birthday party favors

In message , bizby40
writes

Yeah, we did a "spring party" one year where they
painted flower pots and then planted a flower and
they got to take that home.

A friend of mine had them decorate flower pots and then sent them all
home with a packet of seeds, which was lovely except that our garden has
now been completely taken over by mutant nasturtiums...
--
Kate

dragonlady wrote:
In article . com,
"MsLiz" wrote:

Stephanie wrote:
I am plumb out of ideas. Last year we did little celophane bags with those
junk toys that you get at party stores. I don't have a lot of money. Anyone
have any nice ideas for about *gasp* 10 5yos?

Also, what are fun game ideas for this age?

Boy or girl? Makes a BIG difference!


At 5? I don't think so.

I read 10.5 as if she was having a half year party for a 10 year old.
Combo of worsening eyesight and writing too many reports that have
numbers like that :-) I couldn't understand why everyone who responded
seemed to have no regard for the age!!!

But then, I think my b/g twins were 14 or 15 before they had seperate
parties. For the most part, I found that kids of 5 (boys and girls) all
liked much of the same stuff -- or at least enough of the same stuff so
I didn't really think much about gender when I was selecting generic "5
yo" activities and gifts.

--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

MsLiz wrote:
Boy or girl? Makes a BIG difference!

"dragonlady" wrote in message
At 5? I don't think so.

It would have mattered with my girls though, so I think that she should take
gender in consideration. )
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article , Stephanie says...

I am plumb out of ideas. Last year we did little celophane bags with those
junk toys that you get at party stores. I don't have a lot of money.
Anyone
have any nice ideas for about *gasp* 10 5yos?

Stand up to the tide and refuse to have party favors!!


I like party favors.

OK, OK, guess that won't work And maybe you like doing them...

But, jeez, it's been practically an arms race regarding party favors, more
and
more, kewler and kewler, year by year.


He's only 5! I don't have to worry about the kewlness factor yet.

Hmmmmph

Banty

"Nan" wrote in message
...
On 1 Dec 2005 13:10:31 -0800, Banty wrote:

In article , Stephanie says...

I am plumb out of ideas. Last year we did little celophane bags with
those
junk toys that you get at party stores. I don't have a lot of money.
Anyone
have any nice ideas for about *gasp* 10 5yos?

Stand up to the tide and refuse to have party favors!!

OK, OK, guess that won't work And maybe you like doing them...

But, jeez, it's been practically an arms race regarding party favors, more
and
more, kewler and kewler, year by year.

Hmmmmph

Banty

I have to admit I can't stand the junky little toys that usually come
home as favors.
Otoh, dd went to a 'painting' birthday party in which the guests
decorated t-shirts using all manner of neat stuff. It kept them
occupied and they got to bring the shirts home.

Nan


I hate craft parties. DS is totally not into the whole art thing, and he
gets all left out. But really that is our problem, not the party thrower's.
There is nothing wrong with craft parties on an objective level.

"Nan" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 02 Dec 2005 02:23:49 GMT, dragonlady
wrote:

I never DID do the "gift bag" thing. It probably got me labeled
socially inept, or cheap, or something -- but tough.

I'm willing to bet the parents were happy not to get a bunch of junky
toys.

I know *I* always am.

Nan


I don't understand this. They are fun for a day. They disappear in a matter
of days and are never thought of again. How can receiving them be a burden?

"MsLiz" wrote in message
ups.com...

Stephanie wrote:
I am plumb out of ideas. Last year we did little celophane bags with
those
junk toys that you get at party stores. I don't have a lot of money.
Anyone
have any nice ideas for about *gasp* 10 5yos?

Also, what are fun game ideas for this age?

Boy or girl? Makes a BIG difference!


The birthday boy is a ... boy. But both are coming to the party.

"Nan" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 1 Dec 2005 15:46:37 -0500, "Stephanie"
wrote:

I am plumb out of ideas. Last year we did little celophane bags with those
junk toys that you get at party stores. I don't have a lot of money.
Anyone
have any nice ideas for about *gasp* 10 5yos?

Also, what are fun game ideas for this age?

Does the party have a theme? What is a theme your child would love?
Mine loves bugs and lizards, so I'm planning to do a garden theme for
her birthday.

Nan


Incredible Hulk. Not my first choice, but it's not my party.

In article , Stephanie says...


"Nan" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 02 Dec 2005 02:23:49 GMT, dragonlady
wrote:

I never DID do the "gift bag" thing. It probably got me labeled
socially inept, or cheap, or something -- but tough.

I'm willing to bet the parents were happy not to get a bunch of junky
toys.

I know *I* always am.

Nan


I don't understand this. They are fun for a day. They disappear in a matter
of days and are never thought of again. How can receiving them be a burden?



Well, first of all, surely you have the right to have the party you want and
give the gifts you want

But speaking as a parent who doesn't like this, the problems a

1. That kids (and even parents) are coming to *expect* the goody bags, so you're
stuck between disappointing some guests or giving in to the trend.

2. The things in the goody bags generally *are* crappy little schtuff and kitsch
and chakchis that clutter up the house and possibly endanger the littlest
siblings with chokable items being included.

3. It's this whole cultural attachment to stuff stuff stuff stuff STUFF. It's
just MORE STUFF. Only fairly recently has this goody bad thing become part of
birthday celebrations. It feeds the expectation that fun and good times are
only to be had if STUFF is part of it.

So give MORE STUFF if you like, we'll smile and say "thanks" and go along. But
a lot of folks just hate them.

Banty

"Banty" wrote in message
...
3. It's this whole cultural attachment to stuff stuff stuff stuff STUFF.
It's
just MORE STUFF. Only fairly recently has this goody bad thing become part
of
birthday celebrations. It feeds the expectation that fun and good times
are
only to be had if STUFF is part of it.

Back in the late 60s, we used to give a party favor to
each child. True, it was a single little toy instead of a
bag of them, nonetheless, the goody bags are not a
completely new phenomenon.

Bizby