Where do you stand on loot bags?
Last year for Sarah’s birthday the kids went home with a bunch of stuff they’d made during the party: potted plants with kid-sized gardening gloves tied together with raffia, beanbag ladybugs, frosted cupcakes tucked into easter baskets… At the very end one child asked that dreaded question (dreaded to me at least):
WHERE’S THE LOOT BAGS?
*sigh*
It’s that time of year again, and Sarah has another birthday party coming up. It’s all planned out. It’s going to be a sleepunder, basically, a sleepover without the sleeping. There’ll be dinner and root beer floats, balloons (we have a great source for party balloons), popcorn and a movie.
The lootbag/party favour question came up during the planning stage of this party (which was originally going to be a science party) and I had to consider where I stood on the issue.
In the past I have tried my best to make the lootbag a memorable one, because I have to admit, everyone loves a nice lootbag and it makes a nice parting gift.
I tried not to include any items I wouldn’t like to see in my own home.
I tried to take it easy on the crappy candy.
I tried to abstain from making purchases at the dollar store, avoiding the worst offenders: cheap jewelery, toys with lots of little losable parts, and things that look like they might break in 2.5 seconds and end up in the garbage.
I tried to consider things like packaging, requirement for batteries, and re-usability when making my loot bag purchases.
Not everyone does this.
Well, I have decided not to make loot bags at all, instead, we’re going to exchange it for a nicely wrapped (as yet undetermined) tiny gift. Trust me. This is easier.
Right now I’m brainstorming lootbag alternatives.
– a small plant in a pretty pot
– a skipping rope or special ball
– sidewalk chalk
– a homemade gift (?)
– a book
– wind-up toy
– ?
Any other ideas you could add to the list?
The party’s on Thursday. So I better get moving.