In December we not only have Christmas but my Christmas baby Daniel’s birthday on 30th December. Then we have Phoebe in March, which she starts planning the week after the last party. Party bags are a necessity, they are always expected and much anticipated. With plastic waste being such an issue now, I wanted to start moving away from plastic toys. I’m also trying to take into account travel miles, so sometimes it might be better for a locally made plastic product rather than a wooden toy imported from overseas. Party bag fillers with no plastic and zero waste can be hard to find when you’re out and about, so I hope this list is helpful. I’m far from being self-righteous, we all do what we can and nobody’s perfect – we’ve got enough to think about sometimes. This list is meant to be helpful for you, not to make you feel guilty! I also wanted to make the list budget-friendly, so each item is under £2, with many under £1. Most people only expect one or two gifts and then a sweet and a piece of cake. If it’s one quality toy then all the better. Think about the bag too, avoid plastic bags. I’ve included a couple of cloth bags, but the cardboard party boxes or paper bags also work well.
I was gifted some party products, which is what started me thinking. They sent me some crayons which fit the bill, but the rest were small plastic toys and a squidgy ball. I know the little yoyos and parachute men won’t last long and will no doubt end up in landfill if they can’t be recycled. I had six of everything except the balls (4), so I will give those out as prizes or put them in the pass the parcel.
I’ve searched for alternatives and come up with this list, mostly from Amazon and Etsy, my two favourite shops. Etsy supports UK businesses that are mostly stay-at-home mums. I’m also an affiliate for both of them, which means if you buy through my link, I get a small amount of commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep my site running and is much appreciated. You can click on the text links below or the images below.
- Soft superhero masks
- Wooden spinning tops
- Cute animals and leaves sticky notepads
- Novelty notebooks
- Small wooden maracas/ shakers
- Grow your own crystal garden
- Football sweat band
- Animal finger puppets
- Colourful wooden bracelets
- Mini plush animal
- Mini colouring books
- Superhero felt bracelets/wrist straps
- Wax crayons
- Set of 4 aluminium straws
- Wooden wobbly bugs
- Decorate your own pebbles
- Washi tape rolls
- Seed packets
- Unicorn puzzle books
- Space scratch art and stencil
- Mermaid hair ties/ wrist bands on gift card
- Unicorn scratch art and stencil
- Personalised friendship/ wish bracelet
- Pirate eye patches
- Quiet critters
- Mini fish shaped hand soaps
- Surprise hair bow bag
- Felt animal pencil toppers
- Mini playing cards
- Knitted freeze pop holders
- Wooden fairy wand
- Mini bath bombs
- Wooden Eggs
- Bamboo Toothbrushes
- Wooden bird whistle
- Eco friendly panda bookmarks
- Silicone reusable cake cases
- Wooden egg cups, can be painted
- Mini princess jigsaws
- Socks – you can match them to the party theme and they come in multipacks, just separate and pop in the party bags
- Wooden animal whistles
- Pencils and rubbers
- Cloth star bag – maybe use as the party bag
- Scratch art bookmark
- Colour your own bag – use as party bag or an activity
- Ladybird wooden pegs
- Wooden yoyos
- Coloured chalks
- Marbles – these ones come in bulk without the net, you can just pop a few in each party bag
- Wooden castanets with animal pattern
- Dancing giraffe toy
- Mini board books – split up the sets and give one each
- Reusable crocheted water balloons
- Plantable pencil – once done, you can plant them!
- Hedgehog embroidery toy pack of 4
- Get the whole lot for £2 each includes personalised paper bag, seeds, pot, wooden plant tag, crayons and notepad, coloured pencils and a sticker. Bargain!
- Small teddy bears, so cute
- Wooden keepsake box – can be decorated
- Wooden watch bracelets
- Wooden snake key-rings, make them yourself before the party or do it as a take-home activity
Phew! Well, that’s all for now, I can add more as I think of them, or if you have any suggestions for eco-friendly party bag fillers let me know and I will add them. Have you banned the plastic tat in your party bags? Maybe you’ve ditched party bags altogether. Let me know in the comments. I remember when I was about 6 or 7, I went to a party and when it came to the party bag they gave us a bag with three pieces of fruit in it. I cried. It’s a kid’s worst nightmare! So don’t be too virtuous.
If you liked this post, check out no plastic unicorn party bag ideas
