Seeking Ideas for Party Favors for a One-Year-Old's Birthday Party

I found hats at Joanns for $1 each. They were made of foam and were shaped like different animals. My son loves to play dress up and still plays with those hats 2 years later. I don't know if they still carry them but it is an idea.

Go with some balloons that you can give to the partygoers as they leave. Get lots so each child can choose their favorite color! The parents will probably be glad you didn't load their kid up with all kinds of junk to worry about their precious baby choking on... and the kids will be enthralled with the balloons... never met a 1yr old who wasn't...

Use them to decorate, keep the strings long and give them out as the children leave... whenever they come to you and say, "it was great, we have to get going..." you say, "Wait, let so & so pick out a couple of balloons to take home"... then ask the child to point to the ones they like and give them a couple. You can tie the ends of the strings like a little bracelet and slip it over their wrist so it doesn't get "lost" on the way to the car.

I bought individual goldfish packets from Costco and Gerber individual puff packets. I also bought small soft balls and finger puppets from IKEA. Have fun!

Our 1st Birthday party was a frog theme. We gave out little frog water squirters (for the bath or pool) and beach balls that looked like frogs.

Another idea would be to get coloring books & WASHABLE crayons. Just try to think of things that interest your child and share those things (bubbles, matchbox cars, play-dough, etc).

Good luck!!

--P. M.

Sippy cups and snack cups like the cheerios carriers or the gold fish carriers....also it depends on the theme. I went to a one year old party with a Nemo theme and my dtr received a small nemo stuffed animal...and she loved it.
My friend just had a party where she gave out a pail and shovel with some beach toys with the idea of making a beach outing together in the future. try http://www.orientaltrading.com/
Hope this helps. Happy Birthday to your little one

I gave out little goody bags that had gerber treats (like the gummies and the veggie puffs, etc.) It's like candy to a 1 year old.

Bag tags for Diaper bags /back packs for daycare, the gym.
You can search ebay and find that they are very inexpensive yet very useful

Hi, really quick one idea would be baby books. LynnZ.

I gave out sippy cups and rubber duckies. They don't know what's going on at that point so don't go out of your way. Just keep it simple and cute.

I found snack containers for the diaper bag that are shaped like goldfish (made by pepperidge farm) they were hanging in one of the rows at the grocery store for $1.99. I bought those and some goldfish snack packs and put those in sealed so they could be opened when ready to eat and wouldn't go stale. I have also given out diaper bag tags. Additionally, I found a web-site called bumpyname.com. They make these thick rubber bands with the child's name lasered into them that stretch around their sippy cups or bottles. That way you don't have to try writing the child's name or getting those sticky labels that come off. They are also dishwasher safe. I bought them for my kids to take to day care and church. They are awesome.

Building Blocks, Bath Toys, Chunky Book, Baby toys, Little Tishirts, Sippy cups, Picture of guest child in a Frame send with thank you card.

You should get some individual boxes of Cheerios, Gold Fish crackers or Animal crackers. You could also give the containers that hold snacks in the diaper bag. Also, balls are fun at any age.

S., I went with teething rings and rattlers. But that was 15 years ago. But it still sounds good to me! The Lord has really blessed me with wonderful 16 year old twin girls. I try to think back to what I did for them as they were growing up to be teens. That is where ALL my suggestions and ideas come from. You know, been there, done that sort of thing. Again the dollar stores or dollar trees are fun places to get party favors as well as oriental trading on line. Good luck & God Bless

Hi S.,
My youngest just turned one and for her party bags I did chunky books, bubbles, bouncy balls (too big to go in the mouth)... that kind of stuff worked well :) Good luck!

I don't do favors for parties. But we do go all out and have cake, ice cream, tons of food and lots of toys for the kids to play with in the back yard. That may also have gone over better because on the invitations I requested no gifts. If you do decide to do favors, I would just make sure they are not junk and not unsafe.
Good luck!
Jen

You can get little board books at the dollar store and those mini goldfish cracker bags ( the ones made for lunch boxes) plus add an application for the child's own library card and a flyer with all the mommy and me toddler reading times and activities listed for all the areas where the children might live. Encouraging reading sometimes takes a little push, but you will be giving the children a healthy-er snack and a start to reading. Many moms do not realize that there are activities for their smallest children available.

