Party Bags: less sugar, more imagination!

When all is said and done...
the party games have been played and the cake has been cut...don't be fooled! 
 Its not over yet!
 You have to get the guests to leave happily (and some little ones DON"T want to go!)


This is where I find the bribery of a party bag comes in to play.
I guess that is one reason for the tradition, oh,
 and it is a nice way for the children (and adults) to take a bit of the party home!


But more often than not the party bags have been thrown together
 with little thought and truckloads of sugar.

While sugar highs are fun, they don't last long!

Maybe it is the teacher in me, but I think the party bag should go beyond sugar.

It is an opportunity to stimulate many senses......sight, sound, touch,
 and encourage play and creativity.

 It needs to be a visual thing with strong colours and clear labels. Give the children a chance to practice reading their own names.
"That one's mine!"

Or course there has to been some toys..in this case boy's toys.
To fine tune those imaginations and fine motor skills

 Drop! Smash! Smack!

What about a musical instrument? Some auditory fun!
 A loud blower or whistle- to test the parents' patience.

Brrraaaaaaaaaarrrrrrppp!

Ok, so here is the token sugar treat- something small though-
 like a proportioned bag of small lollies or even better super-hero lollipops

Holy party pack Batman! Swoosh! 

 Finally, what a party bags needs is some creative interactive element
- a project to work on when they get home.. 
This is important and usually absent.

"Robot wars!"

 This pack includes craft foam, robots and space images. We placed the foam bits in a ziplock bag and added letters, so the children could spell out their name.

"L-I-A-M! I can spell my name!"

There are many  creative projects  like this you could include:

• Some colourful paper and instructions how to fold a great paper plane. Add a few dot stickers so the children can custom the plane.
• Colouring in pages and pencils
• A paper mask for decoration
• Tic Tac Toe game
• Stencils and paper
• Felt shapes and a small felt board (felt glues on cardboard)

 A trip to an art supplier or craft shop will inspire many an idea- I'm sure!

We all like to be creative, make and build -little people included.

A party bag is an opportunity to go along the path less travelled, 
to cut down on the sugar fix and build some brain connections
-and it is fun!


What do you put in a party bag?