Ideas for ONE Goody-bag Gift for 5-Year-old Party?

i have given large chocolate bars which all of the kids loved. I had my son write "thanks for coming" etc. on a label and we stuck it on.

Another year I gave a small bottle of bubbles and 2 pieces of sidewalk chalk and wrapped them up so each kid went home with a little present.

good luck!

I like to make the craft or activity a take home item. We've painted little wooden boxes, decorated a can coozy with foam letters, decorated a t-shirt,string jewelry,etc. That way, I may spend a bit more on the party budget, but there are no goody bags to buy. The kids keep busy during the party and they have a nice item to remember the party.

Try looking at the discount shelves at Target...not the 1$ aisle when you first walk in but back by the toys. In the past, I have purchased sand pails, and a shovel for each kid. They usually have sand toys for about $2 or $3. I have also bought small footballs and attached suckers to each of them. Hope suggestion helps.

I like goodie bags that do double-duty asparty entertainment as well. For. eg have the kids make their own candy or craft to go in the party bag as a part of their party.

Goodie Bags are almost non existant around here any more. Most moms do $3-$5 gift cards for the kids instead. Anywhere from McD's, Jamba Juice, Dairy Queen, etc. The kids go WILD! They love feeling "big" and that they can go get a treat and be the one to pay for it. It is so nice because it eliminates all the cheap goodie bag junk. I love it. We have done with with 5 yr old on up and everyone gets soooo excited!

Card games are always good! You can get those party packs of card games or Target had a two-pack for $1.00 (that would be 50 cents each!) I think card games are unisex and a toy that they could all play with vs. some cheap thing that would break. There is a tin of Disney Princess Card games that has 3 different games in the tin. You could divide up the games.

Another fun idea is puzzles. They have small puzzles at the stores with neat pictures.

Water bottles are fun! Especially if you or the kids decorate them with their name. Kids love things with their names on them! You could even use the water bottles at the party for the kids' drinks (the top and the straw keep the liquid IN the bottle!) and the names on the bottle keep them from getting mixed up. Then the kids take the water bottle home as a party favor.

That's all I have for now!

A puzzle - you can also purchase blank puzzles on line and pair them with washable markers so that the kids can create their own puzzle design. Try oriental trading company.

How about a nice book. I sell Usborne books and we have some great chapter for 4.99 and dot to dot books that are nice. There are a variety of them and they are quality educational books. You can check them out at www.CrackOpenABook.com or email me.

Best grab bag gifts we've given or received: a book, a craft that the kids make and take with them, a bucket and shovel (for beach, sandbox) that you write each kids' name on with glitter glue, jigsaw puzzle (can relate to party theme), small stuffed animal you can get inexpensively from Oriental Trading (only if it relates to a theme - ie zoo theme, jungle theme), small game (card game like Uno, etc.). One small gift is much better than a bunch of little stuff.

Have a cookie made at deerfields bakery and have them individually wrap them. I just did a monkey cookie and printed out labels on the computer that said thanks for monkeying around at my birthday! You could do just about anything and who doesn't lke a big delicious cookie:)

McDonalds gift check or Classic theatre gift certificate. Little ones like to pay by themselves so this seems like a good idea to me.

Gum ball machines from Dollar Tree(and gumballs too of course.) They were plastic and you didn't need to put money in them, but the kids LOVED them. My son still has his.

www.orientaltrading.com They have so many things to choose from and most all of them inexpensive. You might want to look in their craft area. We dd this for Christmas for all my kids friends. Buy several craft projects (most of these some individually wrapped in packs of 12) and put them in a bag with a glue stick. This makes great rainy day play and gives the kids essentially two things: something and something to do!

I did a $5 gift card for Cold Stone awhile back, or McD's, the bookstore, etc.

What about a canvas bookbag you let them decorate as a craft then they take it home? I made some with a bookworm I found online, printed it on iron on transfer paper and painted it. You could paint each child's name and just let them decorate, do handprints, offer sponges in different shapes, all kinds of things, depending on the age group of the child. My kids love theirs and we take them to the library for the summer reading program, and any other time we go too.

Water bottles with their names?

I just got headbands and sunglasses for my daughter's b-day party. I got them at Children's Place. They are 2/$5, I wanted to add flip flops but was not sure of all their sizes, so I did the headband. the Disney Store has sunlasses and flip flops 2/$6 right now too.

Bottle of bubble bath with the fun character top. They are the cheapest at Walmart.

