I am just being honest here. I am so tired of my girls coming home from birthday parties with goodie bags full of candy. Maybe it is just me, but after letting them indulge in highly processed pizza, cake, juice and in some instances even soda do kids as young as 3 and 4 years of age really need a bag full of candy?
I don’t want to sound ungrateful because my daughters have so much fun at these parties, and I know it’s a lot of work and expense for the parents. But, it is a pretty solid reminder that we are very much the minority with our “real food” desires. And frankly, I don’t know what to do with these bags full of junk food that the party hosts keep handing out to my kids.
Luckily my girls are still young enough that they often forget about the party favors shortly after the party, but ever since Halloween last year I started giving them quarters for each piece of candy that they chose to give up to me. I certainly don’t want them to “miss out” on anything special and they happen to love saving up their change so they can go pick out a toy with their very own money. This of course means I end up throwing that bag of candy in the trash, which unfortunately seems like such a waste.
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Earlier this month we celebrated our youngest daughter’s fourth birthday, and I was on a mission to come up with fun candy-less party favors. I know some say everyone should go without party favors all together, but I am not quite on that bandwagon yet. Plus I used to be a corporate event planner in my old life so I think it is fun to get into the details of an event.
So, without further ado, for only a couple bucks each we gave out the pictured pots, bags of soil, seed packets, shovels and plant tags to all our little guests. I was lucky to find almost all of the items marked down in the dollar bins at Target.
And I was even more thrilled to learn that most of the kids have since “planted” their party favor including my own two daughters who both really enjoyed the task. So hopefully these will last at least a little bit longer than the candy-filled alternative!
I recently reached out to my wonderful facebook community to get even more candy-free party favor ideas and here is the list of ideas that they came up with. We’d love to hear your ideas as well so please leave them in the comments below!
- Bubbles
- Books / bookmarks
- Craft projects (can usually find $1 packs at craft store)
- Pencils/erasers
- Crayons
- Small pads of paper
- Stickers
- Chinese yo-yos (found at Pier 1)
- Bouncy balls
- Mandarin oranges
- Boxes of raisins
- Small containers of Play-Doh or a homemade version
- Bracelets that can be made at the party
- Snacktrap holders
- Boo boo bunnies
- Animal or other fun hats (can be found at A.C. Moore)
- Finger puppets
- Scholastic books (they offer many books for only a dollar!)
- Karate kid headbands (made at party with white napkins)
- Teacups
- Magic wands
- Aprons
- Paint supplies
- Homemade sword/shield sets
- Goodie tote bags that the kids can decorate at party
- Silly Bandz
- Balloons / water balloons
- Water guns / goggles
- $5 gift card to bookstore
- Shirts that kids paint, decorate, or tie dye at party
- Sidewalk chalk
- Tulle tutus that kids can make at party
- Glow in the dark stars kids can find on scavenger hunt
- Sunglasses
- Hand-me-down stuffed animals
- Foamerators made at party
- Lego mini figures
- Diego place mats and binoculars
- Toothbrushes
- Matchbox cars
- Sand toys
- Small puzzles
- Jedi robes and pool noodle lightsabers
- Nail polish
For more ideas go to this post: Easter without the junk!
[Entered into Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday]
Lissa says
For my daughter's birthday I made little bags with little nail polishes, colorful emery boards, toe dividers, note pads, and cool pens. When the girls arrived and settled down I passed out the bags. The girls had a manicure / pedicure party. Then the girls got to take home their bags. So I was able to do a "craft" and have goodie bags at the same time. It worked out beautifully! FOr my son's birthday I plan to give the boys matchbox cars, coloring books and crayons (crayons can be found really inexpenive during the back to school sales).
