Fun Homemade Birthday Party Favors for Preschoolers

Homemade Theme Candies and Lollipops. Instead of the usual chocolate balls, get creative with the shapes of the candies. You can find candy molds for just about any preschooler party theme that you can think of. Buzz Lightyear, My Little Ponies, Care Bears, you name it. Look at Ebay or check into a cake decorating store. Once you find a mold that matches the theme of the party, themed candies and lollipops are easy to make, and look great in cellophane bags tied with ribbon.

Surprise Balloons. A great, easy idea to cover both party decorations and birthday party favors is surprise balloons. There are two ways to do this. First, you can put something (crayons, small candies) inside the balloon (tricky, but it can be done) before blowing it up. Give each child a balloon to take home with them. Once they're home they can pop it and find their own little gift. Second, tie a small party favor to the end of the balloon's ribbon. Some ideas are small dollar store toys, such as slinkies, toy cars, or a small bag of play jewelry.

Music. Preschoolers love music. Compile a CD of the birthday child's favorite preschool songs, label it with a colorful CD label, and send it home in little jewel case. Be sure to put some activity songs in the collection, such as "Hands, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and play them at the celebration. When the guests go home and play their music, they'll immediately remember the birthday party.

Homemade birthday party favors are not only fun to make, but they are also an inexpensive alternative to fancy toys or custom favors. Whatever birthday party favors you decide to make, be sure to consult with your preschooler to see what they want. If they're excited about the favors, their guests will be too.