Party Favor Ideas

I tell you what, we women have really raised the bar on ourselves. Each passing year we expect more and more of ourselves. A backyard birthday party with sack races isn't good enough any more. People literally hire PARTY PLANNERS for children's birthday parties. When I was little, which was longer ago than I'd like to admit, we went to a party at SKATE RANCH or SKATE TOWN or to someone's home. If the party was at someone's home, it might be a BACKWARDS birthday party or we'd play fun games or we'd dress up and put on make up. My mother would sometimes hire a neighborhood teenager to help. I could invite all of my classmates and friends and we had a great time. Friends brought small gifts to honor the birthday boy or girl. We weren't given the equivalent of a $15-25 gift that is today's standard. Mamas made the cake or if they couldn't cook, they might ask a friend or neighbor. There were no party planners. No tents. No rented tablecloths, tables and chairs. And...... drumroll, please..... THERE WERE NO PARTY FAVORS!!!!! That's right. No party favors.

Today we have raised the bar and you just can't have a birthday party without party favors. Oriental Trading is excited because their plastic junk is selling like crazy!! Parents are desperate for a party favor, so they turn to the catalog and buy a slew of cheap, plastic toys that will break tomorrow and then fill small goodie bags with them. "Thank you for coming to my party" is no longer acceptable. We must lavish gifts on our guests. I am one of the guiltiest of all. I admit it. My name is Mama Henley and I give party favors. However, I try to think of something that is useful and won't break before our guests even make it home. I thought I'd share some ideas with you. What do you like to give for party favors?

-CDs recorded with fun children's music. My friend, B, gave me this idea originally and we used to make CDs together after that. The CDs became family favorites of many of our friends. The idea spread and now others like to make them too. When we had K's ice cream party, I bought some fun new ice cream songs from I Tunes. I try to make the music fit the theme of the party and I always put some fun children's praise songs in there too.

-$2 gift certificate to Baskin Robbins. They have great ice cream!

-free ice cream or french fries from McDonald's. They usually sell packs in the winter and I save them for birthday parties or a cute gift to friends at school

-homemade playdough

-a book from the Scholastic book orders. You help your child's class and can get some bargain books. Each month they have one that is just $1

-in lieu of party favors, make a donation to a charity that helps children and give each child a note detailing how a gift was made to help other children in their honor. My friend, MD, gave to Desire Street Ministry after Hurricane Katrina for her daughter's birthday. Each guest brought home a "helping hand" with a note thanking them for coming to the party and letting them know a gift was given to help children in the 9th ward in their honor.

-a little bag of fun pencils, erasers, or pens is always fun. What child doesn't LOVE school supplies?