Leia Kalmar says
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Mary says
Honey sticks
fake tattoos
little flip top note pads (like detectives use as my son would point out)
Marbles
For my kids last birthday we decorated mini pumpkins and squash and that was what the kids got to take home
My son wants to make mix cd's for all his friends for his birthday this year:D
KN says
I've had this same conversation with local moms...and yet we all continue the "tradition" of junk food at the parties and junk-filled goodie bags. There was one party where I put more effort into creating personalized, laminated Webkinz bookmarks for my older son's party. I loved hearing that the kids were using them while reading. But I also recently allowed Chuck E. Cheese to hand out their crap-filled bags to the guests and my younger children's party. I've definitely felt that eliminating processed foods and junk from our lives has been a one step forward, two steps back process. I hope that we will all continue to share ideas and make time to live and celebrate in more healthy manner.
Regarding Halloween candy, my son's boy scout troop mails all leftover candy to the troops abroad. Once my kids realized where the leftovers went they stopped asking for treats. A small step, but progress nonetheless!
Marisa H says
Unfortunately the link to your Miami Herald article doesn't work :(
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes they only archive the articles for so long...sorry about that!
Amy says
We have done mylar balloons from the Dollar Store as favors. They are decorations during the party and then the kids can take them home and play with them. They last a few weeks to a month and then can be tossed. We do tie something small on the bottom to keep the balloons from sailing away. Last year it was a single Mega block (I knew the kids had Mega blocks at home and would just be incorporated into their collections.) Next year we are using tiny bottles of bubbles, the kind you would get at a wedding to blow when the bride and groom leave. They are 6 for $1 at the Dollar Store. They have been a huge hit with the toddler crowd.
I love the idea of food-free favors. I have food allergies and I cannot tell you how many times I have been given 'gifts' of food I cannot eat. I am an adult and know that people mean well but it still makes me feel bad. I do not like to give out food because I don't want to ever do that to a child.
Amy says
We have done mylar balloons from the Dollar Store as favors. They are decorations during the party and then the kids can take them home and play with them. They last a few weeks to a month and then can be tossed. We do tie something small on the bottom to keep the balloons from sailing away. Last year it was a single Mega block (I knew the kids had Mega blocks at home and would just be incorporated into their collections.) Next year we are using tiny bottles of bubbles, the kind you would get at a wedding to blow when the bride and groom leave. They are 6 for $1 at the Dollar Store. They have been a huge hit with the toddler crowd.
Lora says
It's so hard to make everyone happy with goodie bags! I always try to do candy-free, plastic-free, and latex-free take away bags, even if it means spending an extra couple dollars. I usually make up for those dollars by using "real" plates and silverware.
The plants are a great idea!
Natasha GL says
OMG, I am so happy to have stumbled upon this website. I was just talking to a girlfriend about food and how something is not right with our body system that we're not digesting things very well. But as for the parties - you're right, I can't stand all the candies my kids get from the parties and thnk your idea is ingenious... a quarter for each piece of candy! I know my 8 year old daughter would totally go for it. My ten year old son and five year old daughter... not so much. lol. I pride myself on not giving favors that are educational, like workbooks from the $1 store and writing noteboooks, whatever. Something educational and something fun that won't break within hours. Thaks for all these great ideas!
rzg says
Great ideas! I want to go to your parties!
Regarding Halloween candy, my mom had all of her kids freeze our candy till Xmass time when we made a sugar free gingerbread house with sugar free egg white based "snow" that even the cats wouldn't eat. By unwrapping all the candy and using it to decorate huge houses we were happy to not eat the candy in Oct/Nov (though tempted on decorating day) and then with the nasty tasting adhesive "snow" on it, no one wanted it again. Oh, and we are Jews, so its a pretty universally appealing activity. Most years we went with a saltbox design for simplicity, but a Victorian with m&m roof was really memorable.
Laurie Carlson says
We only did birthday parties with friend's invited for our children's 6th and 12th birthdays.
It made it very special for them. I just could not see spending all the money and getting
more things that our children didn't need. We also limited the number of parties they
went too. They could go to their dear friends parties, but not everyone in the classroom.
Frankly, we did not have the money. I was committed to staying home and not working so
we couldn't afford all the money for gifts for each of their friends. We also had parties
just for the fun of it --- so no gifts or party favors were needed. My children were able to eat with their friends without themed paper plates!! Kudos for the families out there that are willing to set some boundaries in their lives, whether it be for health or financial reasons.
