Party favor ideas for toddler/preschool age? Frugal or DIY...

[crunchy_mommy]

Anyone make or receive any really cool party favors? I need a couple ideas of things I can make (or buy very inexpensively) and would prefer them to be things the kids will actually enjoy & parents won't mind having around. Can't do food items because it probably won't go over well with the parents. The kids are ages 1-5. As a group we've already done things like DIY playdough, finger puppets, homemade bean bags, felt masks, knit/felt animals, glow sticks, etc. so I'd love something really creative & original, but I guess they can be more mundane ideas too!

[zinemama]

We used to do books. I'd go to the library thrift store or Goodwill, pick a book for each kid (usually about $1/book). I'd wrap them like presents and hand them out as the kids left.

[crunchy_mommy]

I like that idea! Do you think people will mind if they are gently used or did you try to find new-looking ones?

[chel]

Balloons.  I get them from the dollar store.  So $1 each as oppose to the $3 at the grocery store.

I use them to decorate the party.  On the back of chairs if inside.  Along a fence when at a pool party.  Then pass out at the end of the party.

[nstewart]

As part of the party favors (but they doubled as decorations) we made pinwheels.  I had posted pictures in this thread:

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1342301/birthday-party-ideas-for-a-2-year-old-boy

They were easy to make and quite inexpensive.  They looked better on their own than all together in a vase but were still fun and colorful on the table.  You can find instructions on how to make them online.  For materials, you need:

Paper - we used scrapbooking paper because each side was a different color/pattern which makes the pinwheel look really neat and because it is a good thickness

Dowling - cut to length for the handle, with a hole drilled close to one end to attach the pinwheel to

Wire - we used gardening wire because we had it on hand.  To create a "pin" to put through the pinwheel and the dowling so the pinwheel will spin. (you could probably use something else like a brad, this is just what we had on hand)

Buttons - 2 per pinwheel (purchased at the dollar store) one goes on the pinwheel with the wire through it (looks pretty and secures the wire) one at the back of the dowling to secure the wire.

[andromedajulie]

I once gave a little bag of band-aids to each 3 year old and I'm telling you, it was the biggest hit of my life. :)

[colsxjack]

We did books too.

And wrote in each book "Thank you for celebrating my birthday with me. Love A"

They went over well. That plus bubbles and homemade playdoe. (summer birthday)

[Nicole730]

I bought a pack of wooden train whistles off of amazon and then had them decorate them with markers.  Those and the balloons were a big hit.  I also get our balloons from the Dollar Tree.

[Blessed_Mom]

I had this dilemma too and looked for so many stores when I finally went to the 'Party store' (or some such common party themed stores you see around the block). I was amazed. They have tons of party favor bags and it is so cheap. I really mean it - so inexpensive

There are magnifying glasses, rulers, games, whistles, stickers and they all come in packages which makes it so economical.

This would be mundane and not overly creative though :)

[lovepickles]

I thought these were cool. I'd make them the size of a basketball so the kids can hang them from the ceiling in their room.

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-make-3d-paper-ball-ornaments.html

[nstewart]

Originally Posted by lovepickles 

I thought these were cool. I'd make them the size of a basketball so the kids can hang them from the ceiling in their room.

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-make-3d-paper-ball-ornaments.html

Those are really cool!

[zinemama]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

I like that idea! Do you think people will mind if they are gently used or did you try to find new-looking ones?

I looked for ones which weren't too beat up, but I think it was clear that they weren't new. To be honest, I think that getting a "present" to unwrap more than overshadowed the fact that the books weren't new - which I doubt they noticed anyway; they were new to the kids. And parents liked it much better than the bags of plastic toys kids often come home with.

[ZippyGirl]

The biggest hit was when I made some little felted ladybugs and bumblebees for my daughter's birthday party.  The kids really liked them, and I enjoyed making them.  It was a small party; otherwise I don't think I would have had the time to do it.

I thought these sets of paint would be fun to give out, but I would open the set and give each child one or two packets of paint (maybe add some natural crayons or other smallish art supply?). 

[m0xxie]

Baby just had her first birthday, but the kids that came ranged in age from 6-13. I found foam bookmarks (10/$1) and door hangers (3/$1) at Dollar Tree, and we turned it into a craft project using little foam stickers (100+/$1) (also from DT) and colored sharpie pens for the kids to decorate. It was a big hit across the ages (even some adults enjoyed it). The party theme was butterflies, and the stickers were little bugs, caterpillars, butterflies, etc. so it even fit the theme. Very inexpensive, and sugar-free!

[greenemami]

For dd's 3rd bday, I got each kid a cheap basket/pail from the dollar store and we did an egg hunt (it was a spring bday) I filled the eggs with stickers, erasers, and some change and had the kids find them and take them home in their baskets. They had a great time and it could work for lots of ages. 

We also made little flower pots one year, but that was with older kids and didn't really turn out all that cheap-but, I just bought a bunch of the very little terracotta pots from the craft store, the kids painted them in the beginning of the party, and then filled them with potting soil and some flower seeds at the end. I filled a little cloth bag with soil and a packet of seeds for a different shower favor once as well, which worked out nicely. 

I tend to try to do a favor that doubles as a craft/activity as opposed to just packaging up a bunch of stuff to send home, KWIM? I love the used book idea too!  

[nwatt]

For my boys' first birth day I am doing little bundles of board books that I bought from the dollar store.  They have packages of 3-4 books that I am going to break up.  I also found some little packages of flashcard puzzles and I am going to put one box of those with two books.  It will be about a dollar a kid, but we do not have too many kids coming. 

[QMtwins]

Our girls are May Day babies and so for their first b-day we gave out mini packages of flower seeds.  I got big packages and re-packaged them in little envelopes.  We will likely continue that trend since May Day is such a traditionally flower oriented day.  Perhaps balloons too this year, since they love them!