A few years ago, I grew very tired of the traditional grab bag of dollar store-esque toys and treats. Plastic rings, mini erasers… No parent needs or wants any more of that garbage in their house! And nine times out of ten, the kids lose interest in those toys within an hour of receiving them. I understand the appeal of purchasing a package of 10 small bouncy balls for $1…along with several other similar items and putting them all into a bag. Simple and inexpensive. But what if, instead, you just gave each child ONE thing that is a bit more substantial, still without breaking the bank?
Here are some ideas! There’s no need to spend a lot on party favors. After all, it’s just a small token to say “thanks for coming”. (I’m not feeling particularly Pinterest-y these days, so I’m sticking to things you buy. If you’re looking for a fun project and wish to make your own creative favors, check out these other ideas.)
Large swirl lollipops – Party City carries them in a variety of colors, as will online vendors like Oriental Trading Company.- Hula hoops – I purchased 15 cute ones at our local Dollar Tree store for a party we had in the spring. The kids loved them!
- Small stuffed animals (Oriental Trading Company is a great spot for these, because you can buy them in bulk and they have a wide variety of choices.)
- Beach balls (or other kinds of blow-up balls).
- Puzzles
and coloring books – Again, my local Dollar Tree store has popular character puzzles and coloring books, just a dollar each! These made a great gift at my 3 year old’s party. I attached a lollipop to each one. - Pail and shovel set (sand castle kit): These are easy to find for summer parties.
- Hot Wheels ($1 each and boys love them!)
- Music! Make a fun kid-friendly mix CD to play at the party, and give each guest a copy of it to take home.
- Mylar balloon (Okay, I swear this post is NOT an advertisement for Dollar Tree, but I have to mention it again, because you should never pay $4 for a helium balloon when they
have them for a buck at your local dollar store! They have all the cute characters and birthday messages, etc. Use them for party decor and then send each child home with one.) - Homemade cake pops
- Legos – Buy one pack of the small original Legos and give each guest a portion of them. If you’re lucky enough to have a Lego store in your mall like we do, you can customize a cup of them by color, size, etc. It’s so much fun to choose your own batch!
- Cute hair ties (for older girls)
- A canister of playdough.
What I love about the ideas above is they don’t need to be wrapped or placed into a favor bag. Just let each child grab one from a large bowl, and you’re done!
Leave us a comment with additional party favor ideas!
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Nicole
I’m so over party favors!!! Can’t we just not do them?? I had a child at my daughter’s party once say “this is all we get?” Seriously!!
My mother always gave favors, even at dinner parties but her take was that it was a momento to remind the guest of the nice time they all had. One year, for a pixie party in the playground, I gave little white wool birds. That was 5 years ago and people still have them on a shelf or in the Christmas decorations box. They have,in fact, told me it reminds them of what a nice time they had at that party when they look at it.