The goodie bag... love them or hate them? Always filled with candy that you don't want your kids to be eating all in one sitting and little plastic toys and stuff that breaks or just gets lost in two seconds... so you have three minutes of enjoying the goodie bag and ten minutes of crying because the miniature plastic slinky is lost. Oh, goody!

What can you use to replace the traditional goody bag items?

I was thinking about this today... in the fall kids might get a kick of getting a daffodil bulb to plant with their parents. In the spring it's fun to watch those grow.

Tree seedlings? Again- fun activity to plant with mom or dad, then watch it grow.

What else?

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I pick up children's books in really good condition at yard sales and include them in the goody bag.

You would be surprised at what I have found...books that look BRAND NEW for a dime...
I guess you could call it "green" by buying secondhand instead of new.

Packets of flower seeds? Maybe tie them to a gardening trowel with the child's name written in sharpie on it? That would be pretty inexpensive.

For the fall everyone could get an apple, popsicle stick, a handful of caramels with instructions so they can make their own candy apple when they get home. Or, you could have them already made and wrapped when they get there.

You could have little pots at your party and everyone could plant their own annual in them, maybe pansies in the winter, mums in the fall, marigolds in the spring. They could also decorate their pots.

This isn't really green, but I like to do arts and craft items in mine. DD is 3 and for the past two years there has been a coloring book and 24 pack of crayons in her bags.

Ohh, I really don't like goodie bags.

We try and give a $5.00 gift card for a local book store, or a book, or a book-mark ~ something that can be used again and again.

But I love the ideas of the little trees or the packet of flowers. Great thinking!

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Mom to dd (age 9) and ds (age 11)

How about bird feeder kits. Include a pinecone, a string, peanut butter in a paper cup w/ a plastic knife to spread it and some bird seed w/ directions on how to make them.

You tie a string on the end of the pinecone, fill it w/ peanut butter and roll in the birdseed. Then hang it outside and watch the birds enjoy it.

we do this all the time. but not as favors just for us at home. I think I'll have to do this next year.

allgirls

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

These are all pretty good ideas! We also do the pinecone thing for the birds in the wintertime!

The one other thing I can think of is to not give a goody bag- do a cake cutting for the favor- although if I was a child- I would be disappointed!

What about those little mini-tubs of playdough and a cute cookie cutter? Maybe not so earth-friendly long term, but what kid doesn't love playdough?

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I know this probably isn't "green" but, I usually do sugar cookies on a stick-done in whatever theme my child's party is in that year. We've also done the playdough thing.....(great idea when they were younger) and the caramel apple kit for a fall party.

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you can make your own play dough! I am sure that it is not as bad as the already packeaged ones!

Have to say I love the sugar cookie on a stick idea. It's consumable, so I'd say it's very earth friendly. And stick cookies are just so cool...

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them