6 Plus Fun and Affordable Kids' Party Favors to Make Them Smile

In your community, do you give party favors at birthday parties? While I don't typically give them at birthday parties at home, to celebrate birthdays at school we do bring party favors, which I generally just buy at a store that sells everything for a quarter. Here's some other ideas for affordable party favors for kids.

Kids’ parties are special times when both your children and their guests make memories that will last a lifetime. Throwing a kids’ party and giving each child something nice to take home needn’t be a costly exercise - especially if you make kids’ party favors yourself. Plus, giving each of your little guests a little something will make them smile - now that’s something money just can’t buy. Check out these ideas and either use them as is, or as inspiration to kickstart your creativity.

1. Package a Mix of Store-Bought Candy

This idea is basic, quick, and easy. Your creativity is only needed in deciding how to package those little gifts. All you need is a selection of assorted candies and something to put them in. Plastic Easter Eggs in Bulk offer a handy solution. Simply stuff them with a lucky-dip of treats. The nice thing about this idea is that they’ll have something colorful to keep after the candy is gone - which happens pretty quickly! Alternatively, the tried and tested methods can work. Brightly-coloured cellophane used as a wrap with a few curls of ribbon makes for a simple example.

2. Make Your Own Lucky Packets

Old-fashioned lucky packets with an assortment of sweets and a random low-cost toy are easy and cheap to make. Decorate ordinary paper packets with colorful stickers, scatter in some sweets and a mini-toy, and tape it shut. Decorating and filling the packets is a fun activity for the kids. Keep them happily occupied (and out from under your feet) while you get party preparations underway. They’ll love telling their friends that they made the party favors themselves.

3. Fresh, Home-Made Candies or Fudge

Making home-made candy isn’t hard. You’ll find thousands of easy candy recipes online. Fudge or coconut ice are old-fashioned winners, and if your kids are old enough, you can put them to work making it. Just remember to keep an eye on proceedings to ensure they don’t eat it all up before any guests arrive! A little creative wrapping, and your party-favors are ready for the imminent horde of pint-sized party-goers.

4. Home-Made Play Dough

Colorful play dough is easy to make at home! All you need is the right ingredients, an assortment of bright and cheerful food colors, and a bunch of little plastic tubs that you’ll find for next-to-nothing at any catering supplies store. Give each child an assortment of colors, each in their own little tub stacked and taped together with a cute thank you note as a finishing touch. After the party is over, they can still have hours of fun. Plus, although kids do love candy, a bit of creative play offers a healthier alternative.

5. Bubble the Fun

Do you have a baby in your family? Save up those baby-food jars for an older brother or sister’s party. Simply spray paint the lids in bright colors and fill them up with bubble mix which you can either buy in a bulk-sized container or make yourself. Twist together wire bubble loops (no sharp edges), and your home-made party favors are ready for action. Sometimes, the old-fashioned ideas are the most fun!

Don’t have time to make your own? Teeny tiny tubes of bubble mix aren’t that hard to find, and although they’re cheap, the kids are guaranteed to love them. If local toy shops don’t have what you need, try stores that supply wedding paraphernalia - bubbles are a no-mess alternative to confetti, so there’s a good chance you’ll get lucky.

6. The Best Idea of All: Let the Kids Make Their Own Party Favors!

Unfortunately, this isn’t quite as low-maintenance as it sounds. You’ll need to plan a craft activity, and the kids will need a little extra supervision and help when needed. All the same, this idea is likely to be fun for both adults and kids. Need an example? Making a simple kite doesn’t require a lot of expensive materials, and the kids can take their kites for a test-flight as part of the celebrations.

Mask-making also offers opportunities for fun and laughter, and at the end of the day, the guests get to take their craft projects home with them.

Need to wear off some extra energy? Making ribbon wands with dowels and lengths of ribbon is something kids can easily do. Now, let them charge around flying their ribbons - a bit like kites, but a lot easier to do!

Keep it Bright, Make it Yummy - Keep it Fun

Whether you prepare party favors yourself or turn making them into a party activity, the basics are easy to grasp. If it isn’t yummy, let it be colourful, and if your idea gives them a chance to run around yelling and laughing, that’s first prize. Best of all, you really don’t need to spend a fortune on goody bags stuffed with store-bought items.

What do you do for party favors with your kids for their parties? How do you keep down the costs?