As caregivers of young children, we all have LOTS of trinkets floating around our houses, cars, and even pockets. Sometimes it is precious to be handed a little rock or small art project by your child, other times it can be over-stimulating to have more small toys entering the playroom. With that in mind, when putting together a party favor, we want to strive for a pop of joy, not adding clutter to someone’s space. To achieve this, you should consider the theme of your party, the quality of the items you include, and the potential for mess.
Party Theme
If your party has a theme or an activity associated with it, an easy win is to have the party favors match the theme in a meaningful way.
For example, if your little one is having a dragon themed party, a great idea for a goodie bag could be an “adopt a dragon” event. At the end of a party, have the children gather around a cauldron emitting kid-safe smoke. One by one, children can reach their hands into the cauldron and pull out their new dragon. You can even create dragon fact cards to hang around each dragon’s neck. The cards can include the dragon breed’s name, where they were born, what they eat, what special powers they possess, and some of their favorite things to do. Party favors like this are great because there is no bag to recycle or fill the trash, it fits the party theme, it is unique, and it provides one item instead of lots of tiny trinkets.
Quality of the Items
Goodie bag curation can become expensive quickly. With this in mind, I suggest looking at the budget you have for goodie bags, divided by the number of party guests you expect, and purchasing one or two high quality items that align with your party theme or the birthday child’s interests as opposed to many smaller gifts.
For example, if you are planning a party at Lemos Farm, you could buy each child a copy of Gail Gibbons’ book Chicks and Chickens for eight dollars (current price at the time of this post). Children would be able to read more about some of the fabulous animals they saw on the farm, caregivers will love having a new book for the bedtime rotation, and you don’t need to purchase party bags.
Another idea that is always a hit is an edible party favor. For example, for that same farm party, you could have your local bakery create sugar cookies that look like the birthday child’s favorite farm animal. At the end of the party, you can pass these cookies out as a closing favor. Children will love them, and caregivers will love not having an additional toy to sort.
Potential for Mess
This one can be tricky. Kids LOVE slime, glitter, playdough, and all things messy. That being said, there is nothing worse than leaving a party that ends at 7 p.m. only to hear slime getting smooshed into carseats, or worse…hair, as you drive home.
If you are going to do a party favor that might get messy, you may want to let caregivers know what is included so that they can decide when their child opens their new toy. I would also leave out anything that could cause a lasting impression, like the acrylic paints that can sometimes come included with things like figurines to paint. Finally, it is kind to leave out loose glitter or anything that might require a vacuum after play.
The Perfect Goodie Bag
Children love receiving a party favor at the end of a party. The birthday child also often loves to help choose a parting gift for their guests. Party favors can be an element that makes a birthday celebration feel extra special. When planning out your goodie bag, it is important to remember that they do not have to be expensive to be high impact.
By aligning to the party theme, giving one or two high quality items, and avoiding gifts that will require a lot of clean-up for caregivers, you will be sure to end your party on a high note!