Halloween Goodie Bags

In my opinion, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. I don't think children should come to a party expecting to get anything other than cake and ice cream and maybe some punch. This is not their day, it's the birthday child's day. All they should expect is lots of fun and a thanks at the end of the party.
So that may sound a little Bah Hum Bug to some, and sorry if it does. I have done treat bags in the past, but it just gets so expensive.
This is the only time I have heard of having treat bags, at a birthday party. Any other occasion would be kind of strange.
Good luck on the party =)

I have 3 kids and yes it gets expensive to do goodie bags but i love to do them and it's not all candy.I just put goodie cups together for my son's knindergarten class to me it's fun and my children like that i do that for them.However if it's candy that you'll be doing skip it & give them the candy personally in the pumpkin.I also do goodies for my nephews they are young yet but so does my sis for my kiddos

I think if you have the time/money/inclination it's a fun touch to the get-together, but I don't think it's expected or even "necessary." I wouldn't bother with any candy in it though...if they're trick-or-tricking they'll get enough of that :)

If you wanted to put a small snack pack together with a juice box so they weren't hungry along the way that is really the only thing I can come up with that would be needed. I personally wouldn't do anything.

Of course you do not have to have goody bags, nor should you feel obligated to but if you were interested, I would recommend going to U.S. Toy on 103rd and state line behind Gate's BBQ. Its a whole warehouse of cheap, fun multi-pack toys and trinkets that do not blow a budget. Great for teachers, churches and moms throwing parties. I always went there growing up with my mom because money was scarce and now I go with my daughter and still have a great time!

I say take it easy on the goodie bags. It's Halloween for goodness sake. They'll have enough goodies. Sounds like your circle of friends is going for the Martha Stewart seal of motherhood approval.

Hi J.,
I don't think it's necessary. The kids will be overloaded with candy anyway if they are trick or treating. Sure, it'd be really nice to do it, but if you don't have the extra money to put out for it then I certainly would not worry about it. Occasions other than birthdays to make up goodie bags? I'd say Halloween, Easter, Christmas, maybe St. Patricks day. ONLY if you have the money to do so. Otherwise, I certainly don't think it's expected for ANY occation.

our day care lady gave them all a little bag with a halloween pencil, a little cheap thing of 4 crayons, and a little candy. That made all the kids happy, and you can generally get them pretty cheap at like, Party America or the dollar tree. Good luck!

Rachel, you made me laugh!!

Happy Halloween everyone!

I love giving out goodie bags, but I don't expect other parents to do so too. It's really just a preference thing. If you don't want to do it, for whatever reason, don't feel obligated.

It seems to me that they will get enough candy through trick or treating. I think goodie bags are unnecessary.

I have done goodie bags for stuff, but I don't always. As for the keeping-up-with-the-Jones' mentality...do what you want to do. It's perfectly okay to do something different and unexpected, or for that matter nothing at all. Some of that stuff is more for "keeping up" than for the fun of the kids. If your "circle" looks down on you for doing something different, find a new "circle".
Some other ideas are to bake sugar cookis ahead of time and let the kids frost them and add sprinkles or candy. They can take them home in a ziplock bag as their goodie or eat them on the spot.
You can also do a simple craft and they can take home that.
For older kids I've done a candy bar or small chips and a can of soda or sports drink... you can put them in the treat bags or maybe tie them together with ribbon or some other creative way.
Have fun with it and don't do things just because your "circle" does.
:D

Wow, how many kids are we talking here?! Usually, I spend around $0.50 to $0.75 each--less if I just make cookies or popcorn balls for the bags, as others have mentioned. But, except for classroom parties when I was a "room mother," I've never done goodie bags for occasions other than birthdays.

Since they are coming to your house (did you mean they are hanging out for a bit and then going trick-or-treating as a group, or just stopping by your house to trick-or-treat, not staying?), you might have a few extra EMPTY Halloween bags or totes on hand, for those who forget to bring one for trick-or-treating (some businesses hand them out free, so it might not even cost you anything to do this). But other than that, I'd probably just stick to handing out candy.

IF I was having a Halloween party/gathering at my house before the trick-or-treating actually began, AND I had the budget for it, I would consider giving the younger guests each a mini-flashlight or a glow stick for safety as a "party favor." But again, only if it was in the budget! ;-)

HTH!
--A.

