What to Put in Kids' Party Bags

Kids of all ages love sweets, so whether for a birthday party, Christmas event, or another type of celebration, sweets are primed to be a big part of it. Yet parents often struggle to know where to start. Party bags are perfect for kids' celebrations, but not all parents have the time to plan, buy, and prepare them amidst planning everything else for a party!

This is where savvy businesses come in. Offering pre-filled, high-quality party bag options is a unique way to diversify your range and position your business as the go-to for shoppers planning a party. Here, we will explain what goes into the best kids’ party bags to create compelling propositions that provide value to customers.

What is a kids' party bag?

A party bag, or goodie bag, is a small party favour given to guests at the end of a children's party – as a thank you for attending. Historically, they were filled with trinkets, plastic toys and maybe a slice of birthday cake. However, nowadays, party planners aren’t as wedded to this recipe as there are so many inventive ways to provide smiles for party guests.

Whilst sweets have long been an exciting aspect of party bags, popular formats such as cone bags and gift boxes filled with goodies are, unsurprisingly, well received, whilst some offer a candy buffet or mini pick n mix selection for guests to build their own sweet-filled party bags.

Why supply kids' party bags?

The primary reason for supplying kids' party bags is to offer convenience and value to your customers. Planning a kids' party can take weeks of preparation, usually involving numerous trips to multiple shops. For many, it can be stressful and complex, so anything you can do as a retailer to simplify the process will make it easier for customers to organise the perfect party. Ready-made party bag solutions will be appreciated by shoppers, saving them time and money throughout the planning process.

From a business point of view, party bags offer a straightforward upselling opportunity. If customers are already browsing your range, spotting ready-made solutions will help them to tick something else off the list easily. Plus, they’re also a great value proposition for movie nights and sharing with loved ones – especially pre-made sweet mixes! By providing different sweets and treats that are suitable for various celebratory occasions, you can become a de facto destination that customers go to for anything sweet-related. Not only is this useful for shoppers, but it also helps to improve your brand recognition and build shopper trust.

What goes in a kids' party bag?

A successful party bag is all about finding the right balance. Ideally, you’ll put together a package that provides brand recognition, value, novelty, variety, and even a touch of nostalgia. Both sweets and chocolate are excellent options, but there are many types and mixes that you could use. Here are some reliable best-sellers:

Bagged Sweets

When considering what to put in party bags for kids, treat-sized bagged sweets, from brands like Haribo and Skittles, are an easy selection. They’re crowd pleasers, and you’ll find plenty of globally recognised brands that kids and parents trust. Including a mini bag of Starmix, Jelly Tots, or another branded treat bag adds a recognisable element to party bags. It's an anchor for any goodie bag as it's a safe and popular choice that complements a novelty toy or treat very well.

Pick n Mix

Providing customers with party bags full of pick n mix sweets ensures one thing above all: variety. Kids don’t only want their favourite sweets, they want to discover new and interesting ones - sweets they haven’t tasted before. This doesn’t just include different flavours, but also different textures. Therefore, creating a cone bag packed with a varied pick n mix range, from boiled sweets to jelly sweets, ensures they stand out with high-quality and interesting sweets.

Kingsway is an excellent option for adding bulk and variety to your sweet bags without compromising quality. Kingsway pick n mix favourites, such as white mice and Dracula Teeth, give you the freedom to create unique and profitable mixes. Given the variety of Kingsway sweets available, you can build bags around specific party themes (like having pink and white marshmallows for a princess party bag or baby dolphins for a young boy's birthday party). These colourful assortments look fantastic and can help your party bags stand out.

If you want to know more about Kingsway, our guide on the top 10 pick n mix sweets from Kingsway is a great place to start.

Novelty sweets

While colouring books and mini notebooks are common party bag fillers, they can lack excitement and variety. Slush Puppie squeeze pops, Toxic Waste slime lickers, candy whistles and Chupa Chups lollies are some examples of great novelty sweets that can add a unique selling point to your bags. Prank items like candy teeth can also add fun variety that kids will remember, quickly turning into one of their favourite sweets. For more inspiration, our list of the top 10 novelty sweets is a must-read.

Retro sweets

Parents can be drawn to retro sweets, so adding them to your party bags can give them another reason to purchase. Retro classics, like Black Jacks, Parma Violets and Flying Saucers, add a layer of nostalgia unrelated to their kids' enjoyment of the sweets. It creates a positive connection to the purchase and improves trust signals.

Chocolate

Chocolate is always a winning addition to kids’ party bags. Treat-sized options, such as Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons, Milkybar, or Kinder bars, are instantly recognisable and loved by both children and parents alike. These small portions add a sense of indulgence without overwhelming the mix, making them a perfect complement to sweets and novelty treats.

Including chocolate in your party bags also helps broaden their appeal, especially for parents who see it as a safe and trusted choice. With well-known brands offering excellent margins and shopper recognition, adding bite-sized chocolate treats ensures your party bags feel complete and satisfying.

Why are kids' party bags great for a children's party?

By providing a thoughtful, well-constructed party bag that contains many satisfying, highly sought-after sweets, you create a high-value option because you aren't just selling sweets. You're selling an excellent solution that can improve your business's trust signals and lead to your shop being known as a knowledgeable, trusted sweets specialist.

Whatever the makeup of your pre-packed party bags, you’ll find all of the wholesale confectionery you need right here at Hancocks. With free UK delivery available, plus Click & Collect across the country at our 13 wholesale stores, we make sure that you can shop your way.

Share this post