Budget-friendly Party Favors For Childrens Birthday Parties
Between the invitations, decorations, cake and gifts, throwing a childrens birthday party can break the bank. But there’s no need to write off party favors, even in a budget crisis. Here are a few ideas to send party guests home with a smile.
1. Crafts: Find an easy and inexpensive craft project online. Print instructions and provide supplies in a sealed plastic bag. Popular crafting materials such as felt, Popsicle sticks, construction paper, googly eyes, pipe cleaners and foam cut-outs are often available in the dollar bins at your nearest discount store.
2. Keepsake photos: Theme parties are ripe with photo opportunities. Snap photos of party guests, then have a helper print the photos on your home printer. Insert photos into small, inexpensive frames or allow party guests to create their own unique frames with crafting supplies. Frames made with scrapbooking supplies or construction paper should be equipped with a small magnet so they can grace the party guests refrigerator.
3. Old-fashioned candy: Bags of sugary treats that have been around for ages are usually available at dollar stores. Peppermints, gum balls, suckers and other favorites will fill favor bags without emptying your wallet. If a childs birthday is near a major holiday, buy more popular chocolate candies on clearance and store them in a climate-controlled room.
4. Dollar store toys: Dollar stores and dollar bins are a parents best friend. There are some toys frequently found in these stores that never go out of style, like water guns, Silly Putty and kazoos. Buy a couple of extra items for toddlers who might tag along with invited guests. These toys may cost a little more per item, but they also take up a lot of space in a party favor bag. While visiting the dollar store, be sure to buy colored table covers and plastic cutlery for the party — its hard to find these on sale for less than a dollar. Some stores even offer helium balloons. Its a good idea to see what is available at these discount stores before purchasing party supplies anywhere else.
5. Homemade treats: Another way to quickly fill a party favor bag is to bake treats for guests to take home. Rice Krispy treats, cookies and party mix are always well received by guests. Be prepared to make a substitution for any guests who may be allergic to gluten or nuts. Foods that are gluten-free are typically marked as such on the bag.
6. School supplies: Pencils, markers and other school necessities can often be purchased at rock-bottom prices when the school year begins. Party planners should use this opportunity to stock up on fun items, such as fruit-scented highlighters, fun-shaped erasers and small notebooks featuring popular characters.
7. Personalized thank you gifts: Birthday boys and girls will love creating a personalized thank you gift for their friends who attended the party. Parents should provide the child with a medium, such as clay, and explain the importance of giving thanks. Popular thank you gifts include animals made of pom poms, pipe cleaners and googly eyes and small sculptures made with clay and painted with a message of thanks. Children also typically enjoy creating thank you cards with markers, stickers and glitter. Parents should give suggestions but allow their children to create the thank you gift on their own.
Items that do not fill space, and are therefore not recommended for low-budget party favor bags, include stickers, tattoos, rings and hair bands.
