Hello ladies,
I've come to the point when I need the wisdom of fellow mothers.
Some of my best birthday memories were the couple I had with themes and activities with a handful of friends. Now we're planning our son's first "real" birthday, he'll be turning three. The theme is dinosaurs and I'm having difficulty deciding between favor bags and/or a pinata.
Here's the lowdown, there will be about 8 kids ranging in age from 2 to 6, I'm creating a dino dig with a large tub of sand and toy dino skeletons for an activity and little foam dino feet and masks the kids can wear and play with. I like favor bags (small dino stuffy, bouncy ball, sticker strip and dino water squirting toy). But pinatas can also be fun, only the pull string type, since the age group is so young. Similar toys in the pinata, but there would be a few more to fill pinata space.
I think both pinata and favor bag is probably too much, but which one is better? More fun?
What are your opinions, your experiences?
Thanks in advance.
I always did both. The pinata was one of the activities the children loved.
My goodie bags did not contain candy and junk.. They were usually a book of some sort, art set, chalk, balls, etc.
Goody bags ensure everyone gets the same, pinatas are about who can grab the fastest and hold onto the most. Your party sounds cute, I've seen the dino dig idea and love it :)
Goody bags makes sure everyone gets something and more or less the same amount.
No one is beating anything with a stick and there is no mad dash for candy as it falls.
Kids who are more timid get pushed aside by more aggressive kids.
I've been to a few parties that had pinatas and I wasn't impressed.
We always did goody bags and everyone was happy with them.
I did goody bags for my daughter's 4th birthday. This way I could dictate what each kid got and it's cheaper. I put a notepad, pencil, stickers, glow sticks, and a few pieces of candy. My problem with small toys in a pinata is that they are ultimately get lost and thrown away and I see it as a waste of money, where what I got the kids will use for awhile. Also, I did each goody bag for around $1 a piece. If you do a pinata, have the kids decorate the bag with dino stickers and then put their pinata toys in the bag.
Just put all the goody bags inside of the pinata! That's what the parents did at the last party I went to. All the kids line up and take turns hitting the pinata until it breaks. Once it breaks, all the goody bags fall out and each child gets one bag. Each kid is happy to have a small bag with a few treats/toys in it. It doesn't have to be about who grabs the most. Everyone had fun and loved hitting the pinata. I suppose you could also throw in candy for kids to grab in addition to the party bags, but at 3 it's really not necessary. have fun
When I had a pinata at the party that WAS the goody bag. Just fill the pinata with some candy and the small dino stuff and hand the kids a bag to fill when it pops open, they will love it!
You could fill goody bags and put them IN the pinata! Best of both worlds! And that way each child still gets an equal share fo goodies. BTW, your dinosaur birthday party sounds AWESOME!
Pinatas would be the funnest route of the two, because it gets them excited to be the 'one' who frees the treats!
But favor bags ensure that everyone gets their share. You know the kid at the party who is bigger and stronger. It almost always resorts in you pulling out the extra candy to split between the kids who clearly got less. (my experience)
More interactive games and activities will make up for that. And goody bags will ensure the fairness.
Happy party!
I think the pinata is more fun but not necessairily the pull string one. Although the other ones are pretty dangerous. The last 2 we partied with (not our own parties) the stick broke and hit someone and they had to get stitches. Have you seen punch boards. They look pretty fun and everyone will get a turn (or 2 or 3). Just search pinterest for punchboard. easy to do.
Do both. fill the pinata and/or the favor bag with consumables though, as it is the kids are going home with skeletons, feet and masks.
raisins, crayons, a small bag of pretzles, a cutie (orange tied with ribbon), a book or coloring book, sidewalk chalk, are all options.
good luck to you and yours,
F. B.
From your list of items you have serious choke hazards in them for small children. Bouncy balls are not even allowed in child care because a child can put them in their mouths. Please don't give these items to kids that could get hurt. Do the pinata and put some candy and larger stuff in it.
Pinatas are more fun.. Give each one a bag to collect the stuff that falls..
Big blobs of goodie bags, may mean someone picks up 3 whole bags and the others do not get anything.
I always had some extra things held back in case some kids did not get very much.. They also make great photos.
Stickers, character band aides, gummy fruit, small toys and just a bit of candy..
Make sure to take photos. Great memories.
