Low-Cost Birthday Party Favors

As a mother of two, I have spent many years planning birthday parties for my children. One of the biggest hurdles I always came across was trying to find just the right birthday party favors and goodie bags to give out to my children's friends. You want to give them something fun, and dare I say, even "cool", but how do you do that when funds are limited?

Planning a birthday party on a shoestring budget isn't always easy, but it is feasible! Be encouraged, my friends. You can have a great party, with tons of fun birthday party favors ... without spending a fortune. Honest!

The first thing you need to do is follow this simple formula and ask yourself three questions; Who? What? and Where?

Who: Think about your participants!
Is this a party for young children, or older children? Maybe it is for pre-teens or older teens. Is it only boys or only girls, or is it a mixture of both?

You want to have birthday party favors that are appropriate for whichever group your child(ren) fall under. After all, buying lip-gloss and glitter wouldn't work as party favors if there were a bunch of 8-year-old boys at the party as well! Make sure that your list of guests is complete and precise. Know whom you are buying for when it's time to shop.

What: Think about the style!
What type of party do you want to have? Is it going to be a theme party? If so, focus on your theme, and try to incorporate items that will really make your party stand out from the all the rest.

If your child is having a slumber party, turn it into a movie night! You can purchase mini popcorn tubs at the Dollar Store, (usually 2 tubs to the pack), and then fill it with fun items that the guests can use during the movie; popcorn in a baggie, bubble gum, a couple of mini candy bars, and tootsie pop. Top it off with a "real" coke in a glass bottle, and their movie night is set and ready to go.

You can even label each child's popcorn tub with their name for a more personal touch. They can then take home whatever candy and/or popcorn is left in their tub when the party is over.

Where: Think about the environment!
Is this going to be an indoor birthday party, or an outdoor party? A party within a separate business location, or somewhere they can run free and wild? Determining where to have your party can be a great help when choosing your birthday party favors.

For example, if you were going to have an outdoor summer party, it is great fun to throw in some of those nerf or water bomb types of balls. The kids can get them wet, and then throw them at each other in a summer version of tag or dodge ball. You can also put in water balloons, squirt rings, and footbags. (What we use to refer to as a hacky sack!) Mini Frisbee's are always a hit too. Keep them active, and your party will be a success!

Now that you have some ideas on how to get your party ideas flowing, here are the best resources I can give you for low-cost birthday party favors:

- The Dollar Tree
- Oriental Trading Company (look for their dollar deals!)
- The Candy Warehouse (bulk and retro candy)

Honestly, I love Oriental Trading Company for any type of party planning. You can get dozens of items for under $20. I've used them many times myself, and their products have always been well received by the kids. Here are some birthday party favors that have worked for my family in the past. I hope they will spark some ideas for you as well!

For boys:
Gum, nerf balls, toy cars, silly putty, super (bouncy) balls, modeling clay, plastic dinosaurs
Activity pads, cool pencils, mini crayon boxes (tuck a bunch of neat items in a large envelope with their name on it)
Rubik's cube key chain, kick balls, snap bracelets, cards

For girls:
Glow bracelets, lip gloss, hair clips (put them all in a cute little makeup bag from the Dollar Tree)
Beads, glitter, and wire for making jewelry - the kids keep the items they make
Autograph books, sucker bouquets with balloons over the suckers (Tootsie Pops)