Party Favors for kids

[Deleted]

Last year I spent $100 putting together little art project party favors for the kids at DS' birthday party. This year I'm thinking to hell with that - I don't want to spend the money and I don't like getting party favors because they clutter up my house until they break into a ton of plastic pieces which have to be cleaned up.

What say you? Should I skip the party favors?

[Deleted]

I don't bother with party favors. i don't see the point. The birthday child is the one who should get gifts, not everyone else. And, when my kids get party favors it is just some cheap junk that gets tossed the next day. Don't waste your money. Instead have snacks and activities the kids like to do. Spend there.

[MarleyKeezy78]

Go to target and shop in the dollar section! Glow necklaces, 15 for a dollar ;D I did little gift bags with those and flavored chapstick and whatever else was cool and wouldn't make a mess. Cheap and went over big

[Deleted]

I skip them for the most part. If it's a pool party I'll buy lots of pool toys at the dollar store and then let people take them home, something like that, but not favors.

[Malarky]

One of the products I offer at the bakery are favor bags. Decorated cookies in attractive packaging. I do them for kids birthdays, baby showers, wedding showers etc.

[lynnerself]

I hated favors. You could spend a bunch of money for stuff in little bags that was usually thrown way within a few days. I finally tried to get one nice thing, even if it was just an over sized candy bar.

[tcu2003]

Not a fan of party favors. If you do decide to do them, though - I like the cookie suggestion, or a bag of candy, or something like that.

[giramomma]

We do favors, but they are consumable.

Generally it's a snack, a pencil, an eraser, a notebook, and some stickers and/or tattoos.

I don't know what we'll do when my oldest turns 9 next year. One mom gave out a pack of baseball cards as a thank you. Even that's about $3/kid.

[Apple]

DS has an October birthday. Party favor that we did that was cheap, easy and went over well was popcorn balls. Had enough to send home for siblings as well, just wrapped them in little cellophane bags from the dollar store.

[saveinla]

If you are spending 3-4$, it's easier to get 5$ gift cards for ice cream places like Baskin Robbins or Coldstone.

[alabamagal]

I hated party favors, but then would feel like I "had to" do them because my kids were getting junk bags at every party they went to.

Break the Cycle! Be a rebel!

[Deleted]

We had a birthday party yesterday. We had little pumpkins for each of the kids to decorate with markers, stamps, stickers, etc. Their favor was that they got to take their pumpkin home.

[Deleted]

That's cute, Arch! DD went to a Bday party last weekend and they did the same thing.

[raeoflyte]

I like consummables, or the pumpkin idea is awesome.

Anne--you could maybe do gingerbread men cookies that the kids decorate?

[thyme4change]

Around here, we just give a small bag of candy. Sometimes we put a cheap toy in it. My daughter did candy with a jump rope (I think it was like $6 for 8 jump ropes.)

One year, I gave everyone a big bouncy ball. They were less than $5 at Target, and my daughter took markers and wrote everyone's name and drew pictures on them. I thought one big thing was more fun than a lot of little crap. And the big balls were a hit. Granted, that was when my daughter was 6, and it was a pool party.

[telephus44]

This is the first year we did goodie bags, I did playdoh and a pencil.

I personally prefer balloons - we get a huge bunch and then pass them out. Less clean up for us and counts as "decorations" too.

[Happy prose]

Not sure the age of your son, but when my daughter was around 10, I burned cd's with the current pop hits and labeled them 'Suzie's party mix.' Everyone liked them. Cost pennies.

[Deleted]

Great idea spooky pro se!

[sunbee]

I dislike it when my kids (especially when only one was invited--cause the others feel left out--rubs it in) bring home cheap toys and candy.
My favorite activity for other peoples' kids to do at parties is cupcake decorating. Messy but non-staining, not considered gendered by any child (yes, my sons invite female friends), and even the little toddler siblings can do a job that's satisfactory to him or her.
Then they get to eat it before they go home--the only catch is that you have to be super on top of any.food allergies in the group.

[Deleted]

Oct 22, 2012 8:09:42 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

I hated party favors, but then would feel like I "had to" do them because my kids were getting junk bags at every party they went to.

Break the Cycle! Be a rebel!

I agree. What is the point of it? To me, the "fun" for the kids is the party. It is just something for me to throw away when my kids get home. And, the focus of the party should be on the birthday kid. That is the one who gets the gift because it is their special day. It is all just an extension of the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality.
But, if you want to do it, is your party, so you should do whatever you think adds to the fun. But, i found my kids really didn't care about gift bags after about age 5 or so.

[Deleted]

Another idea! Scholastic always has books for 1$... order one for everybody! ... Books are one thing you can't get enough of in my opinion. Although you'd have to order ahead of time.

[973beachbum]

Oct 22, 2012 8:11:40 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

We had a birthday party yesterday. We had little pumpkins for each of the kids to decorate with markers, stamps, stickers, etc. Their favor was that they got to take their pumpkin home.

I have done art projects like this and had it as their gift bag also. The kids seemed to like it. The other thing I did was to have games planned and got slightly better than dollar store prizes instead of gift bags. I think I spent 3-4 dollars on each. IICR they were maybe jump ropes, bubble guns or water gun type things. I think it was as soon as you won you got to play with your prize so everyone eventually won one.

Thruthfully I hate kids parties. I can't wait till the whole thing is over.

[973beachbum]

Oct 23, 2012 6:58:08 GMT -5 oped said:

Another idea! Scholastic always has books for 1$... order one for everybody! ... Books are one thing you can't get enough of in my opinion. Although you'd have to order ahead of time.

I love books, but that would be like the house that gives out dental floss to the trick or treaters for halloweeen. Sorry.

[Deleted]

Another idea! Scholastic always has books for 1$... order one for everybody! ... Books are one thing you can't get enough of in my opinion. Although you'd have to order ahead of time.

I love that idea . . .

I love all the treat ideas too but we have kids who are banned from sugar. I don't want to be run over in the parking lot by a minivan.