Hey everyone! Hope you're all having a great week. I'm hitting a wall with party planning for Caleb's (my 9-year-old, Milo is 12 and Robert is 1) upcoming birthday. We're doing a farm animal theme here in Charlotte – he's obsessed with our German Shepherd, Mochi, and really wants a petting zoo party this year. It's in about three weeks, which means my usual last-minute scramble is officially underway!

I've got my spreadsheet going for food, decorations (scored some amazing barn-red tablecloths at a thrift store last week for literally $3 each!), and games. But I'm really struggling with the party favors. Specifically, I'm on the hunt for the best treat bags for a farm party. Last year for Milo's space-themed party, I just did those generic plastic goodie bags with some candy and bouncy balls, and honestly, they felt a bit… cheap. I want something a bit more memorable this time, but still practical.

I was thinking maybe little burlap sacks? Or those small galvanized pails? What have you all used that worked well? I'm open to DIY or buying them. Just need some inspiration for the best treat bags for a farm party that aren't just going to end up in the trash five minutes after the kids leave. We’re expecting about 15 kids, mostly ages 8-10. Any and all ideas appreciated!

P.S. On a related note, totally nailed down the cake decorations, thinking of miniature farm animals on top. Still deciding on candles, though! If anyone needs ideas for best candles for a farm party, let me know, I've got a whole Pinterest board of options. Just need help with these bags!

their response...

Naomi, I totally get where you're coming from! Farm parties are the best for making those sweet, lasting memories. My nephew Finn (he’s 13 now, but this was years ago when he was about 7) had a similar theme back when we lived in San Francisco. We did a "farmer for a day" thing with a small bouncy house shaped like a barn, and it was a hit. Our golden retriever, Zoe, even made a cameo dressed as a sheep!

When it came to the best treat bags for a farm party, we ended up using small, plain canvas tote bags – the kind you can get 12 for about $15 on Amazon. My sister-in-law and I bought some fabric paint and stencils of farm animals (pigs, cows, chickens) and had the kids decorate their own bags as one of the activities at the start of the party. It killed two birds with one stone: an activity AND a personalized treat bag! Inside, we put some farm animal stickers, a small notebook, a few pieces of fruit leather, and a tiny toy tractor. It wasn't fancy, but Finn still uses his bag for his art supplies sometimes, which makes my sentimental heart happy.

The only thing I'd do differently? We let them decorate the bags right at the start, and some of the paint took a while to dry. A couple of kids got paint on their clothes when they stuffed their favors in at the end. I’d suggest having a dedicated drying station or doing the decorating towards the middle, giving them at least 30 minutes to air out before putting anything inside. Also, maybe have aprons! Lesson learned, haha.

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OH BOY, Naomi! A farm animal party?! That sounds absolutely WONDERFUL! My grandkids Beckett (1), Arjun (3), Cole (6), Ellie (7), and Wyatt (9) would go absolutely BANANAS for that! When Ellie turned 6 here in Boston, we tried a sort of "barnyard bash" and it was a colorful explosion! I always overbuy, so I ended up with enough red and white checkered tablecloths to cover the entire neighborhood! Shopped at Market Basket, of course, got a deal on little plastic animal figures, 20 for $5!

For the best treat bags for a farm party, I went a little crazy trying to find just the RIGHT thing. I saw those burlap ones and thought, "Perfect!" But then I found these cute little tin pails, like miniature watering cans, at a craft store for about $2.50 each. I tied a little red ribbon around the handle of each one. Inside, I put a small packet of flower seeds (the kids loved planting them!), some gummy worms (farm dirt, get it?! HAH!), a mini rubber ducky, and a small bag of animal crackers. Everyone LOVED them! The parents said the kids were still playing with the pails weeks later. Way better than those plastic things that just break right away.

My only regret was trying to find EXACTLY matching red ribbons for the pails. I spent like, an hour at three different stores! Next time, I'd just pick a close enough red and move on. My wife said I needed to relax, but you know how it is when you have a vision for these parties! If you ever need ideas for other themes, I'm your guy! I once threw Wyatt a HUGE Spiderman party, and finding the best cups for a Spiderman party was another adventure, let me tell ya!

their response...

Hi Naomi! Fellow last-minute planner here from Atlanta, so I completely understand the treat bag dilemma. It's hot down here, too, which always makes me think about what's going to melt! My daughter Hazel (5) and our rotating foster kids are always excited for party favors, so I try to make them count without adding more stress to my plate.

When you're looking for the best treat bags for a farm party, efficiency is key, especially with everything else we juggle. I usually opt for pre-made sets from Amazon because, let's be real, that Prime shipping is a lifesaver. For a farm theme last spring, I found these really adorable small paper lunch bags (the brown kind) that had farm animal faces printed on them – cows, pigs, sheep. They came in a pack of 20 for about $10. Not super durable for long-term play, but they looked cute for the party and held up for the trip home.

Inside, I kept it simple: a small bag of animal-shaped pretzels, a few farm animal temporary tattoos, and some little plastic eggs with farm stickers inside. Nothing melted in the Southern heat, which is always a win! I did once try to hand-stamp bags with a chicken stencil, and let me tell you, that took FOREVER and half of them smudged. Never again! Now I stick to what's quick and reliable. Hazel also loves the little party hats, and we sometimes include them if they fit the theme. We've used these 11-pack kids birthday party hats before, they're always a hit!