The birthday party has come to be a regular mainstay of the young child’s social scene. As a matter of fact, elaborate birthday parties for kids seem to be happening younger and younger and it is not uncommon for children to attend several parties a year. Now, I am not a big worrier by nature, but since I have been focusing on summer safety issues, I thought I couldn’t really pass up a discussion about the party goody bag—these present all sorts of possibilities for hazards.
Goody bags are an invitation to provide small items to children. Since the bags are small, parents seek out little toys and items to fill these bags and many of these items are TOO small and present a choking hazard to young children. As a rule, it is a good idea to avoid providing goody bags for children younger than three years old. Instead, you can provide a wrapped age-appropriate gift or an appropriate edible treat to take home. The plastic bags themselves can also be a hazard to young children who tend to put everything in their mouths. This can also mean choking or suffocation. If possible, consider cloth bags instead as these are much safer and can be re-used for other items and treasures.
Unless the goody bags are for elementary aged and older children, avoid small items or toys with tiny, multiple parts all together. Also, it is a good idea to avoid items that may be made of toxic substances or have sharp edges. And, believe it or not, balloons—the children’s party mainstay—can be a choking hazard to young children too. So, it is best to avoid balloons for children under the age of three—they are very likely to chew on them or put them in their mouths.
The goody bag doesn’t show any sign of disappearing from children’s parties—but as the parent, you can take some precautions to make sure that the goody bags you provide are not a safety hazard. If you have taken your child to someone else’s party, you should always go through the goody bag before the child does, to look for any safety hazards or inappropriate items.
See Also: Birthday Party Anxiety