An Ignoble Experiment: [Parent Hacks] 1 new post in Parent Hacks

2011/07/22

[Parent Hacks] 1 new post in Parent Hacks

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Summer birthday party? On-sale school supplies make smart party favors.

I'm all for birthday parties, but I'm a grump when it comes to goody bags...those pernicious party favors that kids love but parents resent. Most of the birthday party goody bags my kids get are filled with plastic, throwaway junk which clutters my house, clutters the landfill, and unneccesarily empties the wallet of the party host.

All the same, what's a birthday party without favors for the guests? I usually choose a single, quality toy that we give to each guest as he or she leaves. One year, we served lunch on Frisbees, and those were the takeaways. This year, I took advantage of early back-to-school sales and created school supply goody bags.

Glitter pencils, whimsical erasers, scissors, rulers -- and some Silly Putty for fun -- make a colorful and useful collection. Instead of a throwaway gift bag, everything went into three-ring pencil pouches, which were a steal at two for $1. Everything came in at under $5 per bag, and I know it will be put to good use.

Any more ideas for useful, reasonably-priced summertime birthday party favors?

More: Birthday party goody bag ideas

And: Birthday party guidelines for sane parents