As a parent, taking your kids to the multitude of kids birthday parties that is now your life, you have to deal with receiving party favors for your kiddos at the end of the function. This, although delightful for the little ones, can be a headache for the parents depending on the contents. Many times these goodie bags are filled with flimsy toys that break, have small parts (which isn’t ideal if you have other babies at home), and just cause clutter in general as they build up in junk drawers, toy bins, couch cushions, my purse (kids take-over all real estate...am I right?). Or after a party that most certainly had its fair share of sugar (as parties should) you get sent home with a bag full of candy which you then have to have the discussion with your child about why they can’t just down the whole bag of yums. And if you are lucky enough to have a kid that is reasonable, you may negotiate holding onto these for them and giving them out once in a while. In my case, and I feel a ton of parents would agree, this conversation does not go down well and usually ends with tears. So the goodie bag, as delightful as its intentions were, has now become a “fun” interaction with a toddler and in some cases a nuisance. My strategy these days is to dodge receiving a bag in general (sorry friends- I may have done this to you).
On the flip-side, as a party host, you feel the need to include this as part of the event because simply…”it’s what you are suppose to do.” I too have been a victim of this social norm and have also given favor bags filled with no value. Fear not! Here I offer some suggestions for all of us that will either minimize costs or send the guests home with something of value.
Here are some great alternatives to what you usually find in favor bags that also provide educational value…
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A Small Book- Books are both fun for kids, and will make any parent give you the thumbs up. Check out how Aesthetic Nest gave these books a cute vintage presentation..
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A Small Puzzle- A puzzle as a favor is another great party favor with educational value. These Matchbox puzzles are super cute, but a traditional puzzle would be excellent too.
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Small Set of Building Blocks or Magnets- Building blocks are still one of the top toys for promoting hand-eye coordination, social skills, spatial skills, math skills, and creativity. And there are so many cute variations, like these pocket pack magnet blocks...
These unique party favors also offer value in other ways…
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A Plant to Grow- What a fun activity to take home that is earth friendly. You can package these cute as giveaways or have the plant potting be a fun birthday party activity where the guests get to pot plants or seeds and enjoy their plant at home. These party pots from Project Nursery for a Farmer's Market Theme, are perfect...
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Framed Polaroids- Take fun pictures of the guest with the birthday kid, and give these out in cute frames that they can put up in their room. Memories are one of the most precious gifts, and these acrylic frames are tops...
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An Art Set- What a great gift to awaken the inner artists inside. We love this bright set created by Art Bar...
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Recycled Crayons- What a great way to be creative, and also find a use for those broken or worn crayons and upcycle. The Earth thanks you. These heart-shaped crayons from My Frugal Adventures are lovely...
- Chalk with a Twist- My household loves some good ol’ fashioned sidewalk art, and there are some fun ways to dress this simple favor up. This one is light on the wallet and always a favorite. This DIY Popscile Chalk from Hello Wonderful is sure to WOW...
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Fun Socks- This idea is not only fun, bright, or themed, but also very functional. How cute are these...
Now for some healthier edible options…
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Fruit- I know what you’re thinking...BORING, but hear me out. You can make these adorable, and you will score major brownie points with the other parents. Wouldn't it be cute to send home guests with strawberries in these adorable baskets like we saw at Catch My Party...
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Custom Trail Mix- You can make your own custom mix of nuts, dried fruit, popcorn, and add in some chocolate chips for the win. Nuts always look so presentable in a jelly jar, like Kollabora did...
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Homemade Granola- There are some great recipes for homemade granola, and the kids will love them...I promise. Look at this simple and cute bagging by Craft Gossip to hand them out...
Now for some cost minimizing kill two birds with one stone options...cause we all love to save money.
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Dessert Bar- Tried and true, a dessert bar that is available for guests as consumption at the event, but also supplies cute bags or boxes to pack up some sweets as take-aways. This kills two birds with one stone (desserts and favors in one), and it allows your guests to customize their bag with either a little or a lot and pick the sweets that call out their names. Or for those parents that want to limit their little ones sugar in-take, it allows them to just bypass this option. Tell me you wouldn't bag all of these from this dessert bar by Kara's Party Ideas...
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Craft Activity- Plan an activity for the kids to create something that they get to keep. A great example are these Bead and Straw Necklaces that we wrote about in an earlier post...
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Homemade Treat- I know earlier I complained about being sent home with a bag of candy, but no edible take-away can replace something homemade. I will always grab a home-made treat! It's personal, it can be customized, and anything made in the home kitchen always has a little love added in. Can you say NO to homemade cookies...I think not. Here...try to say NO...
These are some of my favorite party favor ideas, but there are so many more. So, let’s make a pact parents- No more valueless party favor bags! We can do this! Anyone have any other fun party favor suggestions?