When it comes to birthday parties for kids, one of the many things on your to-do list is to plan the party favors. These little tokens of appreciation are a way to extend the joy of the celebration beyond the event itself.
Whether it's a princess party for your little girl or a construction themed bash for your adventurous boy, party favors can add to make the day special for all the young guests. From colorful goody bags to a treasure box filled with toys and trinkets, the options are endless when it comes to delighting the little ones.
Party favors are not just about filling up party bags; they're about adding an extra layer of fun and excitement to the festivities. Temporary tattoos, art supplies, stickers, and small toys are popular choices, providing a fun activity for kids to enjoy long after the party ends.
If you're anything like me, returning home after your little kids have been to other kids birthday party often leaves you with a goodie bag full of surplus of cheap, plastic trinkets that serve no purpose beyond cluttering up the house.
Beyond the obvious environmental impacts of the manufacture and the disposal of them in our landfills I never felt comfortable giving these out at my kids party’s
I have compiled a list of thoughtful and practical party favors for your kids birthday party that are better for the environment and are more useful and practical for your guests.
Best Party Favors For Kids:
1. Scratch Art Packs: These come in packs of 15 and are perfect your party bags for creative toddlers and kids
2. Road Tape Party Favors. If you are having a car, train, construction, hot wheels inspired party giving all the kids my road tape is a great gift that will give them many hours playing at home.
3. Mini Tic Tac Toe Games: These cute felt tic tac tow games are great for taking traveling as they come in a small pouch and come in packs of 12 or 30
4. Stickers: Personalize your own stickers like these from Sticker Mule. Make a sticker of your kids face or a sheet or a larger round sticker with your child’s name and age. Temporary tattoos personalized with your kids face would also be super fun!
5. Wikki Stix Packs: Comes in a pack of 20 and each pack has activity sheets, great for younger children goodie bags
6. Rainbow Magic Wands: These cute rainbow wands are perfect for some magically pretend play fun and make a lovely colorful party favor
7. Animal Masks: Felt masks in packs of 24 in all different animals. These are great for pretend play!
Bonus Idea: Another great favor for a car themed party is my Alphabet and Number Road Trace Activity books!
Do Kids Need Party Favors?
No! It is definitely ok to skip party favors altogether. Rather concentrate on giving a fun filled party all the guests will enjoy and remember. Although some party guests expect to receive goody bags I don't think giving these little gifts on your special day should be the priority. As a mom myself I would much prefer my kids not to receive party bags full of candy and useless plastic trinkets. I think that a fun party is much more important. Or if you want you can give just one gift that is more thoughtful and useful is much more important.
What to Pack in a Kids Party Pack?
I like to think about it in terms of a budget first. Once you have a budget and have divided this by the number of guests who will be receiving a goody bag.
Then I like to include:
- 1 Creative Toy (for drawing, sculpting etc)
- 1 Game (like tic, tac, tow etc)
- 1 Imaginary Play Toy (for example something for dress up like a wand or a mask or a super hero cape)
- 1 Item that has the birthday kids name on it. Like personalized stickers or a fun note that says 'Thanks for coming to my party!'
I like using plain brown Kraft bags to pack the party favors in. The birthday kid then decorated each one for their friends using colored crayons and stickers. You can also personalize them and add cards thanking your friends for coming to the birthday party.
What Goes in a Party Bag for 3 Year Olds?
When selecting party favors, it's essential to consider the ages and interests of the guests. For younger children, simple toys are ideal, while older kids may appreciate more interactive gifts or themed prizes.
Some ideas for a 3 year old party: temporary tattoos, stickers, pretend play toys.You can follow the theme of the party.
Guests Bring Items to Swap
A lovely idea for a birthday party favors is to ask guests to bring something to swap. This could be instead of bringing gifts if you wish. Each guest brings something and gets to choose from all the other things guest bring to take home. This is a fun party activity as the kids gets to choose what to swap.
For example:
- Cars: At a race car or construction birthday party guests can bring 5 of their hot wheels cars and bring 5 different ones home
- Books: Have each invitee bring a book and choose a book from the collection to bring home
- Art: have everyone bring a painting or make one at the party and then they can bring one home
Other Birthday Party Ideas
Here are some fun party activities for kids to do at the event:-
Have a Giant Coloring Page for kids to color and play on like this
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A fun party activity is to create a huge train track or road way for the kids to play with toy cars or trains on. Use my road or train tape to create an imaginary small world.
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You can also use this road or train tape to decorate the table or party space. Check out this amazing construction birthday party using my road tape
- Have a treasure box full of prizes and create a simple scavenger hunt or a map to find it
Seasonal Celebrations
For hosts planning a summer birthday bash, consider incorporating party favors that tie into the season. From beach-themed treats to insects-catching kit, there are plenty of options to suit the sunny weather and keep the kids entertained.
Birthday's To Remember!
In conclusion what makes a party isn’t the party favors it’s a memorable and fun filled special day! Party favors can add a little extra creativity and excitement for the party goer.
It’s also a handy way of telling everyone that the party is over. Instead of telling the sugar filled toddler ‘it’s time to go’ and getting a meltdown as a result. Saying “Come on! Lets get your party bag on the way out!’
This worked really well for my transition hating toddler!
Enjoy the party and be sure to share any photos with me on my instagram @SoHandmadeLLC
Check out my collection of party favors gift ideas here:
