Hi,
Most of your older guest are going to expect a goody bag. In fact I didn't do one one year and got quite a few comments about it from the older kids. Most kids don't care what's in the bag just so long as they get one. After that I developed a what I call my ultimate super cheap goody bag:
Step 1: Buy a bag or two of wrapped no name Holiday candy on clearance for about $1/bag at the least popular drug store in town - that's where there candy will be plentiful but cheap because they want to get rid of it. Most packages will have about 21 pieces in them enough to give each kid more than 1 piece. I stocked up on Halloween Candy in November for our April birthday - enough candy to fill a pinata for $3.00. I got gum, pops, spongebob gummies, and tootsie roll mix. It doesn't go bad for at least a year if kept at moderate temps and most kids don't care what the labels are on the candy. Since Christmas was last week you should be able to get some good deals on leftover Christmas candy.
Step 2: Hit Target the Dollar Store or
Walmart:
Buy the multipack cheapo Baseball or Football Cards @ $3 for 21 cards Break up among the boys. They might also have a larger set of opened cards really old ones with more cards in it for about the same price maybe a little more at the dollar store you might find one for less.
Pick up a package of themed pencils. Cost of package @$1. If you are feeling extravagant go to the party store and pick up pencils that match your theme for about 25c each. Give each child one pencil.
Also buy a pack of green army men for @$1 (walmart has them for 88 cents). Break up bag evenly among the boys.
One package of plastic animals or rubber snakes for @$1 - split evenly among the bags.
Total cost of all bags @$8 but it looks like you spent MUCH more.
Other items that can be substituted that look expensive, kids love and are actually really cheap: Punch Balloons: Get at Target 4/$1 in bins in the Toy section. Super Bounce Balls from the gumball machines for a quarter each. Themed Erasers for about 5 to 15 cents each. Other items that I pick up as leftovers after a holiday and save for the next party. Cheapy plastic jewelry, multipacks of play-doh, hotwheels, temporary tattoos. And in the spring and summer Wal-mart sells multi-packs of squirt guns they usually have four guns for about 88 cents (Sometimes they have them in the winter but not always).
And to help cut costs but to make the loot bags look fun: Buy a package of red lunch bags - available at Target for about $1.50. Decorate with round white paper cut outs with black crayon Pupils to look like Elmo's Eyes. Put so you can fold over the top a couple of times. You can also cut out some larger round circles and color orange (Crayons are a wonderful thing). Glue below the eyes for his nose.
Further with the Elmo theme - if you can cook at all - how to have the ultimate Sesame Street Cake but not spend much money. Buy a cake mix and make one 8 or 9 inch round cake following directions on box. Make the rest of the mix into cupcakes. Buy red frosting or white frosting and add blue food coloring to make dark blue frosting. (You can make your own red frosting but it will take a ton of red food dye.) Frost the cake roughly with lots of points on the frosting. Take two oreos. Remove the tops. Place opened cookies on edge of cake but on the top. Take two brown M&Ms in the center of each Oreo. Place one "Orange Slices" gum drop in the center between the eyes hanging over the edge of the cake using a toothpick to hold in place. Voila Elmo. If Blue frosting was used omit orange slice. Stick one Oreo into the frosting at the bottom of the Cake - Yeah! it's Cookie Monster. I usually just buy the snack pack of Oreos but you could buy the big bag and put leftover Oreos in baggies then in your loot bags instead of candy. Remove papers from cupcakes, flip over and place on a platter or cutting board. Frost the cupcakes roughly in red or blue frosting and place 2 brown M&M's on each for eyes - mini monsters!
(I love playing with them!)
