Berkeley Parents Network: Birthday Party Favors

Berkeley Parents Network

Birthday Party Favors

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Birthdays > Birthday Party Favors

Alternatives to Goodie Bags

Ideas for Party favors

Pinatas

Where to get Party Supplies & Favors

Party Favor Etiquette

Ideas for Party favors

my daughter's B-day is coming up and I hate to give out candies... I cannot afford toys, any ideas???

Linda 7/99

Instead of filling goodie bags, I stuffed small favors into balloons and blew them up with this prize inside. Had a huge barrel of balloons at the start of the party. I explained that every so often I'd ring a bell or blow a whistle, and each kid could then come and pop a balloon (I had a pushpin available to help), get the prize, and put it in his or her goodie bag, which I'd strung up with clothespins on a rope nearby. Some of the prizes were too big or too hard to fit into a balloon, in which case I put in a note that said the kid could go over to another special basket and choose a toy from that. I used a manual balloon pumper and plastic balloon ties to cut down on the work. It was a bit of a job, but two kids told their moms this was the best bday party they'd ever attended!

Natasha (7/99)
Keep party favors simple too. A friend of mine calls those favor bags "kiddy litter", and I agree. Instead of giving kids bags full of little useless things, consider instead giving them one thing, maybe connected to the party theme. For example, a tea party or dress-up favor could be a little dress-up hat or tiara or string of pearls. Some bubble-blowing paraphenalia. Or some face paints, finger paints, water colors or markers. We recently went to a party where the favors were candy and toothbrush and toothpaste. The kids thought it was great!

I have some ideas for you for party favors for little kids that are inexpensive: Mr. Mopps in North Berkeley has shelves and shelves of 10 cent & 50 cent toys. Chinatown is also a great place to pick up stuff.

decorated pencils (you can buy a pack of them)

fancy erasers

pretend jewelery (plastic rings, bracelets, etc)

bandaids with pictures on them (my kids always liked these!)

bouncy balls

buy a box of gummy fruit snacks, each kid gets a package

balloons they can blow up later

little rubber spiders, snakes, insects, etc.

buy a pad of fake money notepads, give each kid a few

buy a pack of plastic combs at the grocery store

paper airplanes

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