Party bag ideas (tiny things that kids actually want): my favourite non-tat picks for ages 4-8

I actually love planning party bags. I love saving ideas to a dedicated Pinterest board, buying the bits – I love deciding what goes with what, and I weirdly love packing them up at the end. What I don’t love is filling them with stuff for the sake of it. Tat, of course, but make it tat that appeals, to you and to them. 

My approach is usually six items max, including the requisite piece of birthday cake, plus a few other bits and bobs that I genuinely think the kids will enjoy. Also, getting both kids (currently a boy and girl aged 6 and 8) around the kitchen table to pack, allocate and label everything the night before (or morning of) has become a super-special tradition in our house. I highly recommend adding it into your itinerary. 

These are some of my favourite party bag ideas that have gone down super well across the years, from ages four to eight. Think fidget toys, stickers, mini figures and things you can buy in bigger sets and divide up between everyone. Nail varnishes are a great example: buy a decent multipack, split them between the bags and suddenly you’ve got something that feels a little more premium without spending a fortune.

For what to put in a kids party bag, here are my tried-and-tested favourites.

First, the packaging

Before we get onto the good stuff, let’s talk bags.

For my son’s fifth birthday, we used brightly-coloured paper bags in bright green for a semi-Minecraft theme. They worked brilliantly, and there are loads of colour options if you want to tie them into a theme without going completely overboard.

For my daughter’s sixth birthday, we ordered striped party carry boxes. These were fantastic, and we had so much fun choosing each guest’s colour and personalising them.

Both times, I also used striped paper bags for the slice of birthday cake. One order did both parties, which I always consider a win.

For my daughter’s seventh birthday, these macaron pastel paper bags were perfect. We just about got everything in, but they looked so cute.

And for her eighth, we went full capybara with these capybara paper bags, paired with pink striped bags to keep the all-important slice of cake safe.

Party bag ideas for ages 4-6

For ages 4-6, it’s all about maximum fun with minimum tat. Think things they can play with straight away, collect, stick, squish, throw or generally get very excited about – without you finding them broken under the sofa by teatime.

Rubber snakes

A rubber snake each was a massive hit at one of our parties. We ordered a few packs and doubled up a couple of the smaller snakes where necessary. The excitement levels were disproportionate.

Minecraft masks

For a semi-Minecraft-themed party, a Minecraft mask each was an easy win and worked brilliantly with the green bags.

Stress balls

These globe stress balls are brilliant. Fidget toys are your party bag best friends, people. And there are options for every budget. 

Chunky holographic glitter

Mini pots of chunky holographic glitter are a great little addition.

They’ll still be dabbing it on in Year 11, trust me.

Cute pens

A cute kawaii pen always goes down well. We live near a Kenji, but a quick Google search for similar shops or kawaii stationery should see you right. Legami are also fab for this type of thing. 

Sticker strips

Instead of buying individual sticker packs, buy a big roll, like these glitter star stickers, and snip around 10-12 off for each child.

Cheap, easy and still feels exciting.

Collectible cards

A couple of collectible or play cards per child work really well. We went for Top Trumps Disney Classics, but there are loads of options depending on what your child and their friends are into.

Mini books

A mini book each is another one I love. I actually used books from a book advent calendar, after being gifted an enormous Disney Storybook Collection and a Disney Princess version the year before.

If you search for mini storybooks, you’ll find some absolute gold.

Fun pencils

We went for Flying Tiger pencil sets and divided them up between the bags. Flying Tiger are genius at bringing out a new version of a bestseller every year, so there are always fun designs around.

Love Hearts

TRB’s Emma, our Lead Editor, is firmly team Love Hearts:

“It’s old skool but I remember always going mental if I got Love Hearts sweets in a party bag as a child.”

Sometimes you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, note – 90s and 00s nostalgia is huge with Gen Alpha, right now. 

Slap bracelets

Deborah, our Social Media & Digital Content Coordinator, says:

“Mine was a slap bracelet – loved them.”

Couldn’t agree more.

