Sugar and Children's Parties
Many moons ago I was a new mum and my attitude towards sugar was that, actually sweets are part of your childhood and if you can't have sweets and treats when your a kid when can you have it?
Oh how things have changed!
Both my two react strongly to a sudden sugar rush, one has real sugary tooth and the other not so much, one struggles to keep the weight off, one doesn't, no prizes for guessing which is which!
More and more as mums we are understanding the sugar is not good, so where does that leave us at party time? After all aren't sugary treats and integral part of the children's party?
Right from the start with pass the parcel, where each new paper wrapping contains a little sweet treat... and of course in the interests of fairness doesn't each child get to 'win' a sweet? Its easy to make sweets into party prizes all the way through the party.
Piñata's, what if not sweets do you put in a Piñata?
Candy Bars... what can I say... absolutely nothing!
Party food... also loaded with sugar, it has to be, it is expected! Cakes, chocolate, jelly and ice-cream, biscuits.... thats what parties are made of.
It doesn't stop there either, party bags ALWAYS contain sweets!
Have you ever had to bring your child down from a sugar high after a party? I have and its not pretty but I will leave some tips at the end of this post.
So what is the future?
It will take time but I do believe there will be a move towards less sugar at party time, as generations start to grow up with less sugar in their diet then so the need to have it in excess at parties will lessen, new mums now don't have the same thoughts that I did.
Birthday cakes will always be a major part of the party, but prizes don't have to be sweets, there are loads of small toys that work just as well as prizes, it may take a bit more thought, but the way forward is to reward only the winner of party game with a small gift, when I think back thats is how it was done when I was a little girl, so perhaps the idea is very vintage and 'retro' and therefore bang on trend!
The same goes for Piñata's and it doesn't have to cost much to do it that way, if you think along the lines of balloons, mini tattoo's and small stretchy toys you are probably on a winner, I think some sweets will always have a place inside a piñata just in moderation.
Party food, I am sure will become much healthier, I have seen a growing trend already for carrot, cucumber sticks and chopped fruit, pizza and chips with only a limited selection of biscuits and finished with sugar free jelly.
A menu that still leaves me feeling a little flat but its the right way to go none the less.
Candy Bars.... I still have nothing to say!
Party Bags; The bain of many a mothers life, working in this industry you have no idea how many times I hear a mum utter the words "Party bags I hate party bags..."
Oh dear me I know dearies and I know why too, that's why I work in this industry because I too hate most party bags, fit only for the bin they are a total waste of cash, but a party is not a party without a party bag and I do feel strongly that if we must spend the money then we should make it count.
This is why here at Party Bag Kids we create party bags that are fun, great value and not loaded with sugar.....