Ideas for grab bags (for kids of all ages)

coasterqueen wrote: We are going to have Kylie's bday party in our private room at the baseball game 9/4. There will be several kids there of different age: 13,9,7,5,2,1,4 months old.

I know what I'm going to do for the 4 month old. But what do I do for everyone else? I figured whatever I put in Kylie's I should put in the 1 yr old's bag since they are close in age and to make it fair.

What do I do for the other ones???? Oh and the 5 yr old is a girl and the 13,9,7 yr olds are boys.

Here is the theme I'm going to go with:



We thought about doing Dora or some licensed character Kylie liked but I did a licensed character last year and really she may like Dora next year or the year after so I thought at this age I could do a "general" type of theme so we aren't stretching for themes every year. And Kylie LOVES animals.

I won't be doing a lot of decorating either because it will be in a private room and I don't know the set-up of the room and really don't want to lug a bunch of decor to the game, lol.

I think we are going to decorate the cake with Little People animals...someone here I thought gave me this idea, don't remember. And I bought party hats, bags, plates, etc in that same theme from above. We won't do games either. The kids will have enough fun running around acting silly and the older ones will either be watching the game or be playing nintendo or something, lol.

So does anyone have any ideas on what to put in grab bags???? The only thing I saw at the party store where I bought the stuff was a jungle pad with pen. The 5 yr old girl might like that but I don't think the boys will.

MommyToAshley replied: Candy is always a good hit at any age. At least the kids will like it, I am not sure the parents will.

I am not sure what to get older boys, I always have a tough time with that. Girls are so much easier. I am going to fill their bags with the pinata filler... it's got all kinds of candy and little odds and ends toys.. like tops, games, stickers, etc.

coasterqueen replied: I thought about putting some candy in there plus a $5 gift certificate for Toys R Us. Sounds kind a cheesy because where does $5 get them there, but it helps. Does that sound cheesy?

MommyToAshley replied:
That's a great idea! They still have stuff you can get for $5 or they can add it to their own money.

Kaitlin'smom replied: nope not cheesey, when they have sales they can get some great things.

jem0622 replied: Gosh...ya know I try not to get too hung up on them b/c sometimes parents just get annoyed with them. You could do sugar free bubble gum packs, or lollipops, or things like that. They have those balloons that you blow up and they are more like punching balls once full (they have a rubber band attached). That is appropriate for all ages. I know toy stores (Toys R Us, Kay Bee Toys) would carry them. Or a deck of playing cards. Things like that. I wouldn't go crazy.

Just my two cents.

coasterqueen replied: Oooh those punch balls!!! I bought those for Kylie's grab bags last year at daycare! I had more fun with those things than the kids did!

Hmmm, not sure I want them playing with them at the game, but ooh I think I might do that too!

amynicole21 replied: Last year we had a bunch of older kids and we gave out animal cracker boxes, silly straws, stickers and bubble soap. I think the $5 gift card sounds great! Kids love to spend their own "money"

Josie83 replied: I think that five dollar gift voucher seems like a really good idea. My sister just did a birthday party for her five year old Jodi and she said that they were a nightmar,e and they cost practically as much as the rest of the party . . . it sounds like they do cause some headaches! I remember when we were little that there were always sweets and little tiny games and things in party bags (as we called them),but the most important thing that was added was always a slice of the birthday cake!! Let us know what you decide to do!! xx

paradisemommy replied: I had in Taven's gift bags (actually i went to the dollar store and bought containers cause i figured they could re-use them when it was empty) but i put those yoyo things..they are kinda hard to describe - the end of them is a ball full of liquid and if you squish it real hard in your hand then you can see whatever is inside. anyways, it's attached to a long string-like squishy material and has a ring at the end (to put on your finger)..it's been kinda the latest craze (for a while ago) with kids. i also put these little blow up beach balls and hackey sacks - i had whistles in the younger kids ones and put one candy (not a big fan of loading kids up with sugar). i figured those were pretty universal and anyone could play with them - taven's the youngest of all his cousins with the oldest being 12 so big age difference.

ediep replied: For Jason's brithday we are having a puzzle theme so everyones goody bag will have a puzzle ( for the smaller kids I bought wood puzzles, for the older cousins, I got 3-d animal puzzles, I also bought puzzle magnets, puzzle crayons, and I am baking cookies in a jigsaw puzzle piece shape

3_call_me_mama replied: We recently went to a first birthday party and for party bags for all the kids under age two they had sippy cups with little tub toys in them and a finger puppet. I thought it was a really cute idea.... we are also doing an animal theme for Cameron, we were going to do fire trucks but DH thought he was a little young for a firehouse visit. We are ordering things from Oriental Trading Co to fill the little reusable animal bags we found. It is a jungle/zoo animal theme and there was tons of stuff for really cheap. One of the things we are using is beanie babies (I think they are like $12 for a dozen or something like that in there. Hope that helps.