There is a lot of fun just in being alive!
Kiran says
I am with you on this ... I cannot stand the candy that comes home, yet personally the little plastic things can also make me nutty. I generally go for one "big" thing for my kids' favors. You end up spending the same amount, in my, opinion, so I put it towards one thing instead.This past year my just-turned 7-year-old's friends all got a Junie B. Jones book (around $5/piece - she only had 8 girls at her party so it really wasn't bad). Or I've done the books for $3.99 at Borders as the favor. If you can catch a good sale, sometimes you can get beach towels at Target for $5 also.
One other cute smaller item that we got at a 3-year-old party was included with other Dora things - the mom got a package of Dora panties and each girl got a pair in her bag. It's amazing how exciting new panties are for newly potty trained kids!
Elisa says
I just put together a goody bag for my daughter's party. I included bubbles, a water ball (one of those soft balls you can use in the pool), and hair clips. I also put in a book on animals that I found in the dollar spot at target. I know that these items tend to be more expensive, but we usually only invite two or three friends (because I can't handle too many kids!) so that allows me to spend a bit more on each goody bag. My other daughter's birthday is at the beginning of the school year, so I usually include crayons or colored pencils because of the great sales then!
I have never felt obligated to make a goody bag. I like seeing the look on the kids' faces when they get the goody bag. Plus I do think there is some value in the birthday child seeing the other children get something. It takes the focus off them briefly (but not too much - it is their birthday, after all!).
HealthyMamma says
I almost posted something similar last week. I'm room mom for my third grader and decided that I wasn't going to have junk at the end of year party. I was going to get Chipotle's taco kits for lunch and have fruit and a simple well made cookie (i.e. cookies from a local baker that uses quality ingredients). The paper products are compostable and/or made from recycled materials. I saw this really inspiring video about turning trash into toys, so I thought we might do a craft using water bottles or something like that. Goodie bags would be a "summer survival kit". A pail filled with some of the items in your list and things like sunblock and refillable water bottles. The gardening pot idea though, is something I may consider instead. It's much greener than a bag full of cheap plastic toys! But the party time has been changed to after lunch and the time has been shortened to just 40 minutes, so the taco kits and the craft are a no go. I'm still going to do get the "good" cookies, organic juice, maybe some popcorn or fruit and either the pails or your flower pot. We're going to let the kids autograph each others yearbooks and old "recycled" t-shirts brought from home.Thanks for the great ideas!
JenP says
When we had my 5 yo's party at the zoo, we gave out animal baseball caps, sunglasses and water bottles - goody bags they could use during the party! I love the plant idea. My son wants a watermelon party this year (not sure what I'll do with that), so maybe we'll give out watermelon seeds.
Amber says
Such an awesome idea. I do not have kids of my own but love hanging out with my niece. This will make a great gift, that isn't unhealthy, or obnoxious (noisy). Her mother will be thrilled.
Tonistep says
I love photos. Ask the children to make photos with disposable cameras and let them take them home. Or, make a frame at the craft event at the birthday party. Take one picture of each guest and frame it for them as their favor.
Cayty says
Great post! Something to try too would be to talk to the parents in your children's circle of friends and bring up the concerns about the candy. Chances are, they just couldn't think of anything more creative or as simple as candy. Your insight could spark their minds for the next party!
Laura says
Great idea! I am also NOT a fan of birthday party treat bags filled with candy and little plastic toys. The whole bag always ends up right in the trash once we get home.
For my daughter's 4th birthday party, I had each child decorate a beach pail and sun visors with their name and stickers. Before they left the party, I dropped a coloring book and a container of washable crayons in their buckets. They seemed to be a real hit!
Natasha says
Thanks so much. I'm going to try this at my son's birthday party.
Jennifer says
I am doing something similar at my daughter's 5th birthday. I took a little plastic hoe I purchased at Michaels and using decorative ribbon I tied a packet of wild flower seeds to it. Very inexpensive but nice presentation and fun (I hope!)
