A Mother’s Quest: Top 10 Ideas for Birthday Party Favor Bags

Did you know? Loot bags are rapidly becoming the most controversial part of a birthday party.

This bag of treats is the number one thing that has had all the parents divided. It is kind of a tug-of-war kind of situation where no one has yet decided who wins. While some parents love the idea of giving giveaways to all the attendees' others might be a tad bit reluctant to do so. Why wouldn’t they be? Loot bags don’t come cheap and the cheap ones make other mothers disgruntled.

Admit it. You too have shaken your head and rolled your eyes at the one dollar store loot bag your kid brought back from a classmate’s birthday party.

Have your kids brought in a bag full of one dollar grabs from a birthday party? We are talking everything from non-durable plastic, flimsy material, basic play-dough, general goodies to just ugly ole trash. As a consequence, most of the stuff gets broken down or thrown away within days of its arrival.
Moreover, the worst are bags that have a chock full of candies. Don't those moms care for cavities? Don't their kids get super hyper after a sugar rush?
We aren't interested in playing the blame game, but some parents don't put much effort in their loot bags. They're probably to busy with an extravagant budget of the rest of the party list. Or they might not care to give your attendees something from their own pockets. Whatever the case might be, the truth is that parents don't share the same enthusiasm for loot bags as the kids.
Reading all this might have you asking yourself questions like:
So why waste the money? Is it truly worth all the hassle?
Well, the answer lies in your young attendee's smiles and laughter. They all expect three things from a party invitation: food, fun, and favors. So we would hate to break their little hearts by snatching away the loot bag tradition.
We are sure most of you will agree on this. Does that mean we keep on giving cheap treats and buying disposable toys a dime a dozen to keep the kids happy?
Nope! No way! That is not what we stand for.
As moms ourselves, we stand for catering to our children's needs by presenting cost-effective solutions that don't compromise on quality. So we came up with some ideas to solve the loot bag crisis.

We scoured the internet and brainstormed with friends and kids to create the ultimate birthday loot bag. As a result, we wound up with not one or two but in total, ten terrific ideas that can fill the loot bags with joy.

We tried to make sure that our ideas held some meaning for the kids and their parents. These ideas drive from thoughts that range from things that are everything from shareable, practical, edible, memorable, or even charitable. More importantly, we noticed that when we thought outside of the limitations of a stereotypical goodie bag, then we got a diverse list of options. Each of these ideas generated an enthusiastic response from our children.

In the end, the main takeaway is that you end your parties on an excellent happy note that keeps all parties satisfied. It may sound a tad bit complicated, but it isn’t a hard as it looks.

Don’t know how?

Here is a list to kick-start your party favor preparation:

1. Personalize It

Are you crafty? Does your child love arts and crafts?

Then how about you go to the DIY-route and make your party favors. Think personalized items like friendship bracelets, loom bands, or ornaments. You can even sew some cute handkerchiefs or customized pencil cases for the gang.

Don't have an artistic bone in your body? Don't worry! You can still keep things personal by creating digital gifts. It could be anything from printed T-shirts to playlists of the birthday girl or boy's favorite song.

1. Go Seasonal

When is your child's birthday?

You can go the hassle-free route and pick a theme that synchronizes with the rest of the calendar. Then use it to arrange party favors and loot bags that represent that theme. For instance, your December babies can have a birthday party filled with Christmassy cheer. You can gift the attendees with ornamental décor that they can put on the tree.

Similarly, you can use these other birthday months for their unique gifts.

For example:

• October: pumpkins, costume masks, witch's hat
• July: flags, national badges
• March: Painted eggs, big stuffed bunnies
• February: heart-shaped boxes, sweet-notes

Do you have a big house? Are you having an outdoor venue for the party?

If yes, then make the fill the party loot bags with actual treasure. You can do this by executing a real treasure hunt that gets all the children involved. They can go on a nature hunt or an adventurous quest. Subsequently, the treasures they find will be part of their loot bag. In this way, you can make the gifts an exciting experience for the attendees, even if they don’t cost much.

1. Go Green

Parents have started to educate their young tots all about eco-friendliness. You can lend them a hand by taking the children on a nature walk. The curious guests can then be given seeds or pots as their party favor. You can either help them plant the pot here and there. Or better yet have a fun activity that involves decorating their pots.

