Kids Party Question

[Laurajean1014]

Do you give thank you gifts for childrens' parties?

I am having 32 kids at an offsite pool party next week and was planning on giving a "goodie bag" (consisiting of STRIDE gum and a $5 gift card to Walmart or Target, and put in a thank you note).

A friend told me that very few people give thank you gifts and that it's no longer necessary.

Their will be 32 boys ages 10 and 11.

What do you think?

 

[r3ngels]

I try to send a thank you note... even if I have to do it on the computer with my DD signing it.

 

[CEDmom]

My DD's last party was at Build A Bear so I didn't give goody bags but in other years I have. I like the gift card idea. A friend gave $5 Borders gift cards for her DD's party which I thought was a great idea - you'd spend that amount on junk anyway.

I've never included a thank you in the goody bag. That gets sent out after the gifts are opened at home. Although we are in the minority with that since DD has been to a few parties this year w/o receiving one.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

That must be a northern thing. I have never heard of giving a thank-you gift to birthday guests.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

That's quite a thank you gift!! I give goodie bags, but never thank you gifts. So you're looking at 32 kids, times $5 per thank you----$160 in thank yous!! I think a goody bag and a thank you note (minus the gift card) is plenty.

 

[Tantor]

I'm still trying to read beyond the 32 kids

 

[CEDmom]

I'm still trying to read beyond the 32 kids

Yeah, that's one big party . Luckily my DD's birthday is during the summer so we can avoid the "invite the entire class" thing. I think her largest party was 10 kids so spending $5 on a goody bag wasn't that big of a deal.

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

32 kids? I think goodie bags at parties need to be discontinued altogether. I never thought of them as thank you gifts, but I'd also never invite 32 kids to a party. I value my sanity wayyyy too much.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I think goodie bags/thank yous are just good manners. Maybe you'll start the good manner trend in your community!!!!

 

[4chitlins]

We always do goodie bags.The kids really look forward to them. I also make my kids send thank you notes within a week of the party to the kids that attended.

 

[rt2dz]

We live in the south and I've never given a kids party without a goody bag. Nor have I ever been to one where a goody bag hasn't been given.

There is a reason that all those birthday party catalogs (ie, birthday express or oirental party) have such huge sections on party favors/goody bags (what the OP is refering to thank you gifts), most people do give them. I'm sure some has to do with your neighborhood (certainly NOT geographical--north v. south or state by state).

Around here, most people spend $3-$5 per child on the goody bag, more for smaller parties. So, yes, the bigger the party, the bigger the cost. That's not news. Of course, with some smart shopping sense, you can knock that down to look like you spent that. A while ago there was a thread somewhere on the DIS (budget, family or community board--to bad the search function is useless now) about that.

BTW--we still send hand written thank you's for the gift after the party. The goody bag is for attendance. We do frequently get gifts from those who don't attend, but were invited, no matter how often I say it is not necessary.

 

[summerrluvv]

I always do goodie bags. I wouldn't spend that much on them with 32 kids though, but that's just me. Last one we did candy I found on clearance at Target inside plastic bowling cups with a bowling blow out thing, sitckers and wrapped it in a cellaphane bag. I also made chocolate lollipops that turned out really cute and very inexpensive.

 

[pyrxtc]

No goody bags here. The thank you for attending is the cake and ice cream and that they get to spend the day with their friend having fun.

 

[monorailsilver]

I do thank you's for my kids for family & friends.

My kids are 5 ½, 3 & 10 mo.

I have had my 5 yo make them the past 3 birthdays with my help.

I send them after the party.

For my dd's birthday last year we had it at a pottery place & I took each childs picture creating their masterpiece & mailed that along with a TY card my dd made.

BTW, I am in CT too, can I crash your pool party?

 

[pkasbohm]

I do goodie bags for my kids parties too. I have noticed though that the older they get the less goodie bags are given out.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

ourkids party was on saturday! we do goodie bags and i'm working on the thank you cards in between typing on the DIS tehy are always hadnwritten!

 

[suzannews]

We do a small goodie bag. Thank yous get mailed the week after. I always take a group picture at the party and make copies and enclose one with each thank you. From some parties DD has gone to we get a thank you and some we don't. Heck, I've been to a few weddings where I didn't get a thank you.

 

[PartyMum]

As kids get older I think goodie bags can be more of a momento than a bag of goodies.
For my DD's 10th party we 30 kids over for a disco. So as momento i made a disc of my daughters favourite songs, did a nice label with her photo on and nice background and handed it out to all the guests as they left. It was a smash hit with everyone.

 

[aprilgail2]

We give out goodie bags at the party and then mail the thank you's the following week. I am not a fan of the ones that parents stick in goodie bags- we got one last year that was in the goodie bag that said "thank you for coming ot my party I love my gift"----ummm...hellooo, you did not even OPEN it yet so how do you know you love it?? I have my daughter write in each thank you note and mention exactly what gift she got from that person- "thank you for the american girl doll outfit" or if it was a gift card I have her say what she did with it- "thank you for the target gift card, I bought a video game I have been wanting to get with it".

 

[PatsGirl]

The rule in my house is that regardless of the holiday or reason for gift, if the person is NOT there when you open it, the gift requires a thank-you note. If the person is present while it is being open, a verbal thank-you is sufficicent. This is used mostly for Christmas and birthdays. We've sent out thank-yous for graduation gifts and shower gifts because that seems the norm. Personally, I'd prefer that my children give the person I nice hug and warm thank-you if that person is right there. As for such a big birthday party, the goodie bag is thank-you enough. I have NEVER received a thank-you for a kids party that my children have attended.