At last! A party that could actually take place, after all the lockdowns of 2020/2021. We had booked a unicorn (pony) party with Janet from Melbourne’s Pony Parties. Real live unicorns and pony craft fun were coming to our local park 🙂
Party Bags for 4yo’s
The thought of having to make kids party bags on top of everything else that needed organising for the day was not appealing. I hadn’t bothered for previous birthdays, but it seemed more important and the ‘done thing’ once we entered the world of 4 year old parties. I also had never fully appreciated the genius that is a party bag until it had become the only thing that spared us a meltdown when my son needed to leave a friend’s party.
What a fabulous parting gift to sweeten the sadness, bribe a child in the direction of the car and to say thank you for that child’s presence (and present!).
Get Creative!
I don’t get a lot of time to be creative these days, so I actually enjoyed planning and putting together the bags more than I thought I would.
I wanted the kids party bags to be as planet and person-friendly as possible, and not too pricey! My goals were to minimise the use of plastic, be unicorn/rainbow themed, be practical, fun and yummy – without too much of a sugar high/crash for the kids that would ultimately backfire on parents.
Unicorn Party Bag Specifics
If you don’t have the time or inclination to make material party bags, Kmart and The Reject Shop have a fun selection of paper party bags in a unicorn/rainbow theme. I aimed for 4 items because it was a 4 year old’s party. I decorated the bags with a sticker and wrote the child’s name on the bag, putting them in alphabetical order in a box for a speedier retrieval when people left the party.
PRACTICAL:
I filled a unicorn-decorated reuseable snaplock bag with a dried fruit and skittles trail mix (aka pony and unicorn poo, according to my son!).
I also added a unicorn/rainbow themed stationary item from Kmart, although my original plan was to include a bag of rainbow flower seeds (ie. pansies etc).
FUN:
I added a stick of unicorn horn chalk to each bag (Kmart brand or Crayola).
YUM:
Finally, I added a sugar-free lollipop.
There are lots more great ideas on the internet for DIY/eco-friendly/sugar-free party bags, such as multicoloured rainbow pencils, homemade baked goods, reusable straws and enviro-friendly glitter.
Happy creating and enjoy having ponies (unicorns!) at your party 🙂
Clare Watkins
