How Much Do You Spend on Party Favors?

I don't do favors or goody bags. I HATE when my kids get goody bags. They are a pain, the stuff is usually junk and it gets thrown away.

Useful things are nice though. At one party we went to, each kid got a spongebob or princess water bottle. They were from the dollar store. Those were nice becuase they were actully useful and not garbage.

My friend does paper bags, with a fruitsnack, granola bar and a fun straw or something in it.

50 kids is WAY too many! My best idea was for my son this year. He had a Lego party for 9 kids and I bought a big box on e-bay for $30. I divided them up into plastic food storage containers with lids (3 for $1 at the $$ store - probably close to 200 peices for each- some of the pieces were really small) and for one of the activities while the kids were arriving, the kids had a "building challenge". It was really cool to see what they came up with in just 15 minutes, and they all got to take their box and creation home as their party favor. All told, I spent less than $4 per kid (since we still had a lot of legos left over) and it's something I know they won't throw out - these boys love their legos!

You didn't mention ages or if all guests were to be girls... if they are all girls, you could give out nail polish (five below gets you several in a pack - break up the packs and give out one each) or body glitter. You can even make a craft out of making some sort of body glitter (my daughter's daisy scout troop did this as a way to show a re-use of something - I think they used aloe vera gel, glitter, and a little bit of glycerine - should be a recipe on-line). Girls love that sort of thing.

I do special events. I have done many children's parties and the new trend is NOT to do goodie bags. Parents are done with junky things and candy.

They are now doing crafts (decorate a plastic stadium cup, decorate a bandanna, paint a tile) that the child can take home or consume at the party., decorating cookies, decorating cupcakes, making a trail mix.

Since we are in Texas the Pinata is still a huge deal, we fill them with, bandaides, stickers, temp tattoos, fruit snack packages.. the kids gather the goodies and place them in a plastic cup.

The photo idea is great. You can take digital photos email them to Walgreens and pick them up within an hour and then mail them to the guests as thank yous..

I don't do "gift bags". I don't understand when this whole idea of a birthday being some kind of exchange started. I get it at weddings or bar and bat mitzvah's. But this is out of control, people! I don't expect a "goodie bag" when I go out to dinner with friends on their birthday.
I know this isn't what you asked, but we have got to start taking a stand. I can't think of any small toy or sticker that isn't going to get thrown away an hour later. Coloring books- I have enough. Play dough- ditto. Bubbles- I'm ok, thanks.
I'm not trying to be mean here. I'm just fed up with it.

Isn't the party itself the "gift" to the guest? The kids get to partake in the activities, food, cake, etc. Sorry, but goody bags are one of my pet peeves. I hate them and typically throw them away the day after the party. My kids never miss them. As other posters have said, when we were kids we went to parties, had fun and were happy. I'm not sure when it became customary for all the guests to leave with a gift. It's just another sign of our indulgent society.

Honestly, when I was a kid, we went to a party, had cake and icecream and we liked it :) I think somehow birthdays turned into a competition for some parents and now the rest of us feel guilty if we're not giving gifts to the people that come. I don't go to a party for someone expecting to get gifts from them. I'm just happy with munchies :) I like the sticker idea if you feel that you need to give something, cause you could probably buy a few rolls for very little money and give all the kids a bunch of stickers. Have fun!

Short and sweet. I don't do party favors. I hate them. When my boys get them it is usually a bunch of crappy $1 toys and Jolly Ranchers. Ugh. In the garbage.
It's a party for your child. The kids coming get to play, have food, cake and ice cream. That sounds good to me.
L.

I can't believe you are having 50 kids - that's excessive.

My inexpensive idea is stickers - depending on the age. Good luck!

What about taking a picture of her with everyone and send that with the thank you card ? Or go to the Dollar Tree and get stuff there. I try to keep it pretty cheap. Or some other ideas I've seen were to do a CD of her favorite songs and give those out. Just a couple of ideas.

It kind of depends on what you're doing for the party. I once had an at home party and we played several games and the kids won prizes. The prizes were the party favors. Or a made a craft and that was the party favor. Keep it under a $1. Good ideas for this time of year, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, or a small pail.

To avoid candy and avoid giving people junk that will just create clutter in their home (I hate that stuff...), I've put 2 or 3 packs of fruit gummies, sold at the grocery store, in their goody bags with some stickers or tatoos. The fruit gummies come in a million themes - princesses, super heros, dinosaurs, sharks, Veggie Tales, trucks, Legos, etc.

good luck!

