The kids like the junk!

No favors. It’s not your birthday you don’t get a gift. The favor is the party. You get to have fun and cake. Enough already.

Flower seeds.
Take home or dump in neglected spots.

I’ve had a lot of success with books. I saw someone do this at a party when my son was in preschool and now I give always give a book. Bonus if it’s on theme for the party!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skip the party favors. I have three kids and have never given party favors, and no one cares.

They are 5. They do care.

All three of my kids have been 5 at some point. NO ONE CARES.

Dp. Some of them do care. I saw a kid ask a host about favors once. He looked disappointed.

Everything listed is going to be unpopular with someone, including going with no favors. There's no winning answer--- not the cheap book the host's child likes but mine doesn't, or the pretzel stick my kid also won't like. I love the Mad Libs idea, but I'm sure there's a kid out there who hates to write.

Whatever you do, OP, is fine. Going no favors is fine too. Most kids will be happy with whatever is provided, and if some aren't, it's nbd. They've had fun spending time with friends and that's what they'll remember.

Anonymous wrote:To really not create waste, you can not have a party. Why are we so worry about this one small part..on top of all the rest of it.

In for a penny, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skip the party favors. I have three kids and have never given party favors, and no one cares.

They are 5. They do care.

All three of my kids have been 5 at some point. NO ONE CARES.

To really not create waste, you can not have a party. Why are we so worry about this one small part..on top of all the rest of it.

The only party favors I enjoy my kid getting is snacks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Skip the party favors. I have three kids and have never given party favors, and no one cares.

They are 5. They do care.

DP. They really don’t. They’ve been at a party having fun. They get cake and
Ice cream. They leave happy. They don’t need a junk bag or more cookies or candy as they leave

Another spin on the consumables — those long pretzel sticks dipped in white chocolate, milk chocolate and sprinkles, wrapped in a cellophane and tied with a ribbon. Not terrible for you and looks festive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With that age it’s helpful to have a party favor to signal “it’s time to go.”
We usually did early reader books — I got the bundles from the school monthly scholastic order.
One year I did watering cans plus flower seeds because I think most kids that age like to help with watering plants.
Another year I did big frosted cookies matched to the theme for take home.

Ha! My son who is this age knows the exit plan: find the birthday kid and say, “happy birthday!” Then find the mom and say, “thank you for the great party!” Which she replies, “ohhhhh you’re so sweet take a goodie bag” and we leave. It’s a win for both moms - party ends, kids leave without a struggle.

I also haaaaate junk bags and the ridiculous candy. Watering cans is cute!

I just remembered another—little pen holders that I got at the dollar aisle at Target (they weee like a pretty colored wire mesh) with candy and some gel amarkets out them. They help up really well because I use the extras around the house to store pens in . My kids got one of those plastic containers that goes under the bathroom sink once with bath stuff in it and I thought that was also pretty useful.
I think you could also do something like those cool adult coloring books and give each kid one sheet from it tied with a ribbon and some colored pencils. They can always donate the colored pencils if they don’t want them. One of those colored sheets would keep my kid busy for hours….but a whole book was always kind of a waste. I have about four of those books where she did like three pages. Maybe I’ll take it up in my retirement.

Anonymous wrote:Skip the party favors. I have three kids and have never given party favors, and no one cares.

They are 5. They do care.

I think skipping favors should be the norm, personally...but if you do them, I like consummables/chocolates. I've done adopt-a-pet with a stuffie, themed animal book and a donation card that states funds were donated to the local rescue/shelter. But then again, I would have donated to them anyway and I like spreading the idea of kindness, generousity and encouraging reading so don't mind investing a bit more in certain favors like that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not do goodie bags, but the birthday child wants them...so I do things like pencils and mini notebooks or post it notes, stickers, fruit snacks or a lollipop, one year we did a sports party so I gave tee balls. The dollar tree often has small crayola colored pencils and different crayons- neon, pastels so I have given those. I have also done socks with the party character. If we do an activity that they take home, I don't do a goodie bag. I try not to give into the plastic/one time use favors.

Some good ideas here although I feel refinement is in order:

- yes to pencils and “notebooks,” but please refers to them as “journals;” in fact you could set up a mini-station to explain the benefits of journaling and maybe have a brief demonstration of journaling techniques;

- no to any lollipops, “fruit snacks,” or other high-fructose / sugary snack foods.

- instead, try organic apples, Clementines, or kale-chips; also

- include mini-tubes of toothpaste (Tom’s organic is the best) and toothbrushes/ floss (but only on rolls; no flossers!) and maybe a fun guide on proper brushing.

I bet you’re a ton of fun at parties!

It’s like when you go to a dentist’s house on Halloween lol