Hellobee Boards

@irene: We had a hotwheels party per my sons request and gave out one hotwheel each. $1/kid.

I generally hate party favors, but the two I actually enjoyed were a $5 gift card to a local ice cream place and a good quality superhero cape.

The best we received was at a bowling party and all the kids got a LEGO book. It came with a mini fig. The price tag was still in, $3 from the dollar store.

Next birthday I’m going to do one bigger item instead of a bag of junky stuff.

Does the bowling facility have a game area? Tokens or game cards would work. They can stay and play a bit longer.

@irene: I think the joke book is a great idea! I like the idea of a single item like that so much.

For my LO’s recent 3rd bday I got $1 books from the scholastic book fair at her school and put a little tag on each one and called it a day. I only needed the tags because I had gotten different books for different ages and wanted to label them. We did no gifts, so I didn’t feel like I had to go all out. For another I gave tutus and inexpensive capes from amazon, but your son and his friends might be a little old for that.

My son loooooves a goody bag filled with junk and I just handed out $120 worth of them at my son's party a few weeks ago.

The year before, I did a "better" favor (it was a pack of UNO playing cards and a 3 pack of tie dye sidewalk chalk) and it was a flop. No one was super excited to get it and I felt I could have done without it, but everyone does favors, so we did them.

This year, I just let my son pick out what he wanted, and it was the typical themed pencil, bouncing ball, candy, slinky junk. I was at the end of my planning rope and I just kind of did whatever, but I've already explained to my son that next year, we're not doing those gift bags again, it's going to be a single item and it's got to be $3 or less!

We do parties at places, the last one was at a bowling alley and we did get additional discount cards to put in it, but we could have also purchased additional time for the video games, which we didn't do. I think that would have gone over better, to be honest!

I am trying to think of things that we have received at parties, and nothing really stands out. We have been to one party where they gifted a book, another one that included a bubble wand, but more often than not, they're bags of junk that my son just loves.

I often do a cup from the dollar store filled with some stuff. A treat, glow stick, bubbles. It’s junk but the kids like it. The cups are always a big hit I find.

A friend once gave a pack of smarties and a cute animal ice pack tied to a balloon. Kids loved that.

Art supplies!! They always get used.

Depending on the kids, but we got magic wands/streamers once. Plastic sticks with a 1 inch strip of fabric tied/glued to the tip. Lots of waving/dancing with those.

@irene: also keep in mind this no gifts party was for my three year old one week before Christmas. No way was I going to ask people to shop for yet another gift, and have to put even five extra gifts away! It will be different when she is older.

My SIL brought over a make your own glitter slime kit for my 5 year old. Literally slime and packets of loose glitter. You should do that

@irene: when I bought ours, I made sure they were BPA free and all that jazz. What about stainless steel ones?

We gave out bubble wands at my daughter’s sixth birthday party - it was a party game and favour all in one go!

We always do a balloon and a theme matching favor. I did a DIY themed T-shirt one year with a reusable bag and some random goodies. Another year we did a metal lunchbox with themed cookie, small book and hair clipons. Yesterday’s party was a towel, blow up emoji beach ball and bubble wand (pool party). Today was a balloon with a Gamer themed bag, themed stickers on drink and snacks and a bag of gold chocolate doubloons. Stick with the theme and add a balloon and it will be all good.

@irene: mad libs are really affordable, they're around $4 and there are a ton of themes. I might go that route next year.

I did Golden Books in the theme of the party (so this year, I got Incredibles, Incredibles 2, etc.) and the kids all got to take a book home. Parents seemed to appreciate it!

We went to a joint 2 & 4 yr olds birthday party and the favor was a single bouncy ball for each child that lit up when you bounced it and had a fish that floated around inside. All the kids LOVED them.

I'll go on record as saying that I hate goody bags/favors for all sorts of parties including wedding/baby showers, weddings and birthday parties. So far I haven't done them at the few parties I've had for DS1 and I never heard anyone complain (doesn't mean they didn't on the way home ) That being said, the only favor that I've liked that hasn't gone straight to the trash has been a Curious George book we got a while ago.