Good Morning J., I am really Out of the LOOP. Giving out goodie bags constantly wow. What happened to Thank you for attending the B day party and lets Eat Cake.. ;)

If you want to give something fun for the kids, I read a recipe for Rice Krispie Treats yesterday that sounded cute.

In stead of putting them flat into a pan you make them into Balls, with a green gummie worm on top and you have a pumpkin. You make them Orange by putting orange food coloring in the marshmallow cream as it melts. Wear thin gloves or coat your hands with a little marg. to keep from getting stained.

I think a goodie bag for the kids is skip able :)) Will just add more to the treats they will get later out and about.

Have a fun time J.,
God Bless you
K. Nana of 5

You do not need to do this for Halloween. Buy a couple of large bags of candy and hand out one or two pieces per child.

Honestly, I've never been to a kids birthday party where they didn't hand out a goodie bag...and it can be REALLY cheap (I know because my BFF is queen of that...LOL...like rubber bouncing balls and a few pieces of candy).

Goodie bags have gotten to be the new card phenomena...every holiday seems to have one. Every holiday party at school, my kids come home with anywhere between 2 and 6 of these goodie bags. Some are as simple as a couple of homemade cookies, while others go all out. Yes, they can get really expensive REALLY quick.

Frankly, I see these sort of as a status symbol/cool kid thing. Cool kids give their friends cool things. At least that's what I've noticed at school...now, by no means do you need to go broke doing these things...you just need to get creative and budget conscious. Party places, Walmart and Kmart always have a clearance asile that has a smorgasboard of the stuffers you can put in these bags...I ALWAYS buy my stuff on clearance...and here's another tip, MOST kids don't open the bags until they get home so they have no way of knowing if everyone has the same thing and if they do open them up the trading will begin so it's all good.

If you wanted to do something really inexpensive do up some cookies for the bags or chocolate dip some pretzels and sprinkle orange or black sprinkles on them for Halloween. Another idea is the little cans of play-doh...my kids always love those and they sell them in packages of like 25 or if you don't have many kids just buy a case of the regular size cans and then the kids KNOW they got something really special!

There is no rule as to whether you have to do the treat bags, however, I would say if your group that you hang out with does them there is certainly a peer pressure to either do the same or come up with something different and unique to do. Kids (and some parents) can be mean and if you decide to always by-pass the goodie bags then you could be labeled the house to "not" go to because you never do anything cool, which can backlash on your kid. Mean and cruel but often the way things go.

Here's a list of really inexpensive stuff that you can find on sale or not and even the $1 stores have TONS of stuff that you can use: tatoos (I often buy Valentine's on clearance with these in them and use the tatoos for goodie bags later), bouncy balls, small play doh containers, pencils, lip gloss, funny rings, costume jewelry (i.e mardie gras beads), bubbles, little notepads, plastic zoo animals, army soldiers, hand held games (plastic carney kinds). The trick is to find packages that have a lot in them for $1-2 and spread it out. I've done 25 treat bags for under $15 easily and the kids really thought they had something.

Good luck, have fun with it, but certainly don't stress out over it or go broke because of it. $75 is a bit much unless you have a whole lot of kids or are really trying to impress.

Not sure what others have posted but goodie bags are for birthday parties, or even if you were having a halloween party, but for trick or treating whether it is your circle of friends or not, plain candy is fine. I wouldn't go overboard.

I do not do goodie bags at all, even for the kids' birthday parties. I always have them do something fun at the party that they can choose to take home or not. One time they "fished" over a bedsheet to get a prize. They also dove into a kiddie pool to get prizes. Another time, I gave all the kids cupcakes and they got to decorate them with frosting. (This was in addition to the regular cake.) Do what you want and don't worry about it! I've found that my boys look at the goodie bags and like them, but they LOVE doing something to get the treat!

It sounds like you need a new group of friends!

While this is a case of LOL, it is sad that so many parents think that kids have to be given "something" to make a gathering fun. & the worst part of it is that the kids end of feeling cheated if they don't receive treats....we've created monsters!

To that end, I try to focus on the creative or "from the heart". For Halloween, I make popcorn balls made with candy corn & MMs, wrap them in Glad Wrap, & tie them off with curly ribbon....with a spider ring for the little ones. At Christmas, it's homemade cookies or candy. Time permitting, we also try to do photos....& have foam frames for the kids to make.

While it may seem that I'm splitting hairs, still giving the kids something...the difference is that I'm not going out & buying trinkets & treats for them to receive as gifts. 9 times out of 10, the kids have to do the project & this creates a sense of fun & community. Good Luck!