Gone are the days of plastic party bags filled with artificial flavours, food colouring and poor quality toys that will break before the last of the birthday cake is wiped from beaming faces.

Parents today are going to increasingly competitive lengths to make children’s parties as magical as they are instagrammable - with no expense spared. 

Themed parties have become par for the course, and no such party is complete without a whole suite of party tableware, complementary decorations, games and take-home treats. Today’s kids (never mind the grown-ups) are as discerning as they are sugar-fuelled, delighting in swag bags of memorable keepsakes from their big days out, enabling them to prolong the euphoria - until the next invitations arrive, of course!

With pressure to compete mounting on already busy parents, we’re taking you through some deliciously simple crowd-pleasers that are as sophisticated as they are thoughtful - and, most importantly, they won’t break the bank. These chocolate goodies tick all the boxes, as they are gender neutral, won’t end up in the bin and are of the finest quality. You can hold your heads high on the school run, safe in the knowledge that your thoughtful mementos will have been gratefully received by adults and little ones alike. 

Allow us to introduce you to a few of our favourite pals for your petite party-goers…

For rumbles in the jungle

Jungle parties have to be one of the most popular theme choices of all time. They say elephants never forget, and mini Tarzans and Janes will always remember this gorgeous Chocolate Elephant in their bag of tropical take-home treats, decorated with white and dark chocolate, and scrummy pink ears. Almost too good to eat...

If the birthday boy or girl is ‘King of the Jungle’, then a milk chocolate big cat is surely second in line to the throne. Similarly, if you're hosting a Lion King party, then you'll roar with delight when you see this deliciously majestic Lion Chocolate treat. Perfect for any cub to take back to their lair.  

And you can't help but smile at this cheeky Chocolate Crocodile! Whether you're seeking a 'tick-tock croc' for a Peter Pan pirate party, or need a range of jungle animal chocolate novelty party bag fillers, this friendly croc is your green go-to.

For garden parties

Always a top choice for summer babies, and increasingly popular for any nature-lover, garden parties champion all things outdoors and are a great opportunity to educate little ones on wildflowers, weather systems and pollinators - like this beautiful Chocolate Butterfly made from milk, white and dark chocolate… And this one won’t even gobble up your favourite plants! 

Another favourite, ladybirds fascinate children and regularly steal the show in children’s books, toys and games. Not to be left out, this adorable milk Chocolate Ladybird looks like butter wouldn’t melt - though we suspect she might. 

For farmyard hootenannies

Counting sheep has never been more exciting! This woolly Chocolate Sheep is the ultimate companion to any tractor-lover’s farmyard party, and very appropriately - like all of our animal shapes - is handmade right here in Wales. He tastes as good as he looks at a price that won’t fleece party planners.

Hot on the heels of our Chocolate Sheep, and rounding up our shortlist of favourites, is this faithful Chocolate Sheepdog that might not come when she’s called but she certainly won’t bite back!

Theme it in chocolate

And the possibilities don’t end there - with chocolate novelties covering a huge range of themes such as this Jelly Bean Jumble Chocolate Pizza Slice for Pizza Parties, a Chocolate Guitar for Rock Star Parties and even magic wand Star Lollipops for little fairies, every party bag can be perfected with a gourmet gift.

See the full range of kids chocolate animals, lollipops, novelties and pizzas available to buy online from Maple.