My Youngest attended a birthday party last weekend. He also had 2 more this weekend. He also has another coming up this week. And that’s in addition to his own 2 parties this week (1 with his friends, 1 for family). I know! Craziness. And lots of time spent in the toy department.
In preparation for his party, I’m tasked with the job of arranging loot bags today. Ugh. I’m between three schools of thought on this;
- Head to the Dollar Store and fill up on junkie crap that will either break in the first 24 hours, not work at all, or annoy the other parents so badly that it prematurely ends up in the trash
- Go with a gift card to a local toy store or ice cream parlour, where the little 6 & 7 year olds can participate in the joys of capitalism
- Be the first Mother in this age group to buck the loot bag system and send the little darlings home with nothing but a “thanks for coming”
I’m really tempted to go with # 3.
Where did this craziness called “loot bags” come from?! And at what age does it stop?!
Is it not enough to invite 16 children for 2 exciting hours of play at the Enchanted Castle, where all their indoor private playground dreams will come true? Where climbing structures, bouncy castles, air hockey, video games and germ infested ball pits with all their friends is theirs for the taking?
And if that’s not enough, they will be fed pizza. PIZZA for God sake! What kid doesn’t dream about that?
And for the few that have managed to slip by still unimpressed, surely the ice cream cake will win them over. No?
Clearly not. All these things do not win them over. What they really came for, is the loot bag. And I know this because each Mother attempts to win the kids over more than all the other Mother’s before her. Loot bags are no longer just a collection of tooth-rotting candy like when I was a kid. No no. We’re now on to full blown craft projects they can take home and create. Like the “design your own baseball hat” or “personalize your own mini hockey stick” The Youngest recently received.
The kids have also become wise to rating the loot. In fact I had to give The Youngest a little “just be thankful” lecture after he recently returned from a party and announced that “this is the worst loot bag ever”. There’s definitely some loot bag pressure and it’s being doled out by the kids themselves. Go figure.
But this weekend I feel we had a loot bag break through. One Mother simply placed a $5 bill inside a helium filled balloon – a straight out bribe. “Here kid – here’s $5 bucks. Thanks for coming. Now go tell everyone this was the best party ever and that no one’s Mom is better than me. Spread the word. That’s a good boy.”
What’s the strangest loot bag item you’ve seen? At what age do these bribes loot bags stop? Should I go with Dairy Queen gift cards or Toys R Us and how much? Help!
16 Responses to “To Loot Or Not To Loot – That Is The Question”
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May 17th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Oh my gosh I remember those. And to this day I could not tell you one thing that I received in any of them so obviously you can tell how much an impression any of it made on me.
I would say go for the food. I know as an adult, when I attend a wedding my favorite kinds of favors are those that are edible.
May 17th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
We used to give loot bags to the kids when we had parties at the house, games in the back yard, home made sandwiches and cake. The bag rounded out the event. But today the kids get to be entertained at special facilities, pizza, hamburgers and huge specially decorated cakes. Do they really need more? I have been in the Party Store and seen mother’s with carts full of “loot” – must have cost a fortune. I’m for giving kids less. They are all ready spoiled – do they need more?
May 17th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I say trash the loot bag idea. Those kids are already getting plenty. Enchanted Castle, pizza and ice cream cake?! That’s plenty. Also, can I come? It sounds like fun!
May 17th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
You guys are already doing so much, I say ditch the other ideas.
If you were doing a home party and not spending much, then get the bags, but since you’re going all out…ditch em.
May 17th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
I don’t know… I never got ‘loot bags’. I only got the sweet blessing of being able to enjoy the event itself. And was quite happy with that.
I think there’s just no reason to give them a bunch of crap that’s going to wind up in the trash can anyway. They don’t need it and you don’t need to spend the $$$.
May 17th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Be a trend setter….tell the kids you donated $ to Ronald McDonald house or some other charity on their behalf. Who’s going to poo poo that?
May 17th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
ummm, enchanted castle?!?! hellllllooo!! isn’t that enough??! i say ditch the loot bags.
but if you’re really intent on spending more money, you can always get them cotton candy or something. they sell bags of them for $1 at the grocery store. quasi has two young boys and at one of his boy’s bday parties, we gave out barnes & noble giftcards ($5).
May 17th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
At my youngest’s last party we made monsters, so each child went home with their monster (in its matching bag) with a piece of the cake and two mini chocolate bars from those variety packs.
At previous parties, I’ve had a treasure hunt in the garden with chocolate coins or easter eggs which were all put in the party bag, and whatever they hadn’t already eaten, they took home.
I hate the cheap plastic tat that people feel forced to spend money on, so I don’t do it.
May 17th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
i wish loot bags had never come into existence – they are usually just a load of plastic junk
May 17th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
I did a Dollar Store-type thing last year and now regret it. I mean, I pretty much funded China’s 2009 GDP (and full lead-paint-poisoning budget) on those suckers. I might skip them this coming year. You start, then I’ll follow.
May 18th, 2010 at 12:17 am
Loot bags suck. Even though here in NZ they are a very quiet affair involving mainly lollies. I say ditch ‘em.
(Visiting from Jade’s blog and your guest post. Loved the story about the furnace and the monkey!)
May 18th, 2010 at 4:15 am
I feel ripped off. All I ever got was lollies. I wish I could be designing my own baseball cap. That would be awesome.
I think it finally stops when one mother takes a stand and says “Let’s stop this madness!” and then the other mothers are relieved that it’s finally over.
I don’t know how I know that. I’m not a mother. I don’t have any children. Maybe I just made it up.
May 18th, 2010 at 5:57 am
You have boys, it will stop at the pre-teen stage. Not so for girls…Nora will be 12 this year and they’re still doing loot bags. Damn loot bags. You’re right, it’s become like a competition. I’d go with the gift cards….not sure how much though?
May 18th, 2010 at 6:19 am
Don’t give them anything – we used to get a bit of birthday cake to take home- doesn’t really work with ice cream cake though!
May 19th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Personally, I’d go with the junk bags. I don’t remember loot bags when I was little, or maybe they were just that inconsequential that I don’t remember what was in them. I would think a party would be more than enough.
Or maybe the bag should depend on the gift that was brought….like the better the gift, the better the loot bag? think about it.
Cher
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May 20th, 2010 at 9:52 am
You just might be on to something!