Party favors are a must-have in most children’s parties. Also known as loot, goody, or goodie bags, these are given out to guests as a symbol of thanks for attending the party and serve as a memento of sorts to commemorate the event. Plus, kids also really look forward to receiving them at the end of the event because, hey, gifts for everyone! How can you come up with a loot bag that’ll wow your guests? Here are some great ideas that can help you get started:
- Colorful silicone wristbands are a great addition to any loot bag. These items are pretty eye-catching and easy to find, plus they can also be easily customized and personalized to suit various events and purposes. To make the wristbands more special, you can have them labeled with the celebrant’s name or design it according to the theme of the party, like robots, dinosaurs, cartoons, or fairies. If you can’t settle on a particular look, you can pick out random designs to make sure everyone in the party will have a unique wristband at the end of the day.
- You don’t necessarily have to put together an assortment of items for your loot bag. If you want your guests to take home a simple yet meaningful item, then give them books. The books you choose can be tied in with the theme of the party. Give away fairytale books for a fairytale-themed party for example, or fun books about dinosaurs, robots, or machines for parties with the same themes. If you’re going with a comic book-themed event, then give away comic issues or coloring books that feature comic book heroes. It’s one of those party favors that both kids and parents love.
- Big-ticket items. If you have the budget for it, you can also choose to splurge on a few choice items and draw a raffle to decide on the lucky recipients. But of course, you can give away these luxury items to everyone in your party if you only have a small number of guests. Again, you can pick items that are related to the theme of your party, such as robot toys or toy blasters for a science-fiction-themed party, new videogames or vouchers for a videogame-themed party, or Lego sets and dolls for a more fairytale-themed party. No doubt your guests will be talking endlessly about how ‘awesome’ and ‘legendary’ the party was! Just make sure that the cost of the goody bags won’t compromise your budget for everything else.
- Edible treats. Nothing brightens up a kid’s day more than candy, so be sure to toss a handful or two of the good stuff into the loot bags. Try to go for the full-size candies and snack bars rather than the fun-size ones. They’ll give the bag more heft and easily pump up the perceived value of the party favors by a good-sized amount. Bonus tip: give out the party favors at the tail end of the event or at least after everyone has already eaten. This way, the kids won’t feel tempted to eat the snacks ahead of time and spoil their appetite for the party food.
- Party crafts. Just because you’re hosting the party doesn’t mean that you’re solely responsible for putting the loot bag together. Guests can actually help craft the party giveaway if you provide them with materials for arts and crafts. Integrate the art activity into the program, like DIY party wristbands, and make the event more fun and cost-friendly for everyone.
If you’re not sure which one to go with, evaluate which items or activities will best fit the theme of the party, your budget, and the age range and interest of the guests. Or better yet, ask the celebrant if they have any preferred activity or item that they want their guests to have as a souvenir from their party.
