What birthday did you stop party favors?

[MagicalMysteryDream]

My wife was at the kitchen table today with the Oriental Trading Company catalog and I asked what she was doing. She said getting some ideas for party favors. I said, our daughter will be 8, it is time for the party favor/goody bag to go the way of the dodo. Our party is the gift to our guests. She said, it is just done.

I then stopped her in her tracks and asked how many times has she been annoyed with our daughter coming home with a BBOC party favor? I then asked what has happened to all of those items in the BBOC? She thinks I am being unfair, but I think for an 8 year old, party favors are no longer needed.

What birthday did you stop with the party favor BBOC?

 

[Liberty Belle]

I'll do party favors for as long as my son has parties, I guess.

 

[happygirl]

Why do you keeping using the thumb down sign?


As long as my kids have parties, I will provided favors

 

[Liberty Belle]

Adding:

I try not to give too much junk. My son's last party was an army theme. Each bag had a camo bandana, green metal water bottle, black led flashlight, and a handful of army men.

 

[Aisling]

I'll do party favors for as long as my son has parties, I guess.

 

[diznygirl]

I love doing gift bags. I just try to keep it useful and/or edible.

 

[Hannathy]

17 I guess! but then again even at that party my DD had stickers and they decorated plastic cups to use at the party and twisty straws (not disposable) that most took home. Even some of the guys took their straws home (didn't take the cups)

I certainly don't think 8 is too old! My DS is 12 and I'm sure we will do something at his party this summer. Not the cutesy things you do at 8 but something for them to take home like a ball or mini bat since we think we are going to a minor league baseball game.

 

[deedeetoo]

My kids are 10 and 12 and parties still have gift bags. DD went to a party of a friend last weekend who was turning 13 and came home with a gift bag. The gift bag contents do change as they get older. No more oriental trading company junk. Instead she got nail polish, body lotion, and lip gloss.

 

[tluvstink]

For us the gift bags ended in middle school and I have to admit I don't miss them

Terri

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

My friends and I still do favor bags and we are a lot older than eight. Sometimes it's old school candies like Razzales or cool post-its or rubber stamps.

 

[mjkacmom]

Um, never? I never give bags of oriental trading crud- usually a small gift with the party theme. I've given homemade Cd's, personalized candy bars,hula hoops, pool blowups...always something. And my kids never come home empty handed, even if it's just the craft they made, or pinata candy.

TBS, DH would never offer up his opinion with regards to birthday party etiquette. - he is clueless about these things!

 

[laurie31]

Goodness, we didn't even start having parties with friends (and thus giving goodie bags) until they were 3. I can't imagine stopping when they are only 8. Middle school maybe.

Around 10, I started doing something more "cool," like a pillow case that they all sign, and twice I've done tie-dyed shirts. Those are fun and are so much more well-received that the typical bag o'junk. Plus you get your craft plus your party favor all in one.

DD will be 15 this year. Instead of a big party, she wants to just invite 2 friends and go to a day spa. So I wasn't planning to get them any "goodies" beyond that, but this will be my first time not to give a party favor.

So for me, I guess the answer is 15.

 

[Poohforyou]

I stopped the junky party favors probably in kindergarten or 1st grade. I still do favors but will do just one better thing like a book, small board game, outdoor toy, $5 Rita's gift card etc. Oh, and also candy.

My daughter has a summer birthday though and normally has only 6-7 kids at her parties.

 

[crashbb]

My mum LOVED goodie bags. So, we gave them out at her memorial service (we had had a private burial, so this was at a reception kind of place - not at the grave side). So, I guess I vote for never.

 

[Art 1]

All the way through.

 

[grafxgirl]

My daughter did a Disney princess themed slumber party for her 7th birthday back in Sept. Instead of sending the goody bags home at the end of the party, I handed them out to the girls as they walked in the door so they could use them as part of their costumes. It included a crown, some pretend jewelry, lip gloss and nail polish. They loved them!

 

[DVCBELLE]

I agree there is probably always something - I work hard to make sure it is a fun favor!!

For my son's 7th birthday - it was star wars themed so we made light sabers out of pool noodles, I have a yudu so I made t-shirts for each boy and then then I had Star Wars jibbitz that they earned as they completed each Jedi task...in total I spend under $5 a kid and everyone loved the favors!!

 

[MagicalMysteryDream]

I am putting my foot down and saying we are spending enough on the party so no favors. I know it may be a regional thing as there are some parents here who never do favors.

 

[katesorad]

I still do favors with my friends! I understand not wanting to do junky stuff, but even Oriental Trading has some nicer, fun stuff. For my sweet 16, we didn't do favors that year because we all went up to Disneyland in a Hummer limo for the day (I got to invite 5 friends).. and it was all on my parents' dime. But other birthdays, we always did favors/goody bags. When we were younger, it was candy and some pencils and erasers, maybe small toys, etc.. and as we got older, it was more age appropriate, but useful things.

If you're throwing a pricey party (taking everyone somewhere expensive on your dime), I'd say it's okay to skip the favors. But, if you're just doing it at your home or something like that, the kids will probably be disappointed without favors. I know it's kind of sad, but it's true. A lot of kids really do look forward to those goody bags at the end of the party!

 

[mjkacmom]

I stopped the junky party favors probably in kindergarten or 1st grade. I still do favors but will do just one better thing like a book, small board game, outdoor toy, $5 Rita's gift card etc. Oh, and also candy.

My daughter has a summer birthday though and normally has only 6-7 kids at her parties.

Dd7 recently got the $5 gc - one of our favorite favors! OP, when it comes to sports related issues, DH has final say. When it comes to issues like birthday parties, I have final say. Please listen to your DW - when the party ends, and everyone is milling about, waiting for the favor, some kids asking, not because they are greedy, but because it is the norm, she is not going to be a happy camper.