Moreover, you can play a game of guess the plant and then gift each kid a seed of something they correctly guessed.

These party favors are particularly great for first to third graders that may have plants and planting in their course.

Take a page from the wedding handbook. Many wedding guests are usually given a piece of the décor as their party favor. You can do the same with your small attendees. Your party goodies can be anything from helium balloons, elaborate centerpieces at the table, decorative bows, and ribbons to props from the photo booth. Party favors like these aren’t just pretty to look at; they come in handy as showpieces or playthings for the guests.

Why does party loot always have to be candy?

Unless the birthday is near Halloween, you need to try to lay off those candies when you fill the loot bag. You can replace the sweets with homemade baked goods like muffins, brownies, doughnuts, or cookies. You know the kind of wholesome stuff the parents won’t mind.

Moreover, the children can munch on to satisfy their post-party cravings. Or they can even have it for breakfast the next morning.

1. Book It

Does your child have a book club?

Instead of toys and treats, you can fill the young minds with love for reading. You can do this in two ways, depending on your budget. If you have dollars to spare, then gift all the attendees with a great children’s book to start their bookshelf collection.

If you are short on cash, then arrange a grand book swap. Instruct the parents to send their children with a book from their bookshelf that they might be willing to giveaway. After that, you can ask each child to exchange their books with the person sitting next to them, or they can randomly select books from a pile when they are heading home.

Who knows? It might be the start of a book club.

1. DIY- The Guest Edition

You may not have a flair for art, but the kids’ sure do!

You can use this love for colors and crayons to your best advantage when planning a birthday party. Do this by arranging a little crafts station at your party. Not only will this keep those notorious hands busy, but they will also be able to take their creations home.

Little princesses can make decorate crowns for themselves. You can also get them to form bands, loom bands, or bows to match their outfits. With the latest range of DIY on the internet, we think finding a DIY kit that fits your birthday party themes will be as easy as pie.

The truth is that these party favors may lose their charms in the long run. The only thing that can linger on for long is the memories that they create at the event. That is why it is a splendid idea to have a photo booth placed in the corner. Let the kids go crazy with the camera and put their best pout forward.

You can also make boxes of memories by gifting the children framed photographs of their class or just of your girl and her gang. The birthday kid can also add their touch to each box by leaving notes addressed to each attendee (thanking them or telling them how special they are to the sender).

Things can’t get simpler than a bow for a bunch of girls attending the birthday party. These are probably the greatest item on this list because mothers can never run out of bows. And the little girls love the idea of a box of matching bows at their disposable for every opportunity they get to dress up.

Fortunately for you, we at Bargain Bows can lend you a hand there. We have an abundant supply of colorful bows and head accessories that will tie up your party favors in a pretty little bow.

Other party favor ideas include:

• One big gift like a coloring book or stuff toy for the guest
• A funky 90's themed goodie bag with board games, mad libs, yo-yos and all the stuff that was a rage in our childhood
• Coupons or discount cards of the ice-cream parlor or eating joint your party maybe is held at

We suggest that if you want to end your parties on a good note, then don't hold back, shower the little guests with a perfect partying gift. All you have to do is pick a budget and the stick to one of these practical party solutions. Be sure to keep your guests interest in mind for the most successful loot bags. It's because they love when the bags have contents that match their interests.

In the end, we think our lists of ideas are enough to help you to power through at least the next three to four years of birthday parties. Don't you?

Now, the question is:

What are you going to put in those loot bags?

Don't go yet.

Bargain Bows is a small corner of the internet that is brimming with bows, headbands, and so much more. We have everything from boutique bows to oh-so-cute bow clips and other accessories that are perfect for your little darlings! Our variety is so extensive that you’re bound to find something that you like.

You can even find tutus for little ballerinas in our space of all things girly.

More importantly, just like this post, we are here to lend a hand to all the mothers out there. We feel that together, we can combine our forces and empower our girls and let them dress in the quirkiest way they want. Be it with bows, flowers, or any other frills and furls at their disposable.

So drop on by and get the best deals on all the things that your princess wants!