party bags and balloons

[mjandrews96]

help
When were childrens party bags first started and when were balloons invented. Part-2 what did Victorian children have at their tea parties. My grandson aged 5 has this as his homework subject. Balloons I've managed to find out very little. The other 2 I'm stuck on.
Come in Octavious

[shaneystar2]

Victorians children's parties were often as elaborate as the ones their elders gave for themselves. Tea parties for as many as fifty guests were not unusual. After dancing, games and magic lantern show, children dined at tables set with linen and silver. Tea, sweet cakes, ices, and fresh fruit in season were served on the family's best china.
The Victorian age stressed the role of educational games for young children, and many of the games that were played at that time originated from parlour games.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parlour_games


I have no idea about the party bags though ! I would hazard a guess that this is another of these American imports that has crept over here....but when they were started I don' tknow . They were around when my sons were little in the early eighties.

[spudqueen]

We didn't have party bags when I was little in the 60's - we just went home with a slice of birthday cake wrapped in a serviette.