Pinata Ideas

[VisionaryMom]

DS has been on a pinata obsession lately. We're planning an end of summer party for some friends, and we picked up a pinata. I don't want to stuff it with crappy candies, so I'm looking for some suggestions for other things. We don't have a ton of variety locally in terms of whole foods, but I'll be making a trip to a bigger city before the party.

We're inviting about 20 children. Most are in the 2-5YO range.

[noobmom]

Are you asking for candy recommendations? Or other non-candy items that would be good in a pinata?

In terms of candy, I love Yummy Earth and they make both drops and lollipops. You can order off their website and there is free shipping if you order at least $25. I'd buy one of their bulk bags and use that as a portion of the "stuffing".

You could also put some stickers in there, or maybe temporary tattoos (those seem popular with kids). Maybe some bouncy balls?

[rebirth]

You could also make homemade granola and baggie it up, or add in chocolate covered rasins in small bags too. Boxed packs of dried fruits would be good too.

[youngmom420]

Kids love money in their pinatas!!

[JessicaTX]

Do not put pencils or crayons in it, even though they are cheap and seem like such a great idea. Wait, unless you are using the ribbon ones..the beat it with a stick pinatas the pencils and stuff end up broken and unusable.

for more pinata fun, you can hang up water balloons and let them beat those with a stick. It's fun to see how many people you can splatter =D

[DashsMama]

We've used fruit leathers and z-bars instead of candy. Also small non-food treats like rhinestones, stickers, superballs, plastic MardiGras coins and beads make nice bootie for the kids.

[Thalia the Muse]

I love the idea of a pinata full of superballs -- they'd go everywhere, it would be spectacular.

[Youngfrankenstein]

My friend had a Lego themed birthday for her son and filled the whole thing with Legos.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Bouncy balls sound fun! Also, little boxes of raisins, or tiny bags of other dried fruits and snacks. The nice thing with that large of a group is that you could do maybe 2 items for each child and it would be plenty full! Then, if it's not the most amazingly healthy food item, at least they aren't getting much of it.

[VisionaryMom]

You mamas have such awesome ideas! I like the bouncy balls and several other ideas. I definitely will put some candy in it, or I think some of the kids would riot. My son's friends range from some who are pretty commercialized to some who have very strict diets. I know it's probably impossible, but I do try to accommodate as many people as possible. I will try the Yummy Earth candies and see how they go over. Even if I have to get a huge bag, I'm sure I can use them for other things when the kids are asked to bring candy.

[noobmom]

Oh, the Yummy Earth lollipops will be a hit definitely. They taste way better than regular lollipops and every kid I've ever given them to love them. You can find them at Whole Foods too, but usually they just have small bags. I think it would be more efficient and less expensive to order it online.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by Youngfrankenstein

My friend had a Lego themed birthday for her son and filled the whole thing with Legos.

What an absolutely wonderful idea for my DS's next birthday party. He's a lego nut and he can't have most candy due to food intolerances.