Another idea is a mini coloring pad, mini box of crayons, a bag of goldfish crackers and fruit snacks, this is a great emergency entertainment baggy for the mom to keep in her purse. include a printed out wallet size picture of your child for her friend to have. My daughter, who is 2 now, has always loved having pictures of her friends.

I printed out a cute picture of my daughter and made a 3 x 5 card that had her picture to the left and on the remaining space, it said, "Thank you ________________for celbrating my first birthday with me and thank you so much for the ____________. I had my older daughter fill in who the gift was from and what it was as we opened the presents. This was attached to the gift bag.

My son just turned one in April and I felt the same way regarding party favors. Candy and little toys were just not appropriate for the babies as favors so what do I do? I ended up buying mini-bubbles, putting them in party favor bags then tying a balloon around the bag and gave that out as a favor. The bubbles are perfect for little ones and the balloons served two purposes-as decorations and then as a party favor. Everyone seemed happy with that.

Good luck!

I love this kind of stuff. For my one year old's birthday, I gave out little cookies with a picture of her beautiful face on them. You can find them on a variety of websites. YOu email the picture and they send you the cookies, and they're prewrapped in cellphane and ready to go. I like anything personalized: maybe sippy cups or something like that with a picture on it. You can also do something around a theme. I had a "bubbly birthday bash" for Lola's second birthday and gave out little pewter bubble wands as favors.

It may sound harsh, but don't do party favors...she's 1! Save it for when she's older...

are you having a party company doing your party? if your looking call Butterfly Dreams, they do all types of parties for all ages, they are great and they also bring gifts for all the kids.
Look at there website
www.butterflydreamsparty.com or call ###-###-####
good luck

We did cheap cups with a straw. Small blow up beach balls would be good. And maybe some of those toddler fruit snacks.
Happy 1st birthday!

A friend of mine gave out board books-- great idea if you can find ones that fit into your party budget--- a small stuffed animal is another idea-- or medium size soft balls-- or buy sets of squishy bath toys (the kind that are animals that fit in your hand with a hole so water squirts out) and split up the sets so everyone gets one and a set of bubbles

Hi, S.

Some things that I have done when my children were small (goody bag items are so often cheap-o things that break easily and just make messes)...

- Made homemade teething biscuits (that are good for adults too!) and put them in a pretty box or treat bag with ribbons. They're usually pretty easy to make and taste better than store bought. The Swiss recipe for Springerle is great for teething babies too...and the rest of the family enjoy them as well!

- One party I had pictures of all of the invited children from prior events and I cut out their heads and put them on those silly gumby-style frames in different poses with a balloon attached to hand out at the end as a nice souvenir from the party that is fun in their bedrooms.

- Sand toys are relatively inexpensive and everybody loves them, uses them, and fresh ones are always handy. The buckets are their own containers and look so fun and festive to carry away from the party. You can use a sharpie to put the child's name on each piece for them if you'd like too.

- We've had several parties (birthday and Easter) when we've filled up the van (sometimes two trips with large parties) with those huge, colorful balls from Target and Wal-Mart. I've used a fresh black sharpie to put their names on it in fun writing. When you have a park or backyard full of these big, colorful balls, it's so fun and festive for everyone (even adults! LOL) and then the kids get to take home their big, colorful new ball.

I hope this helps....or triggers another idea for you! Good luck!

D. C.

For my daughter's 1st birthday we did splash balls (she loved to throw them) and bubbles. I never put candy in my goody bags, kids get enough already. I also got older items with the older children that would be at the party too. Good luck.

Hi! Happy Birthday to your little one! For my daughter's 1st Birthday I bought disposable Pooh Bear sippie cups (they come in packs of 4 I think), Packs of puffs (Gerber), Toddler Spoons, and candy for the parents:)
Main thing - have fun and enjoy her 1st Birthday. It goes by so fast!

we did sippy cups from oriental trading, Had my daughters name on them and birthday rubber duckies.