Ellen says
My ds is now 24, but when we had parties we never gave away bags o candy as favors. Bubbles were always popular, as well as pencils, stickers,and other little baubles. One year we did something similar to the tomatoes. I had the kids decorate clear platic cups and then plant zinnia seeds. They had popsicle sticks and they glued the zinnia packet to that. Before the parents showed up, I told the children to take care of the little plants so they could give them to their Mom's for Mother's day, (but dont tell them!) D's birthday is 4/1 so it worked out well. I got so many complements on that one!
Claire says
I agree! The candy and the cheap made in china (potentially harmful) junk toys are equally annoying! You have to be creative to avoid both of them, but there are SO many options to choose from if you just put a little thought into it. I like some of the creative ideas posted here so far. And the tomato seeds were a great idea, especially for a spring birthday.
Kathryn Ewers Bundy says
Not Just Parties --- as a 1st grade teacher let me add that children do not need to bring goodie bags to school filled with candy for holidays or birthdays. If your school does not have a rule against candy (ours does) please help out the teachers by finding healthy food or non-food choices for school celebrations. Get with the room parent and help plan. If you have good suggestions, people are much more willing to try something new. And please let all the parents in the class know if a no-candy rule is in effect. It's heartbreaking to have to send back unopened treats.
100 Days of Real Food says
I love the idea of a school having a "no candy" rule...brilliant!!
Bridget says
Love this idea especially with summer growing season upon us. For my daughter's birthday this past year she wanted a tea party and I purchased wooden initial letters of all the guests first names - they had a blast painting. I'm with you on the junk - my children get one piece of candy and the rest goes in the garbage when they're not looking~
Tina says
I LOVE this post!! I'm tired of the candy AND the dollar store made in china toys.
My two favorite 'alternative' favors (crazy that candy & junk is 'normal') have been a CD with the birthday girl's favorite songs and a plant that the party guests started as seeds in pots as part of the party activity.
Krista says
I never gave party favors for my kids parties. I never understood the point of it. You give the kids a party and food and fun - you have to send them home with more??? Anyway, whenever I found myself explaining to parents about how "I don't believe in goodie bags" they all seem to LOVE the idea. Most parents said it was awesome and they wished they could bring themselves to do it! Maybe they were just saying it to my face but oh well....
Jessica says
I absolutely love these! My kids usually drop there goodie bags on our kitchen table and forget they are there, but these would make them want to get home and plant their seeds! It may even inspire them to do more gardening!
Babs says
These are great ideas! I am totally with you on the bags of junk that are brought home! My kids forget too so I have been able to throw some of them out. :) Thanks so much for your website! You are very inspiring!
AlysonRR says
When my kids were smaller we often just tied helium balloons to a small toy, like a train or train whistle or Thomas book (for my son's numerous Thomas-themed parties) or a tiny stuffed animal or box of crayons (for my animal-loving, artistic daughter's parties).
We don't do birthday "favors" for the 12-yo son anymore - his friends just want to go play video games and eat pizza and cake, and I can manage that. My 9-yo daughter wants creative parties, where they make jewelry or scrapbooks or figurines or paper dolls, so that's the "favor" that goes home.
