Suggestions on Non-traditional Party Favors

Last year in lew of a birthday party (my daughter's birthday is in Novemeber and we went to Colorado for Thanksgiving) we waited until Earth Day and had a BEarth Day Party. Instead of tradition party favors we went to Walmart and got the tray that has the dirt filled disks and planted wild flower seeds as an activity and the kids got to take the potted favor home and continue to grow it and then plant it at home. My daughter is also a freak about ladybugs and so I ordered 4500 ladybugs and sent them in special containers home with the kids to release in their backyards. She wants more ladybugs this year and wants to invite her friends for a ladybug release party. GOOD LUCK L.

For my daughters 6th birthday we sent every one home with art kits that my daughter and I put together. No candy or cheep stuff that gets thrown away the next day. People thanked us for out party bags long after the party.

If you have a crafts store near you like Michaels, they have these plain canvas bags and you could paint or stencil the theme on them and add the childrens names for an extra personal touch. Also you could write the date so they can remember. Then just fill it or not, the bag in itself is a neat parting gift.

I gave the kids goldfish for one of my son's birthday's one year. I went to Wal-Mart; they were only .50/ea. Everyone thought it was a great idea. They were individually packed in water and I tied a bow around each; it was really cute! Good Luck. Hope I have helped.

gold fish in bowls - add food in a small baggy to get started
finger kite - sold at specialty toy stores
styrophome boomerangs - can be used indoors and out
beachballs
inexpensive beach towels
have them decorate cheap photo frames and send them home with a picture of all the party-goers (oriental trader)
tye-dye t-shirts (on-sale at craft stores), or decorate shirts with paint pens

Hello. My daughter went to a friends birthday party that was a princess party and the mom had the kids paint a wooden jewelry box that had a place to insert a picture into (think she got them from Michaels. The kids painted it during at the beginning od te party so they were dry by the end and that was what they took home as their favor. A week later she sent a picture of all the girls at the party with the thankyou card to put in the jewelry box. My daughter loves it! Serves as something to do at the party and a favor!!!

Hope this helps :)

S.

We had my daughter's party at the park. We ordered some cute sailor hats from oriental trading and some fabric paint pens. Everyone painted their own hat and wore them during the party. Be sure to order extras, because the parents will want to decorate their own too. I also had a friend that did this with tote bags. We spent less money than if we had done plastic toys. My son went to a party once where everyone got a $3 gift card to Cold Stone.

My 6 year old was an artist, so we asked her to draw a colorful fairy for her party. Then we transferred the photo onto white tee shirts for kids, complete with her artist signature. The shirts were given as favors, the kids all put on the shirts and we took a great photo. Four years later, we still have the shirts and her younger sister still wears one. She proudly tells everyone that her sister made the shirt when she was just six!

I personally don't believe in traditional party favors. They tend to be filled with cheap toys that my child doesn't play with anyways and I end up throwing away. I like to do a craft project with the children at the party and the guests can take that home as a favor. Magnetic picture frames that can be decorated are fun, plus you can take pictures of each guest with your child and send it in the thank you notes.
Also, little girls love dressing up so making crowns, wands, or purses that can be used again serves as a nice favor.

Hi ~

My daughter attended a birthday party and was given a pass for our local swim center to use at a later date. The cost is $2 per child and I thought it was pretty creative. I know I usually end up tossing out party favors since they almost always end up forgotten about within days. The swim pass was great because it encouraged my daughter to go do something fun and healthy. Just a thought!

My daughter had a "horse" party when she was 6. I went to the craft store and bought cheap, straw cowboy hats and plastic jewels and let them decorate the hats during the party and then they took them home. I agree with everyone else...no more plastic trinkets! :)

Arts and crafts are always good. It gives the kids an activity during the party as well as something to take with them.

We took a polaroid picture of each child w/ the birthday boy and they took it home. If a bag was done I followed the "less is more" rule and got practical things like pencils or pens, maybe a water toy and a full size candy bar. To me, the phrase "traditional party favors" means a bag of junky stuff and cheap candy that the kids don't really appreciate or enjoy after the first 5 minutes.

Try orientaltrading.com

We have been to so many parties and have given too. I agree some of the others. Don't waste your money on candy and little trinkets. From my experience they all end up in the trash with a day or so. Some of our favorites from the past are, gift cards - jamba juice, hollywood video, mcdonalds, etc. You might end up spending about $3 anyway on junkie stuff, so might as well spend it on a gift card. We also LOVE the CD's - someone else mentioned that too. My boys play the ones they recieved all the time. If you go the CD route make sure you don't burn a picture for the decoration on the CD. Those will get stuck in your car's CD player! You can just decorate it with sharpie pens. Since this is for girls, you could even give a cute hair piece too - headbands, barretts, etc. Ideas keep coming now - if it is a sleep over - you could get inexpensive pillow cases and let them decorate them. Water bottles, with the names on them, filled with gumballs. What is your theme? You could really play on that. Good luck!

Maybe a you can burn CD's with their favorite songs.

Depends on what the theme is...

Yes, you can try looking at Oriental Trading. They have a wide variety.

I recently went to a party that had an "under the sea" theme. The favors were Betta Fish in bowls. I thought that was a cool idea. The parents also provided food and water conditioner. I'm sure it was pricey, but a cute idea. Another party we went to, let the kids decorate their own cookies. The parent made sugar cookies and had frosting & sprinkles. She then put them in a baggie for the kids to take home and enjoy.

I am big on themes, so if you are having a party with a particular theme than make sure that everyone has something to remember it by. I recently did a jungle party for an 8 year old and so I found all kinds of stuffed animals that you might find in a jungle and gave them out as prizes in a game we played. The kids have great fun with the games and they get prizes to take home as parting gifts also.

I also don't go with the traditional party bags. I found these great bags that had zebra stripes on them for the kids to put their prizes in as they left. The types of games I play at my parties are ones that everyone is a winner!

we went to a party recently and got a $2 gift certificate for an ice cream store
also one party i tied a helium balloon onto a small stuffed animal.