100 Party Themes
First Birthday
Favorite Birthday
Favorites by Age
Holiday Parties
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Party Favors
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Planning Guide
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Helpful Hints
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Party favors are a nice way to thank guests for attending, reciprocate for their thoughtful gifts, and send them on their way with their own present from your party.
Have enough favors for your child and any of his siblings who will want one.jMake a couple extra favor bags for unexpected guests and siblings of guests who stay for the party.
You can even have guests decorate their own favor bags and fill them during the party. Simply provide paper bags for guests to write their names on and decorate with stickers when they first arrive.jThe children can then put any favors, prizes, and completed art projects in their bags throughout the party.
Party favors can become expensive. Decide how much you want to spend and keep track of the cost of items you purchase. A favor can be one higher cost item, such as a flashlight, coloring book, or yo-yo, or a collection of lower cost items, such as stickers, pencils and candy, wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon. Arts & Crafts projects can also be used as favors.
Celebrate Express sells filled favor boxes that are festive and an excellent value. Birthday In a Box sells favor items, including buttons, magnets, and stickers that can be personalized with a message or each guest's name.
Around ten years of age your child and their friends may outgrow the traditional trinket-filled party favor bags. One large favor tied to the party theme, such as a children's mystery novel for a Mystery Party, may be a bigger hit.
Activity Books |
mazes, crossword puzzles, word search, dot-to-dot, paper dolls, paper airplanes |
Any | $1-3 |
Aliens |
small plastic or rubber toys | 3-9 | $0.50-$1 |
Animals |
small plastic or stuffed animals that tie into theme (dinosaurs, horses, teddy bears, sharks, etc.) |
3-9 | $0.25-$3 |
Animal Crackers |
individual size circus-style box from grocery store |
1-9 | $0.50 |
Balloons |
inflated helium balloon to take home |
1-5 | $1 |
Balls |
beach balls, superballs, squishy balls |
Any | $0.50-$3 |
Bookmarks |
paper or plastic, store bought or handmade |
6-13+ | $0.50-$1 |
Books |
paperback books that tie in with party theme |
Any | $2-5 |
Bubbles |
bottle of blowing bubbles with wand |
0-9 | $0.50 |
Bubble Bath |
small packages or plastic bottles of fragrant bubble bath | Any | $1-2 |
Cameras |
inexpensive single use cameras | 6-13+ | $5-7 |
Candy |
small amount of candy that ties into theme (gummy bears for teddy bear party, chocolate soccer balls for soccer party, etc.) | Any | $0.25-$1 |
Card Games |
fish, crazy 8s, old maid, or standard card decks | Any | $1-2 |
Cars |
small plastic or metal cars, sometimes less expensive to buy large set and then divide up | Any | $0.25-$2 |
Chalk |
multi color chalkboard size (regular) or extra large sidewalk chalk | 3-12 | $1-2 |
Coins |
state quarters, Susan B. Anthony dollars, foreign coins | Any | $0.25-$1 |
Coloring Books |
inexpensive versions that tie in with party theme |
3-9 | $1-2 |
Comic Books |
inexpensive versions that tie in with party theme |
6-12 | $2-3 |
Crackers & Poppers |
small prizes inside paper covered tubes (pull to open) | 6-13+ | $2 |
Crayons |
small packs of regular or specialty crayons (glitter) |
3-5 | $1 |
Dolls |
small plastic, wooden, or cloth dolls | 3-9 | $0.50-$2 |
Erasers |
colorful, specialty shaped pencil top erasers that tie in with party theme (stars for space party) | 6-12 | $0.25-.50 |