Debbie says
Hey Lisa, wow, I would LOVE for my son to get one of your party favors. And, totally not related, but somewhat to your post... I am SO relieved that you also have let your kids endure in the "real world" of eating pizza, sodas, etc at parties. I have had to do the same and will this Friday when my son has his end of season pool party with pizza and drinks. 2 weeks ago was grilling hot dogs (regular store bought), making s'mores (with hershey's chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows with blue dye) and a Capri Sun. (We were doing a one night camp out and cooking our dogs and s'mores over little bonfires.) I personally don't like him eating all of this, but when we make the switch and are eating MOSTLY (trying to get to 100%, but don't know that is EVERY TRULY achievable unless you offend friends, upset the kids, etc) then I'm ok with an occasional this and that here and there. OK, off my soapbox now. Ah, for my son's party, I totally forgot about goody bags this year and last. Maybe I can do better once I get a better handle on all of this and give a cool one (like you did) in January. As for my son and candy, it goes in his candy jar. And, he NEVER opens it... Every few months I go tossing the stuff in garbage. Go figure! Of course, it could be that his dessert at night is yogurt or fruit or an occasional piece of chocolate (organic and from Earthfare). Thankfully when we left ball field last week during my custody, he got a green Gatorade and some Oreos as snack from some team mom. I got a handle on the Gatorade and he asked me about it when we got to the car and I said I had it and handed him his iced water bottle. Once home I realized he never said another word about it, so at least I eliminated some HFCS, dye and no telling what else, but he did get the Oreos... ;-)
Stephanie says
I am with KM on the dollar store trinkets too...if they don't break and totally disappoint my kiddos--as soon as they get them home no less--then they insist on keeping them forever and they end up under the couch, in the car, under my foot in the middle of the night. It is a mess. lol. I also don't like the candy and junk food served at parties. If you are very busy and have lots of parties to go to it ends up feeling like you need a week long cleanse to get it all out of your system. Four our birthdays, we usually have family over--lots of kids already so we don't invite other friends yet (kids are 4 and 6), and we don't do any gift bags. Our other family members are really appreciative. We usually send a picture of the birthday kid out in the thank you cards or in the invites...that seems to suffice. At the party we usually play with bubbles, toys in the play room if weather isn't nice and there is usually a good game of football or soccer with ages ranging from little ones on up to the adults. We also try and keep to whole foods as much as possible.
KM says
We don't really get goody bags full of candy from the parties my kids go to. They also don't tend to include a meal. There is usually one candy item and a pile of dollar store type stuff. As much as I don't want my kids eating tons of junk, at least it's consumable! My daughter has so many cheap trinkets, stickers or "crafts" from goody bags/stockings/Easter, etc., and she insists on keeping them forever! I think making something useful as an activity at the party and then taking it home is a great idea. I also really like the pots you put together. Cute and useful! Taking home a cupcake in a pretty box instead of eating cake at the party would be an idea too, especially if they decorate it.
Alicia says
My friend once told me that they let their kids pick a few pieces of candy at Halloween and then she puts the rest in a ziploc freezer bag and freezes it til Christmas-time when they decorate gingerbread houses. I thought that was such a great idea. I would imagine you could do the same thing throughout the year with candy collected from birthday parties and other events.
I love the idea of non-sweet party favors but just as much as I'm not crazy about all the candy I'm also not crazy about the little plastic party toys that get played with for five minutes and then junk up our house. I love some of your ideas up top. Thanks for posting them!
Stephanie says
What a great idea about the halloween candy! It saves money on buying more candy at Christmas time!
Crystal says
This year I found Toy Story (my soon to be 5 yo's theme) cups in the dollar section at Target. I'm filling the cups with bubbles, Toy Story Army Men, Toy Story Stickers, and Buddy Fruit Fruit Snacks (which is a much better alternative to candy!!).
Jenni says
We love making the "favors" during the party, I think it means more to the guests than a bag of candy and toys. For what you can do with the candy you receive... during Halloween we hear ads for organizations that send candy to the troops. One of our local dentists will pay kids for their candy and then donates it to a charity that makes care packages for the military. I'm not sure if that is active all year or not. It's worth a quick search. Good luck!
Monica says
Instead of tie dyeing shirts (with different sizes needed) we have done pillow cases and large white bath towels for use as beach towels.
Melissa says
I always include some non-candy items in goodie bags. What if one of your guests is diabetic? I don't want that child to feel left out.
Brenda says
I think candy-free parties are a great idea as well. I had no idea people were dong them or would get into the.
Cortney says
I always thought it would be cute to make beads out of Sculpey clay (or something similar) and bake them while the kids are playing/eating/whatever. Then they could make bracelets or necklaces out of them and take them home. That would be for a girl, of course.