I buy in bulk... from www.orientaltrading.com
Lots of Teachers use this place too, for the classroom.

BUT, I also limit the number of kids/invites to my kids parties.
I have not, ever, had a party with 50 kids. Except for my kids, 1st birthday parties. But that was mostly adults.
Beyond that, parties are about 10-12 kids.
It keeps costs more sane.

Or, from Scholastic... I buy books, some are very cheap.

good luck,
Susan

We had a big party too, and I tried to keep it at or below $1 a kid. It does get expensive. Oriental Trading is good for buying things in bulk. Last year, we did cheap little totes and put a little coloring book and some Teddy Grahams in them. Another year, we did little teddy bears. If you're having a birthday party Easter weekend, maybe just fill some plastic eggs with stickers or get some cheap stuffed chicks.

I just went to party where they gave away cute buble gum machines from the dollar store everyone got one and seemed happy with it!!!

Wow! never heard of a birthday party with 50 kids (other than a bar/bat mitzvah or a quinceañera)! You did not write the age of your child, btw. I never liked the goodie bags with a variety of pure junk. I try to give something more substantive, even if it's one thing...easier to do the older they get. When they are younger, the kids like the quantity. I stayed away from the things bad for the teeth that dentists would not like (we had some dentist parents in our midst), like gum (w/sugar) and fruit roll-ups type things, etc. Five Below is a good place for something about $2 or so. I often kept on the lookout for jewelry on sale for my daughter's parties (not at Five Below...just wherever) and do baseball & football cards for my son. When he was younger I got Bionicles or cool Lego things at Five Below, too. US Toys, which is similar to Oriental Tranding, also is a good place to look. I can't imagine how you would get anything for less than $2, but next year, if you look year-round or so, you might find some great sales along the way on things the kids will use. Have a fun party!

50 kids at a birthday party is ALOT!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!

I probably spend $2-3 dollars each. It seems like alot, but I also don't want to just fill a bag with candy. For my daughter's party last week, I put in a fruit snack, a "magic" dough (bought them at the dollar store for 6 for a dollar... much bigger than the playdoh favors), a mini puzzle, two lollipops, and a bracelet or a whistle.

Other favors I've done are sand bucket and shovel, sunglasses and beach ball, or walmart sells a bubble favor kit for less than $1 each.

I also saw at the dollar store a thing with a kaliedascope, spinning top, and a paddle ball thing for $1, with a disney character on it. i thought that was cute.

I would still go to a place like costco and get 4 or 5 of the big bags of candy Thats a lot o sugar. Also you can add home made popcorn for their snacks. thank u cards are appropriate appreciation. I don't think we have to be spend our money wiser.

way to much $$$ if my husband knew how much he would be very upset with me but their my kids and most of it isn't junk or candy becasue my kids get alot of gifts from everyone and a few bucks spent on each child thats ok plus it'll be our turn when we go to parties

I used to try to give one small thing. Depends on the age of the child of course. One year I made bean bags. Do you have a sewing machine? Another year I gave a bouncing ball and another year a bottle of bubbles. Keep it simple and give it on the way out the door.

M.,
it all depends on you budget. If you can spend the money, then spend it. 50 kids is a lot of kids so you will spend at least $100.00. It also depends where you are having it at. I've had it at Chuckee Cheese and their favor bags are like $2 each. I don't know what you can get other than candy that will be less than $2.00 per child and they can use. Even if you go to a dollar store you would only be able to get one or two items for the kids.
And remember, usually only 70% of people that reply yes to the invitation end up going.

In the past I've given away $5 Barnes & Nobles giftcards and parents LOVED the idea! This year our town food pantry was low, so I went and bought $30 worth of canned goods (caught a deal 10 for $10 for pasta, soups and tuna) stacked the items nicely, took a picture, inserted the photo into a document and said, "In lieu of goody bags- - BAGS of FOOD were donated to our town food pantry under your name" -- printed out on half sheet papers and gave them to the boys! Score! No more goody bags and money went towards a great cause!

I just had my kids party last night. I went to Walmart and bought these big long bubble maker thing that was $1. Then they had water balloons in a cute little package....they were also $1. Then in the party section there were bags that were $1.50 for 20. The kids loved them.
Hope that helps.
:)

Fifty kids is a lot of children! Have you checked out Oriental Trading where you can buy in bulk. Of course there is also the $1 Store. You could look for stickers, jewelery,balls, and other small favors. Good luck!

Wow big party - enjoy that! I would go to Target and find something fun for $1 in the dollar section....