Party Favors
Party favors are a nice way to thank guests for attending, reciprocate for their thoughtful presents, and send them on their way with a small gift from your party.
Have enough favors for your child and any of his siblings who will want one. Make a couple extra favor bags for unexpected guests and siblings of guests who stay for the party. You can even have guests decorate their own favor bags and fill them during the party. Simply provide paper bags for guests to write their names on and decorate with stickers when they first arrive. The children can then put any favors, prizes, and completed art projects in their bags throughout the party.
Party favors can become expensive. Decide how much you want to spend and keep track of the cost of items you purchase. A favor can be one higher cost item, such as a flashlight, coloring book, or yo-yo, or a collection of lower cost items, such as stickers, pencils and candy, wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon. Completed Arts & Crafts projects can also serve as favors.
Around ten years of age your child and their friends may outgrow the traditional trinket-filled party favor bags. One large favor tied to the party theme, such as a children’s mystery novel for a Mystery Party, may be a bigger hit.
Arts & Crafts Supplies
Coloring books, crayons, paint sets, colored pens, markers and pencils, sidewalk chalk, modeling clay, playdoh, stencils and rubber stamps.
Balls & Outdoor Toys
Beach balls, super balls or squishy balls. Mini or full-size Frisbees or jump ropes. Balsa wood gliders and planes often available in special shapes, such as dinosaurs or butterflies.
Beauty Supplies & Hair Accessories
Colorful nail polish and lip gloss. Small bottles or packets of bubble bath or bath salts. Barrettes, head bands and decorated pony tail holders. Temporary tattoos.
Books
Activity books with mazes, crossword puzzles, word searches and dot-to-dot drawings. Paper doll and paper airplane craft books. Paperback books or comic books that tie in with party theme.
Card Games & Puzzles
Go Fish, Crazy 8’s, Old Maid, or a standard card deck. Small, individually packaged puzzles or make your own from blank puzzle kits available at craft stores.
Dolls, Puppets & Stuffed Animals
Small plastic, wooden, or cloth dolls. Small plastic or fabric finger puppets, usually animals, monsters, or aliens. Small Teddy Bears or other stuffed animal for your party theme.
Food Treats
Animal crackers, fruit leathers, gummy bears, chocolate coins or gum.
Jewelry & Accessories
Rings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and earrings (stick on). Key chains, pocket-size flashlights, specialty shoe laces in bright colors or fun designs. Baseball caps, sun visors or straw hats.
Magic Wands & Tricks
Magic wands, fairy wands or princess wands. Small individually packaged magic tricks, usually magic rings, cards, or puzzles.
Plastic Figurines
Aliens, Army men, super heroes, dinosaurs, horses, sharks, spiders or other shapes the tie-in with your party theme.
Retro Toys
Blowing bubbles, silly putty, yo-yos, punching balloons, whistles, spinning tops, marbles, paddle balls, ball & jack sets, and kazoos.
School Supplies & Stationary
Colorful pencils, shaped erasers, rulers, bookmarks. Notepads, journals, stationary or postcards.
Misc. Toys & Trinkets
Legos (divide a large bucket into favor bags), small plastic or metal cars, trading cards, winner’s medallions or award ribbons. Noisemakers, such as horns, whistles, and shakers. Special coins including state quarters, dollar coins, or foreign coins.
