Do you give away the little gift bags at your child's birthday party?

I think this is a good idea because even though the party is for your child, it does make it difficult for the other children to see someone else getting gifts and they don't get anything. It's kind of the same idea of when someone has a new baby they give a gift to the older child so they don't feel left out. It doesn't have to be anything expensive or extravagant, kids are easier to please than some people think. Don't buy the pre-made ones, those will end up costing you more and getting you less.

Buy the bags and stuff them yourself with age appropriate items such as bubbles, small amount of candy, little toy trinkets (like party favor blow horns or plastic rings). Stickers are also a big hit. You can probably find these items in the theme you want easily.

Ok, after reading the other posts I feel silly for doing the bags, but this is the first year I had ever done them, my girls are 4 yrs old and 1 year old and I knew alot of toddlers were coming so I bought some simple chocolate candy that I thought they could eat, some bubbles, a squirt gun, bracelets and necklaces, and I can't remember what else. I got everything from Wal-Mart or Target and the gift bags were a set of 20 with ties for like $3.00 total. It really wasn't too expensive and the kids loved getting something. Like I said, I had never done it in the past and really didn't even consider it, I just happen to see it in the store and thought why not since some of the kids ages were 3,4,5 years old. Anyway, I definitely don't think it's necessary, but the kids did enjoy getting them.

At my daughter's 1st birthday, I did. She had a Hello Kitty themed party... so I just had little hello kitty glasses, jelly bracelets, some stickers, and a few pieces of candy. Most of the kids at her party were aged 3-6, so the candy was age appropriate. I didn't put much in it though... and I was able to find the components super cheap by buying them on e-bay.

I like the tradition that one of my relatives does though. They get a pinata and fill it up with candy. Then they hand out empty gift bags and let the kids collect their own candy when the pinata is broke.

I'm not all about giving kids candy at every turn around... but I see nothing wrong with sweets for special occasions like birthday parties, Christmas, etc.

I do not, I think parties cost enough and as some one else stated the party is for the birthday child, not so other kids can get gifts, and it gets expensive to fill them. I usually go to the $ store and get one thing per kid. For example a pack of fish whistles when my youngest had a Spongebob party you got 7 for $1 and they get the one small item. All the kids were just as excited over the 1 thing. I usually have them out on the table for decoration, I try to find something that goes with the theme, and then as the kids leave they can take one.

Hell yeah gift bags! They are nice things to give at any stage of the game (parties or whatever have you). At house parties then yes, other places, No, as there may be all sorts of filth and grime on those things (that and it seems kinda cheap too...). Make up the gift bags yourself and it's even cheaper than buying them (granted you have to buy materials). About $5 a gift bag should more than suffice.

I have three kids (oldest 7) and I've only filled them with party favors once. I've learned that pinata's are much funner so now every year we buy those bags and then a bif pinata fill it with candy and we give each child a bag. After the pinata is broken they get to fill they're bags with candy and all is happy : )

For a two year old you could always fill it with candy such as: dumb dumb suckers, blow pops, etc.

Or to actually fill it with favors you could do little note pads with crayons, a thing of bubbles and then some suckers : )

Good luck on your party! When does he turn 2? My daughter turns two in september! If you like shoppong online check out Oriental Trading and go to birthday party, they have alot of stuff for cheap!!!

I only did it this past year (my boys' 1st & 4th combined party). But all I did was buy the bags, some sticker sheets (which I cut in half) and those blow things. I had a pinata at their party to so they got to collect candy as well.

Probably won't do gifts bags this year...we'll see how the money situation is.

I do sometimes. For the younger kids it's always some little party stuff that I get from the aisle to match the decor. One year we gave out school supplies since my son's birthday is in August.

For my younger 2 (now 6 and 5), instead of goody bags I would go to the dollar store and get mylar balloons and bubbles (enough for all of the kids). I would use the bubbles as an anchor for the balloons and put them around the house.

You get a bunch of balloons to decorate with and then the kids take them home -- a win win situation. My kids and their friends loved the balloons.

when i was little i only remember getting bags when there was a pinyada so we could have something to put the candy in....

but maybe you should try like bubbles, little cheap toy cars,cheap packets of crayons, bouncy balls.idk just little cheap things.

EDIT- if i were you id buy gifts for games..... like when you play games have a bag that the winner gets to pick a prize out of..... and since people get to win things then id just blow off the gift bags... mayb have one little gift to give out at the end so that you know that everyone got something, but thats all i would do. especually at that age.