Party Bags, Loot Bags & Party Favours That Don't Suck (And Won't Get Binned)

Let's be real about party bags: most of them are rubbish. Literally.

A plastic bag containing a lollipop, a temporary tattoo, a plastic whistle, a sticker sheet, and something unidentifiable from a $2 shop — total cost about $4, total lifespan about 40 minutes, final destination: the bin.

And yet we keep making them, because "you have to do party bags." Do you though? And if you do, can they be... not terrible?

Yes. To both.

The case for skipping party bags entirely

Let's start with the radical option: just don't.

If you're worried about looking cheap, remember: nobody ever said, "That was an amazing party, but where was my party bag?" The party itself is the gift. The cake, the games, the fun — that's what kids remember.

The test: Has your child ever mentioned a party bag from a party they attended? No? Exactly.

If you're going to do it, do it right

Not ready to skip them? Fair enough. Here's how to make party bags that are actually worth giving.

The golden rules

1. One or two quality items beats five cheap ones
2. Edible is always welcome — it gets consumed, not landfilled
3. Match the age — a 3-year-old and a 10-year-old want very different things
4. Presentation matters — a brown paper bag with a stamp looks better than a plastic bag with a bow

By age: what actually works

Ages 2–4

At this age, the party bag is really for the parents. Keep it simple:

• A small book — board book from the op shop ($2–$3)
• Play-Doh pot — $2, universally loved
• A piece of fruit — a mandarin or banana. Seriously. Parents of toddlers appreciate this
• Bubble wand — $1–$2
• A single good sticker sheet — the Melissa & Doug puffy ones

Keep it to 2–3 items max. Toddlers are overwhelmed by more. And skip the lollies — many parents of 2-year-olds aren't doing sugar yet.

Ages 5–7

The prime party bag years. Kids are excited about small things and everything feels like treasure.

The winning formula: 1 activity + 1 treat + 1 small toy

• Activity: Mini colouring book + 4-pack of crayons ($2–$3)
• Treat: A few gummy snakes or a small chocolate ($1–$2)
• Small toy: Bouncy ball, yo-yo, mini puzzle, keychain ($1–$2)

Upgraded options:

• Packet of seeds + small pot
• Personalised badge with the party date
• Mini slime pot (store-bought, sealed — homemade is a gamble)
• Sidewalk chalk set

Ages 8–10

Kids this age are developing taste. Cheap plastic won't cut it. Go for fewer, better items:

• Quality stationery — a good pen, a mini notebook, washi tape
• Card game — Uno costs about $8. Split a multi-pack across bags
• Homemade treat bag — brownies, cookies, or rocky road in a cellophane bag
• Friendship bracelet kit — thread + instructions
• Bath bomb — $2–$3 each, kids love them

Ages 11+

At this age, party bags should probably evolve into something else entirely:

• A takeaway container of party food — pizza slices, cake, lollies
• A single fun item — photo from a photo booth, personalised keychain
• Nothing — and nobody cares. The activity and food are the favour

The themed party bag

If your party has a theme, lean into it for the party bag:

The themed bag trick: One on-theme item + one treat is all you need. The theme does the heavy lifting. Don't overthink it.

DIY party bags (that don't require craft-god status)

Trail mix bags

Buy nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, pretzels in bulk. Let kids scoop their own mix into paper bags at the party. Activity + party bag in one.

Decorate-your-own cookie

One large cookie per child, icing, sprinkles. They decorate it, it goes in a bag, it goes home. Total cost: about $2 per kid.

Take-home craft

Whatever the party craft activity is — tie-dye shirt, painted pot, friendship bracelet — that IS the party bag. No extra bag needed.

The packaging

Half the impact of a party bag is how it looks. Swap the shiny plastic bag for:

• Brown paper bags — stamp them, sticker them, or let kids decorate them
• Fabric drawstring bags — $1–$2 each, reusable
• Paper boxes — small kraft boxes from the craft shop
• Cellophane bags with ribbon — for food-only bags
• Reusable containers — a $3 plastic container IS the party bag. Fill it with treats, they keep the container

Personalisation hack: A Sharpie + a brown paper bag + the child's name = a party bag that feels special for essentially zero extra cost.

The real party bag is the experience

Here's the truth that took me way too many parties to learn: kids remember the party, not the party bag.

They remember the games. The cake. The moment the birthday kid opened their present. Running around with their friends. The sugar high. The chaos.

They do not remember the small plastic toy that broke before they got home.

So whether you go all-in with themed, curated bags or skip them entirely — know that the party bag is the least important part of the whole event. Do what feels right, spend what makes sense, and stop feeling guilty about a $3 bag of stuff.

The fun was the favour.