When you’re planning your child’s birthday party, party favors are always going to be a factor. With younger children, these favors are easy to figure out, but as your kids get older it gets harder and harder to find party favors that will be appreciated by both those they invite to their party and the parents of those invited. Most items advertised as party favors are, to put it simply, complete junk, and older kids and teens won’t be impressed if you go with the easiest option. Fortunately, with a little thought and creativity, you can find great party favors that aren’t junk and will make your child’s party memorable both for them and their guests.

Books

Books are a great option for party favors – find a book in your child’s reading range and their guests will get a lot of use out of it, plus the more educational aspect will be appreciated by their guests’ parents. Books can also be a great way to tie your party favors in with the party’s theme – a zoo-themed birthday party can be accompanied by a copy of Curious George, for example. For older kids or teens, invite your guests to bring a copy of their favorite book to the party and organize a book swap. This is a great favor for a beach-themed party in particular since the concept of a beach read is evergreen and adds fun to the proceedings.

Coloring Books

For an easy bulk find that won’t break the bank, coloring books are the way to go. Grab a number of options from the local dollar store and some small packs of crayons and you have a quick and easy party favor. It’s easy to find coloring books to go along with any party theme from superheroes to princesses, and this favor can easily be scaled up in age with more complex pictures and “adult” coloring books. Plus, if you have a lot of guests coming from a further distance away, it’s a built-in activity for the car ride home.

Snacks and Sweets

Want a surefire hit that will be appreciated by a wide variety of age groups? You can go for any number of snacks and sweet treats for your guests to take home. This is another party favor that can be easily customized to fit with the party’s theme – think make-your-own-s’mores packs for a camping theme, caramel apples for a fall birthday, or Jiffy-Pop and cans of Coke for an ‘80s movie-themed teen party. If you want to go customized, there are a myriad of bakeries offering personalized cupcakes and cookies that are easy to take home or eat at the party itself.

Party Crafts

Want to have a simple piece of entertainment for the party that can double as a favor to take home? There are a massive number of crafts that will work for your party and that won’t break the bank with a bit of ingenuity. Customized picture frames are always a good bet, as are popsicle stick monsters for younger partygoers. For older kids, customizing their own t-shirts with tie-die or sublimation paper from sites like craftingbesties.com is sure to be a hit. One of the big advantages of party crafts as favors is that the guests are sure to enjoy the outcome – no guesswork on your part is required.

Seasonal Favors

Seasonal favors are great both for themed birthdays that sync with the weather and for party planners who are looking to score a deal. Winter birthdays mean hot cocoa packs and cute beanies, summer parties require flip flops and travel-sized sunscreen. This is also a great way to save on favors – if you time it right, you’ll be able to grab large numbers of favors when seasonal items go on sale, especially if your child has an August or February birthday.