We did that one year for my son's 5th birthday. The theme was "Knights" and we gave everyone a single Lego Knight kit for $6. It was a great goody bag and kids really loved getting a toy. My friend had a Hot Wheels party and gave all the kids a Mini Lego Racer kit. I am sure there are Polly Pocket sets or Littlest Pet Shop sets that are around $5 and look like a bigger gift than they cost.

Once, we did a Blockbuster gift card for $5 wrapped up with a package of microwave popcorn. It was a movie themed party, so it made sense. It would be more than $4/kid that you suggested, but you can keep the idea until an older birthday party comes along.

I have done a coloring book and crayons from the dollar store. The Dollar Tree is the best dollar store I have found. Another idea I did last year was to buy from Oriental Trading some ceramic flower pots shaped like butterflies. The kids painted them using acrylic paint I already had and then I bought some flowers and dirt and the kids planted their flower. It was really cute and didn't cost much. Good Luck!

L.

you should hit up the dollar store, they have those jumbo coloring books, summer toys all sorts of stuff you could use.

What about a gift card to a book store? Then theycan go and pick out what they want. Or maybe a bagof popcorn and a movie rental gift card. Hope this helps.
Happy day!

T.

Try this... www.kidfavors.com

There's some really cute stuff in there!

when my girl was younger we did a Little Bear party - the I Can Read books are around $3.50 at any bookstore. I got them even cheaper at www.kidsurplus.com. you could get a variety or pick one book depending on theme.

also- just went to a party where they decorated wooden frames. the host took pics of every kid with the birthday girl and sent them out for 1 hour printing while the paint was drying- had them in the frames before the kids left.

The best one we got and then gave for a summer b-day was a super soaker-the kids loved it! You can either let them open or just take home when they leave. Good luck.
L.

I made music CD's for the kids for my 4 year olds birthday. They were a great hit. I mixed all the fun kids bop songs and some from the cars sound track,I like to move it move it. I got so much feed back on it.

Good luck and I hope this may help a little bit. It is cheap and your not getting junk!!

M.

I am having my daughter's 5th birthday party this weekend. We are going to make a craft and do a pinata, so that is what they are going to fill their goodie bags with along with sidewalk chalk.

In the past, I had bought canvas bags from a craft store (Hobby Lobby has multi packs), and decorated them with the childs name. I filled them with a coloring book, crayons and a snack. It is a bring along bag for the car, church or doctors office.

Good luck.

Hi E..

Well its been awhile, but when my daugter was that age, I went to walmart or target...might have been OSCO, but anyway, they had these little heart shape or square boxes, plastic make up that were for like storing barettes, or trinkets, etc. I bought the squares for the boys, hearts for the girls, and wrote their names on them with craft paint. Then put either some candy, or for the boys a matchbox type car and the girls got barettes. All from the $1 store to keep cost down. Came to $4 each about.
My daughter is almost 17 now and STILL kept her box!
Good luck!

I'm soooo with you on the gift bag idea- my daughter's birthday is a week before Halloween, and we've always had pumpkins for 'goody bags'. For my other kids, we've done a pack of Play Doh (I think the four pack is $1.49 at Toys R Us), balls, bubbles kits, water wings/beach ball combo, sidewalk chalk, etc.
Hope that helps!
Good luck!

My 2 boys (7 and 5) got a kite at the last party they were at. I thought that was a nice idea. At least its something different and not just a bunch of plastic junk.

I make large wrapped cookies that match the theme to give away. It is my business. You can check me out here on Mammasource and from here see my website. If you are interested, let me know. My wrapped theme cookies are $2.50. I can make pretty much anything!
E. Soroko
Cakes Cookies and More by E.

Try Sidewalk chalk from Wal Mart. It's cheap and doesn't need a goody bag because it is already packaged. I have also done jump ropes and kites.

With warm weather coming up, you can go to dollar stores or wal-mart and get jump ropes, bubbles, sidewalk chalk and frisbees for a $1 or less each. I did that one year and it was a big hit.

Hi,

I, too, try to do something big and useful instead of giving a bunch of trinkets kids forget about the morning after the party.

Try Sidewalk chalk, hula hoops, balls (many sizes available at walmart for $1), jump ropes or even a board game if you can find some on sale in the price range you are looking. Or you could do a toothbrush/mini toothpaste kit - available at target (i think in their travel size toiletries section) or bubble bath or other bath stuff (like bath colors etc) Throw in some teddy grahams or annie's bunny crackers or bug bites! There are lots of jigsaw puzzles available at the dollar store. Last year for my daughters birthday I found adorable straw purses at the dollar store - I bought one for each girl and went to walmart and bought a big pack of hair stuff (ponys and hairbands) and divided them up in the straw bags. The boys got a pail/shovel filled with a ball and a kite - all available at the dollar store. I added bubbles in each bag/bucket Each party favor was under $4! And everyone loved them.

