How many goodie bags for a class party?
Invite the whole class and the bag count looks like a solved problem: one per child. It is not, and the gap is small, cheap and worth closing.
The answer
24 children aged 6 to 9 and 2 adults, 2:00 PM for 2 hours.
26bags
One per invited child plus 2 spares. Two spares for younger siblings who come along and expect one.
Our rule
The siblings nobody counted
Younger brothers and sisters arrive with the parent who stays, and a four year old watching two dozen children collect a bag will ask for one. The count below adds a small number of spares for exactly that. It is our own rule rather than a sourced figure, and it is the cheapest insurance on the whole list.
This is a snack party, not a meal.
The rest of the list for this party
| Amount | Item | Part of the party | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Snack portions | Food | Our rule |
| 6.5 | Prepared fruit | Food | Sourced |
| 27 | Cupcakes | Cake | Our rule |
| 12 | Round cake (instead of cupcakes) | Cake | Sourced |
| 57 | Juice boxes and soft drinks | Drinks | Sourced and our rule |
| 26 | Water bottles | Drinks | Our rule |
| 51 | Plates | Table | Our rule |
| 78 | Napkins | Table | Our rule |
Your party is not this party
Change the guest count, the ages, the start time or the weather and the whole list moves. The calculator opens on the party above, so you can adjust it rather than start again.
Where these numbers come from
- Planning the quantity food occasion, University of Minnesota Extension. Checked 2026-09-27.
- Ultimate cake serving chart, Wilton. Checked 2026-09-27.
- Beverage math: how much to serve at your event, Plum Deluxe. Checked 2026-09-27.
- Accurate food and beverage quantity guide for your guests, Occasional Occasions Catering. Checked 2026-09-27.
Anything marked our rule is our own judgement rather than a published figure. We say which is which so you know which numbers to argue with.
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