Goody Bags!!! Do they have to be necessarily extravagant??

Goody Bags is a term with which I first became acquainted when I was six years old and I attended a birthday party with my parents( when my father was posted abroad) but I understood its real meaning when my daughter started her preschool. When your child is 2-3 years old then she is least bothered about the things that are in birthday goody bags but as soon as she becomes a year or two older, the first thing you listen is that your kid wants gender specific and really nice goody bags for her friends. If Barbie is your girl's favorite cartoon character then you can't give that goody bag to boys in the class and if Ben 10 is your boy's favorite cartoon character, then you have to buy separate goody bags for girls. One thing that excites the children the most while going to any birthday party is no doubt the goody bag that they are going to receive at the party.

Mostly parents especially mothers make sure to make their kids happy by buying things of their kid's choice for the goody bags he has to present to his friends on his birthday. Money is spent frivolously on birthdays these days. Goody bags nowadays mean a status symbol for many parents. Birthdays are considered incomplete without goody bags. Goody bags or Birthday giveaways  are no doubt a source of happiness for kids but I believe that they should be made with love while considering the things that would make the children actually happy without considering their brand value.Saying this, I am also against the useless things which are nothing but only crap or junk. Good things don't necessarily have to be exorbitant. People go over the board to buy expensive items as the birthday giveaways in order to make their kid's birthday the most talked about birthday in their circle.

In my opinion, for making an ideal goody bag (which is also economical) for kids 3-6 years old , you can put the following things:

• A small pack of color pencils and a small coloring book
• Chips and a small pack of biscuits/ a chocolate/ a lolly pop
• Eraser and a Sharpener or a small writing pad
• Two or three writing pencils

I haven't included juices in the above list as you would obviously be serving juices to kids at the party. Though many people put chewing gums and candies in the goody bags,I  wouldn't recommend them as they won't be suitable for small kids. Some people do include items like whistles, small toys and balloons : it all depends on your and your kid's choice ( because it's her birthday!). Another option for goody bags is buying money boxes for kids which can then be filled with eatable items like a small pack of biscuits , a chocolate and any other item you wish. In this way, children would also be having useful things apart from the eatable items.
And you can always  put a thank-you note  showing your appreciation for the kids and their parents who came to attend your kid's birthday party.