Good luck,
Aarti.

What about coloring books or play-doh? All kids like this. My son was at a bday party when he was younger and they gave everyone a small soccer ball. He loved it, but I don't think too many girls would like this. I hope this helps.
A.
www.opportunityofyourlife.net

I Erike. My children are grown now but I to started giving one decenet gift to the kids instead of all the little junk. You end up throwing it all away anyway. A couple of Idea I would have is to got o the dollor tree and look. A lot ofthere stuff is junky and you don;t wantthat either but the ydo have some good ball, squisy balls with weird stuff inside that the boys love ( I did daycare, believe be they love that stuff) They also have these long sword like swuirt guns(they work very well).They also sell glow necklaces very cheap. Playdoh is good and very inexpensive, even a large piece of fun candy. My daughter used to love getting the GIANT pixie stick (they sell them at Sam's)I hope this helps. Gook Luck.

Hit the dollar store...dollar trees are the best! right now you an probably get water balls, squirt sticks, or all assortment of summer fun toys

Sidewalk chalk. You can get it at Dollar Tree for $1 and it's a big container.

M.

Buy them each a jump rope

My son and I just happened to be at Jewel / Osco by our home and they had these REALLY cool, around 4 or 5 inch, rubber balls (maybe the size of a large orange). They resemble a large super ball. Inside they are clear but they have a glitter-substance that floats or if you shake it up - the whole ball becomes enveloped with this sparkly glitter - like a glistening "crystal ball" when you shake it. The glitter was a solid color and there were several colors to choose from - gold, purple, blue, silver, etc.... I think they were around $2.00. Fascinating!

Otherwise, big decorated bakery cookie that fits the party theme or a movie-size box of candy for $1 at Walgreens. Or something seasonal - fun bubble wands/paddles, chalk, seasonal crafts.

Have fun!

All kids love Silly Putty, Slinkies, Frisbees and the new hit around my house is Flarp.

My son's 5th birthday was last month. We did kites as party favors. Hula hoops are at the Dollar Tree too, whereas they are about $6 otherwise (thick cardboard as opposed to plastic, but work fine and I'd definitely go for the Dollar Tree ones). I love doing outdoor things like that especially this time of year...things to get the kids moving playing outside :)

Hi E.,
I too am all for one party favor item instead of a whole bunch of junk. We just went to two parties and my kids got more of the typical stuff like...candy(they don't need anymore... they still have Valentine's Day and Easter Candy), rubber balls, playing cards, coloring books, plastic rings, etc...I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but even my kids are not excited about the stuff.... maybe it's because they have been getting similar stuff for the last 4 or 5 yr.s from parties.

I would guess a lot of kids already have water bottles, so how about buying each child a snack container. (Maybe even personalize it will some fancy writing by using markers that stay on plastic.) I am trying to be more "green" lately and I have to admit ... I can't stand to see all the unnecessary waste with the baggies that kids use for snacks and lunch at school each day. My kids use happy face plasic containers that they use for snack and lunch. (Half of the lid lifts up for them to put their fingers in.)

Or how about water/summer toys. I bought butterfly nets at Meijer for $4.00 last week. (They had cheaper ones for $2, but those were made out of plastic and they just wind up breaking easily.) Or swim related items such as the torpedos or rings that float to the bottom of the pool.
(Some people mentioned chalk, but I personally have so much of that and bubbles, and balls already.)

No one remembers all the little things that go in a goodie bag, but they do remember the decent one item gifts that they get from parties.

Hit up your local Dollar Tree! There are always great ideas and things to get you started!

To be honest the best thing I did and everyone LOVED even the kids and parents was we gave out a $5 gift card to toys r us. I know it sounds expensive but by the time you put it in a cute bag and the stupid toys that end up getting thrown away is such a waste of money. this time the child got ot go and pick something out and when they saw the presents being opened they wanted things too. The parents used it for diapers for the babys that got one etc. I had every single person thank me for that goody bag.
good luck
do you have a theme I could get more ideas?

What about a yo-yo or kite, I think at 5 yrs old this might be fun.

I am not sure if you found your one idea but here are a few I make/sell at my boutique:

*bows ($2-4 each)
*fabric headbands ($5)
*Hot/Cold Ice Packs ($5)
tooth fairy pillows ($8)
fabric bookmarks ($3)
personalized monogram bows ($5 each)
ribbon pouches ($7, big enough to store lipgloss fun girly stuff inside!)
Best of luck!
J.
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