surprises, etc. Part of the joy of visiting her house was getting to choose a trinket at the end. Having a choice in what we could take home made it that much more awesome.

Of course, there is always the possibility that a disagreement could happen over this… But if you get enough trinkets then all wounds can be healed.

Bacon.

Haha. That pig is committed.

instead of cake (or in addition to cake) you can have cupcakes and the kids can decorate them. that’s fun. you can have colored icing and sprinkles and stuff like that.

Bacon! LOL!!

tekn: you’ll never guess what I thought your avatar was!

It’s a comet of course! What did you think it was?

I’ve had some weird first impressions of avatars too.

nevermind, I might get flagged! Let’s just say that women’s are larger than men’s.

When I was six, I gave out fossils and rock candy :D