As a kid, I never really enjoyed the party favors I received from friends’ birthday bashes. And I certainly didn’t remember them once I’d thrown away the candy wrappers and cheap plastic toys that came in the pre-assembled “goodie bags.” What I remember about the parties I attended is friendship – the time I spent with my friends, what we did, who was there, and how we interacted. What I realize now is that there are ways to make sure party favors are memorable and tell the story of the birthday party. By engaging kids and letting them have a starring role in the creation of their party favors, we can make the whole experience more meaningful and fun. Kids may seem to love candy and not care about much else, but creating unique party favors gives your birthday boy or girl’s friends something to hold onto.

Balloon Surprise

Purchase a variety package of balloons from your local craft or party store, making sure that you have lots of different colors. Set out the balloons, colorful paper, scissors, hole punches in fun shapes, small penny candies, and markers on a large table covered with butcher paper or an old tablecloth. Write each child’s name on a slip of paper, fold it up, and put it into a hat or fish bowl. Have the kids draw names, making sure that no one gets their own name, and instruct the kids to make party favors for the person whose name they drew. To do this, have the kids choose a balloon, stretch it out for a few seconds, and fill it with confetti, candy, and a note that says three nice things about the person. Finally, blow up the balloons and use a felt-tipped marker to write each child’s name on his or her balloon. Keep them in a safe place until the kids go home.

Soap Surprise

To make these favors, buy a block of soap and some fun soap molds from your local craft store. If desired, buy a few bottles of fragrance. To make this project extra fun, make sure you have some small items to put into the molds while the soap sets – this will create a “surprise” that the kids will “find” once the soap has been used and worn down. Try small beaded bracelets, costume rings, seashells, small plastic toys, marbles, or anything else that comes to mind. Simply heat the soap, have the kids choose what kind of “surprise” to put into their molds, pour the soap, let it set, and place each child’s soaps into a small bag. For added personalization, buy small cloth bags and let the kids decorate them with fabric paint or permanent markers.

We’ve got more great tips coming later so stay tuned!

Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching various online programs and blogging about student life issues. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.