Eye Glass |
magnifying or kaleidoscope | 3-9 | $0.50-$1 |
Finger Cuffs |
woven straw tube that temporarily "traps" fingers | 6-12 | $0.50 |
Finger Puppets |
small plastic or fabric puppets, usually animals, monsters, or aliens | 3-9 | $0.50-$1 |
Flashlights |
colorful, pocket-size versions |
3-13+ | $2-3 |
Frisbees |
mini or full-size |
6-13+ | $1-5 |
Fruit Leathers |
pressed fruit "candy" roll-ups and shapes | 3-13+ | $0.25-.50 |
Gliders |
balsa wood gliders and planes, sometimes in special shapes (dinosaurs, butterflies, etc.) |
3-9 | $1 |
Gum |
package of chewing gum or bubble gum |
6-13+ | $0.50 |
Hair Accessories |
barrettes, head bands, decorated elastic bands | 3-13+ | $1-3 |
Hats |
baseball caps, sun visors, straw hats | 6-13+ | $3-7 |
Jacks |
ball and jacks set | 6-9 | $1 |
Jewelry |
rings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, earrings (stick on) | 3-13+ | $0.25-$2 |
Jump Rope |
inexpensive plastic or rope version | 6-9 | $2-3 |
Kazoos |
small plastic kazoos | 3-9 | $0.50 |
Key Chains |
fun version that ties into party theme | 6-13+ | $2-3 |
Legos |
small individually packaged sets or buy large bucket and divide into favor bags | 3-9 | $2-4 |
Magic Tricks |
small individually packaged magic tricks (usually rings, cards, or puzzles) | 6-12 | $1-2 |
Magnets |
decorative magnets (refrigerator type) or science type (horseshoe, bars, etc.) | 6-9 | $1-2 |
Marbles |
assorted colorful marbles | 6-9 | $1-2 |
Markers |
regular colored markers and specialty markers (shapes, glitter, neon) | 3-12 | $1-3 |
Medals & Awards |
winner's medallions on a ribbon, award ribbons on safety pins or make own | 3-9 | $0.50-$1 |
Modeling Clay |
small blocks of prepackaged hobby clay |
6-9 | $1-2 |
Nail Polish |
small bottles of fun colors |
6-13+ | $1-2 |
Noisemakers |
horns, whistles, shakers, etc. |
3-12 | $0.50-$1 |
Notepads & Stationary |
specialty designs, colors and shapes that tie in with party theme | 6-13+ | $1-2 |
Paddle Balls |
rubber ball attached to wooden or plastic paddle with elastic string |
6-9 | $1 |
Paint Sets |
water color paint set with 5-7 paints and brush |
3-9 | $1-2 |
Pens/Pencils |
fancy number 2 pencils, colored pencils, pushup pencils with multicolored leads, multi color pens |
3-13+ | $0.25-.50 |
Play Doh |
special small quantity containers |
3-7 | $0.50-$1 |
Postcards |
art or travel postcards |
11-14+ | $0.50-$1 |
Punching Balloons |
large sturdy re-inflatable balloon on rubber band | 3-9 | $1 |
Puzzles |
small, individually packaged puzzles or make own |
3-12 | $1-2 |
Rubber Stamps |
small stamps that tie in with theme, also provide ink pad if possible | 3-12 | $1-4 |
Ruler |
6 or 12 inch ruler in fun shapes, colors, designs |
6-9 | $1-2 |
Shoelaces |
specialty shoe laces in bright color or fun designs | 6-12 | $2-3 |
Silly Putty |
elastic putty in plastic egg |
3-9 | $2-3 |
Silly String |
plastic foam string in aerosol can |
6-13+ | $3 |
Squirters |
water squirters (I prefer animal shapes instead of gun shapes) |
3-9 | $1-2 |
Stars |
plastic glow-in-the-dark stars | 6-9 | $0.50-$2 |
Stencils |
plastic stencils in shapes that tie with party theme | 6-9 | $0.50-$1 |
Stickers |
fun, colorful stickers that tie in with theme |
3-9 | $0.25-50 |
Tattoos |
small temporary tattoos |
3-13+ | $0.25-$1 |
Tops |
small plastic or wooden spinning tops |
3-6 | $0.25-$1 |
Trading Cards |
sports cards, Pokemon cards | 6-12 | $2-3 |
Treasure Balls |
small prizes wrapped inside crepe paper balls (usually have to make) |
3-13+ | $1-3 |
Wands |
magic wands, fairy wands, princess wands | 3-9 | $2-3 |
Whistles |
plastic or metal whistles | 6-12 | $1-2 |
Yo-yos |
plastic, wood or metal | 6-13+ | $2-5 |