should i do goodie bags too? ****ETA****

I did goodie bags and a pinata for my dd's 2nd birthday party.
If you could afford it i say go for it

It is really up to you. I personally would, but I don't think that anyone would think anything of it if you didn't.  Actually, Instead of "Goodie Bags" for my kids parties, I tend to do $5 gift cards to someplace like Target or McDonalds.  It ends up costing about the same as the goodie bags with all of the stuff, but the kids LOVE it and the parents love that they don't end up with a bunch of toys that get thrown away. 

 I do. But they are usually pretty much empty, so there's room for the candy. I usually put only the little toy-related things, plastic frogs, etc. But since yours is 3, there will probably be other babies there (maybe younger)? Make sure you get baby-safe toys with no small parts. Or skip the toys altogether and just give out the bags empty...

The ages are 1.5-4/5 years old. I was thinking a straw, candy from the pinata and like teddy grahams or some other snack in an individual bag.

Quoting momof3jam:

 I do. But they are usually pretty much empty, so there's room for the candy. I usually put only the little toy-related things, plastic frogs, etc. But since yours is 3, there will probably be other babies there (maybe younger)? Make sure you get baby-safe toys with no small parts. Or skip the toys altogether and just give out the bags empty...

 I like that - very cute (and considerate) idea.

Quoting MrsWhite101610:

The ages are 1.5-4/5 years old. I was thinking a straw, candy from the pinata and like teddy grahams or some other snack in an individual bag.

Quoting momof3jam:

 I do. But they are usually pretty much empty, so there's room for the candy. I usually put only the little toy-related things, plastic frogs, etc. But since yours is 3, there will probably be other babies there (maybe younger)? Make sure you get baby-safe toys with no small parts. Or skip the toys altogether and just give out the bags empty...

 

I have a 8 yr old, a 3 yr old, and a 2 yr old. For every single one of their bdays i have made my own piñata and i have also made goody bags. Because their are always some kids that dont get enough candy or arent able to make it in the crowd because of the bigger kids hogging all the candy! Lol so just so i dont have kids with their feeling hurt i always make bags, and right after the piñata has been broken i come out with the bags and say "who didnt get candies?" And they get in line and i start handing them out. Usually i make enough for everysingle kid. And at the end everyone is happy!

Thanks

Quoting momof3jam:

 I like that - very cute (and considerate) idea.

Quoting MrsWhite101610:

The ages are 1.5-4/5 years old. I was thinking a straw, candy from the pinata and like teddy grahams or some other snack in an individual bag.

Quoting momof3jam:

 I do. But they are usually pretty much empty, so there's room for the candy. I usually put only the little toy-related things, plastic frogs, etc. But since yours is 3, there will probably be other babies there (maybe younger)? Make sure you get baby-safe toys with no small parts. Or skip the toys altogether and just give out the bags empty...

 

i would just bc you might have a kid or two that don't feel comfortable digging one the floor with other kids for candy.

That's up to you. I always have a "favor" to take home. Usually bubbles with a tag on them saying thank you for coming - regardless of whatever else we do at the party.

Goodie bags seem to be the expected norm now, but I hate hate hate them... plastic bags full of cheap crap that I have to dig out from under the car seat or the couch, and candy that I don't want them to have.

Last year, for AD's 4th bithday, I got little cloth drawstring backpacks from Oriental Trading Company and a bag of tiny stuffed animals, and threw a few into each bag and called it a goodie bag... my kids used the bags all summer carrying stuff to daycare, and i saw a lot of the other kids from the party doing the same thing... practical takeaway prize that really didn't cost that much more than the cheap junk we usually see.

This year, we will either do color your own tee shirts (tee shirts on sale at walmart) or color your own bags (from OTC).  We are doing a home party, not an event party (like Bounce House or Chuckee Cheese).