2nd birthday party- sweets?

[Jazzy-NICU]

So i was really really stuck on what to put into party bags for my little mans second birthday and just thought i'd be spending quite a bit of money on absolute tat! So i thought instead i could do a small sweet cone in those cellophane bags you can get, with maybe marshmallows/chocolate mice, that sort of thing in?? Obviously if the parents don't want them to have sweets i wouldn't be offended at all but do you think most people would be ok with that?
And then having a small prize, bubbles/play doh etc in the pass the parcel.
If you wouldn't be happy for your child to get that at a party have you got any ideas of cheap- decent things to put in a party bag instead

 

[Itsychik]

We did more or less the same thing! We had little gift boxes filled with a coloured marshmellow, a bag of chocolate covered biscuits, and a box of raisins. Then a funny-shaped straw and a little box of themed markers ('Cars' and 'Micky Mouse' for the boys and 'Disney Princess' for the girls). We only spent like €2 - 3 per box total and needed 12 of them. By having them in boxes it allowed the parents to look first and take out anything they didn't want their LO's to have, but we didn't have any issues.

 

[jenn2282]

i'd just eat it as my dd does not get sweets and i'm not the rude bitchy type.

 

[Natnee]

Yeah I don't really let my DD have sweets, I think they are just a pointless thing for a child. I usually put in some little packets of yogurt raisins and the little fruit stars and things like that. No need for sweets for a 2 year old.

 

[_Vicky_]

We got some cute little packs of bath ducks and put one in each with blow trumpet things a bath boat birthday cake and a few chocolate type sweets. My boys still never have 'sweets' as in haribos and such like now

 

[supertabby]

I think sweets occasionally are fine but I wouldn't let my lo (she's 2) have a lot in one go. Those funsize bags of buttons are enough. She gets given a lot of unsuitable hard chewy sweets (wine gums recently...) but I don't give them to her. I think parents who don't give sweets would just politely accept then do there own thing after.

Whatever you do PLEASE don't give marshmallows to 2 year olds. They are pretty much the worst choking hazard in food. My friend is a paramedic and more than once been unable to save someone who's choked on marshmallow :'( it swells up in the throat and can become impossible to dislodge.

 

[tommyg]

Sweets are fine occasionally but I don't know that I'd be happy for someone just to give sweets as then you can't lift the toy out and say "you'll get the rest later".

Other ideas Tesco do 3 small tubes of bubbles for £1 that could be put into party bags. I'm sure you could do a small colouring book, I was given an A5 sized one that I'm sure has come in a pack for party bags and has been handy to keep in.his bag for entertaining in restaurants etc.

 

[aimee-lou]

I would say that the 'treat size' chocolates would be about my limit when Earl was 2, and same now for Edward (you can get a big bag of that size buttons for only a couple of £) - bubbles, play-doh, a sponge ball, a bath toy, something like that would be much more appropriate. Also, don;t underestimate the entertainment value of a balloon - Earl got a balloon in a party bag when he was about 2.5, and my life it was the best toy on the planet!

Another thing, if you're putting a slice of cake in, then sweet AND a cake may be too much for some littlies.

 

[lozzy21]

For Niamh's second birthday I put in two small bags of haribo type sweets, a pack of chocolate buttons, some bubbles, a little colouring pad and some crayons.

Niamh doesn't get sweets often but it's a party, I'd be shocked if she didn't get sweets. She gets things like raisins most days so its hardly a treat for her.

 

[tiggerbounce]

I put take and carry colouring books from pound land or a sticker book also from pound land with so.e bubbles and a small pack of sweats in my lo party bag x

 

[HappyAnjeL]

Are you doing a theme?

I was worried about giving out candy at Abby's birthday party too. We did a bubble guppies theme so I put the following in a sand pail with a shovel:

little coloring books
small packs of crayons
stickers
a squishy ball
bubbles (found small colorful tubes 12 for $3)
a themed cup
a little compressed washcloth you put in water to make them unfold


Other ideas i've seen are

crazy straws
little candy machine (was given one at a party and filled it with cereal instead and abby loves it)
little play dough
non candy treats (goldfish, puffs, cereal, cereal bars etc)
bath/sand toys
sunglasses (the huge ones are fun!)