How many goodie bags do you need?

One for every child who comes, including the birthday child. Add two or three spares for siblings who tag along. Grown-ups don't need one.

Count the kids, not the invitations

Make bags for the kids who said yes, then add spares. Siblings often come with a parent, and a spare bag saves an awkward moment at the door. If you're unsure, count the "maybe" replies too; an extra bag or two keeps well for the next playdate.

Festidi's plan counts one favor per child and updates the number as replies come in.

What it costs

Bags add up fast, so pick a cost per bag first and shop to it.

Add spares to the "Bags" number. The goodie bag calculator does it for you.

What to put inside

One small thing a child will actually use beats a bag of extras that ends up in the trash. A few ideas that work across ages:

• Something to do: bubbles, sidewalk chalk, a mini coloring book with crayons, stickers, or a small puzzle.
• Something from the party: the craft they made, a photo from the day, or the "fossil" from the dig.
• One theme item: a small dinosaur figure, a pirate eye patch, a race car. One is enough.
• A treat, maybe: if you add candy, check the allergy notes from your replies and keep labels on anything packaged.

When to hand them out

At the door, as kids leave. Handing bags out early means small toys all over the party and bags left behind. Put a name on each bag, or have a helper hand them out with jackets.