I went for superhero slap bands at my four-year-old’s party and still use them to bulk out present packages two years on.

Parachute toys

These parachute toys are genius. After a party my son went to last year, they provided an entire rainy afternoon of entertainment on the stairs. A very strong return on investment.

Bendable sensory tubes

Fidget toys, again. My six-year-old loves these sensory bendable tubes whenever he finds one in our party bag stash. 

Party bag ideas for ages 7-8

As they get a little older, I think you can start having more fun with the party bag. At seven and eight, they still absolutely love a bit of tat – let’s not pretend otherwise – but they’re also starting to appreciate things that feel a bit more durable, and thoughtful (this is progress!)

Bouncy footballs

A bouncy football is a great option, although quality obviously varies depending on how much you want to spend. I didn’t love the ones I picked up, but they did. Next time I’d spend a little more. 

Face masks

I’ve done face masks two years running for ages seven and eight, and they’ve genuinely been the talk of the WhatsApp group.

The first time, I went for these cute kawaii-style sheet masks. This year, I just grabbed a handful from Superdrug.

My daughter loved choosing which mask would go to which friend, which was half the fun.

Kawaii stickers

Another easy, cheap dopamine hit: kawaii stickers from a massive multipack. Divide, distribute, done.

Fluffy eye masks

These fluffy eye masks, or a fun character eye mask, are exactly the kind of tat I’m happy to get behind because they’ll actually use them, night after night.

Mochi and squishy fidget toys

Mochi squishies and fidget toys are another easy win. This Squishmallow fidget set is a little more spenny, but you get 50 included, so you can hold some back for future birthdays.

Or just grab a huge mixed set with animals and different options to please everyone.

Football stickers and cards

For the footie fans, Premier League football stickers or cards are a brilliant addition.

I included these in my daughter’s seventh birthday party bags for the football-mad kids and earned so many cool points, for both of us!

A more premium surprise

If you want to include one slightly higher-ticket item rather than lots of little bits, something like these beautiful Meri Meri Ladurée Paris macaron surprise balls feels really special.

I actually placed one on each child’s place setting at my daughter’s eighth birthday party, which made for beautiful photos too, when they broke them open and discovered what was inside.

Keychains

The craze of the generation.

I went for these cat keychains for a group of seven and eight-year-olds, but these bubble tea plushies are also on my list.

Looking to spend a little more? The Pusheen craze is very real, and this tropical vacation surprise set would be a serious treat for party guests.

Mini resin animals

From axolotls to capybaras, miniature animals are another massive obsession.

We got these luminous capybaras, but there are loads of options depending on the current animal of the moment.

Temporary tattoos

Alex, our Social Content Creator, says:

“Mine was the temporary tattoos that you had to use a wet sponge to transfer onto skin!”

Agreed. These Meri Meri cat tattoos are currently on my Pinterest board. Just snip them up and pop a few in each bag.

Sticky hands

Sticky hands are loads of fun, and mine love them for a bit of car-window entertainment, too. You know the kind. Slightly annoying, get covered in a grimey fur by the end of the weekend. Completely irresistible.

Animal figures

Animal figures are another favourite of mine because you can tailor them to absolutely anything your child is currently obsessed with.

For my eight-year-old’s party bags, I went for these super-cute kittens and cat figures.

But dinosaurs, sharks, monkeys or safari animals would work just as well – and are already on my mental list for my son’s next party.

I also picked up these capybara figurines as a cake decoration, but they’d be absolutely perfect in a party bag too.

So, what should you put in a party bag?

My biggest tip? Don’t feel like you have to fill it.

A piece of birthday cake, four or five genuinely fun things and a nice bag is more than enough.

Buy bigger sets and divide them up. Mix something useful with something silly. Throw in a fidget toy, some stickers or a mini figure. And don’t underestimate the power of one item that feels slightly more exciting than the rest.

Because yes, some tat is inevitable.

But if they’re still wearing the fluffy eye mask six months later? I consider that a party bag parenting win.

Next up: The potty training games that might just make the whole thing more fun plus, Peek my ChatGPT parenting history, for real.