Create festive goody bags that are practical and loved by children.

A birthday at home, a Christmas party at school, or simply the desire to give a gift… any occasion is perfect for giving a goody bag. Much more than just a small present, it's a thoughtful gesture that sparks curiosity, stimulates creativity, and creates lasting memories.

At PiCO Tattoo , we believe that it's the little things that leave the most beautiful marks. With colorful, fun products designed to appeal to children (and adults who love to see their wonder), putting together a surprise bag becomes a truly enjoyable and creative experience.

Ready to create unforgettable bags? Follow the guide!

Why give a surprise bag as a gift?

Because a goody bag isn't just a "little something" to hand out at the end of the party. It's a way to prolong the magic , to make each child feel that they were thought of, included, and celebrated.

Whether it's for a birthday party , a special classroom activity , a festive Christmas , or an end-of-year school surprise , giving a bag filled with lovely finds is:

• Create simple and spontaneous joy
  
• Encourage expression, play and creativity
  
• Give a souvenir that the child can take home
  
• Introducing toddlers to the joy of giving and receiving
  
  

And when the contents of the bag are as beautiful as they are meaningful, it becomes much more than a gift: it becomes a small moment of happiness in its own right.

The guide to creating the perfect party bag

Creating a surprise bag is a bit like composing a special recipe: a touch of creativity, a pinch of colors, and above all, a lot of attention.

Here are the key steps to designing a bag that's guaranteed to bring a smile:

1. Determine the occasion

Is it for a birthday at home , a Christmas party in class , a small end-of-year gesture , or a surprise to slip into a backpack ?

This first step will help you choose the right tone, format, and amount of elements to include.

2. Choose a theme or atmosphere

Children love themed worlds! It makes the bag more cohesive, festive and fun.

Some ideas that are always a hit:

• 🎄 Magical Christmas
  
• 🦄 Unicorns and rainbows
  
• 🦕 Funny Dinos
  
• 🚀 Space and explorers
  
• 🐾 Forest Animals
  
• 🌸 Festival of the Seasons
  
  

3. Select small, simple, fun, and creative surprises.

The idea isn't to fill the bag to the brim, but to choose a few well-thought-out items that encourage play, expression, and discovery. Here are some suggestions tested (and approved) by many children:

• Temporary tattoos : easy to apply, colorful, gentle on the skin… and always a hit! There are tons of fun themes to choose from: animals, seasons, magic, holidays…

• Stickers : perfect for decorating their notebooks, crafts, or personal belongings. A small expressive touch they love.

• An activity or painting booklet : to take home or use in the classroom. It's a lovely way to extend the celebration with a calm and creative activity.

• A greeting card to color or complete : a sweet word, a small drawing, or even a compliment to slip into the bag to make someone smile.

• A mini coloring poster : for those who like large formats. It can be folded to easily fit in a bag, or used as original coloring packaging.

• A themed surprise set ready to give : like those offered by PiCO Tatoo, which combine several small items in a coloring pouch. Perfect for children's parties, with no assembly puzzles!

Three or four well-chosen elements are all it takes to create a meaningful surprise. What matters is the intention and the pleasure it evokes.

💡 Looking for even more ideas? Discover all the PiCO Tattoo collections right here : tattoos, stickers, cards and posters to color, grouped by themes loved by children!

4. Adapt the content to the children's age

A goody bag is always best when designed with the age and developmental stage of the children it's intended for in mind. Here are some inspiring ideas for creating bags that are a hit, regardless of age group.

👶 Surprise bag ideas for children aged 3 to 5 — Explore with your eyes and hands

At this age, children like to touch, look, stick, and scribble. They discover through manipulation.

Ideas to slip into your bag :

• Tattoos with simple shapes (animals, fruits, funny faces)

• Fun stickers

• Mini coloring page or coloring poster

• Activity booklet

• A small sensory toy (foam ball, mini finger puppet)

• A wax or wooden crayon suitable for small hands
  
  

💡 Tip : Choose items they can explore independently and safely

👧 Surprise bag ideas for children aged 6 to 8 — Create, combine, imagine

At this age, children like to make connections between objects, invent stories, decorate, transform.

You can add the following:

• A card with secret messages (fold, color and fill in)

• Items to collect or assemble (puzzles, serial stickers)

• A mini-game (puzzles, search-and-find, mazes)

• Customizable self-adhesive labels for their school supplies

• A mini DIY activity (collage, paper mobile, etc.)

💡 The important thing is to nurture their imagination.

🧒 Goodie bag ideas for children aged 9 to 12 — Make it your own and personalize it

More independent at this age, children love objects that reflect their style or humor, and appreciate slightly more original surprises.

Try this:

• A mini notebook for “ideas” or “secrets”

• Stickers to combine to create scenes or characters (encourages creativity and visual appropriation)

• A compliment card to fill out and give as a gift

• A creative challenge: combine different tattoos to create a new one (e.g., a princess dress and a cat's head!)

• A mini comic strip to color

• A postcard to send to a loved one
  

💡 Give them tools for expression, even simple ones, and they will do the rest.

5. Pay attention to the packaging… it’s the first impression!

The packaging is what children see first: it creates the "wow" effect even before they open the bag. It doesn't need to be complicated or expensive to make an impression. It just needs to be thoughtfully designed (and have a touch of imagination).

Here are some inspiring ideas to make your bags even more festive:

🎨 DIY project or one to do with children :

• Kraft paper bags decorated with stickers, drawings or stamps
  

• Pouches made from decorative paper
  

• Reusable fabric bags (think upcycling and thrift stores) or squares of fabric tied in the Japanese style, “furoshiki”
  

• Newspaper bags or recycled packaging + colored string

💡 We can even reuse a A giant coloring poster as original and fun packaging. A great way to give a second life to your creation!

💡 Already ready and loved by children :

• PiCO Tatoo surprise sets , beautifully packaged in themed coloring pouches. They combine packaging and contents, perfect for Christmas, Halloween, or themed birthdays.
  

Packaging can even become an activity in itself , especially with coloring pouches. You're then offering not just a bag, but a moment to create and share.

6. Add a personal touch

It's often that small, unexpected detail that makes all the difference. Even if the contents are simple, a surprise bag becomes truly special when it contains an item that seems to have been chosen just for the child.

Here are a few simple ideas to add a personal touch:

• Write the child's first name on the bag or on a card
  

• Slip in a small handwritten note , a wish, or a fun riddle.
  

• Add a colorful label with a kind word or a positive quality (“You are funny”, “You are creative”)
  

• Include a secret word to discover, a challenge to complete , or a tattoo to guess.
  

• Let the child personalize their own bag (with stickers, crayons or a card to decorate)
  

💛 It is these simple, often improvised gestures that remain in memory long after the party.

A small surprise, a big memory

Creating a surprise bag is much more than just gathering a few objects. It's about offering a moment of joy, curiosity, and wonder. It's about saying to a child: "I was thinking of you."

Whether it's for a birthday , a school party , or simply to bring a smile, a well-thought-out bag, even a simple one, can create precious memories.

And thanks to playful, creative and colorful products like those from PiCO Tatoo , every surprise also becomes a playground, a tool for expression, or a sweet break in a busy day.

🎁 Ultimately, it's not about doing too much… but about doing just enough to touch, amuse and inspire .