| Great Guest Gifts: Unique Ideas for Party Goodie Bags |
By: Michelle Villanueva, Celebrations Columnist
On 2/18/06
It’s the middle of awards season for Hollywood, and that means the creation of tons of goodie bags for award show attendees. Sure, it’s all an advertising gimmick, but no one can resist the allure of getting a present, not even the biggest box office draws.
| "You might choose to ignore the entire idea of a collection of small gifts in one goodie bag, and opt for one reasonably priced gift instead. Go to your local office store or dollar store and see what is offered." |
Of course, you won’t be distributing iPods as party favors, but there are some nifty things you can place in a child’s goodie bag that is just as much fun.
Like for everything else in party planning, you must work within your theme and your budget. Seek out your child’s opinion in deciding what to get. After all, she should know what her friends would like. Party favors like noisemakers, stickers, and candy are common choices, and easy to find at your local party store. Keep in mind that a goody bag should be age appropriate. For example, if it’s a toddler party, don’t choose tiny toys that might fit in small mouths and become a choking hazard.
If you get an inaccurate headcount, you may be stuck with too little food and too few goodie bags. Instead of creating bags in advance, you may want to let the children decide what to place in their take-home bag.
If you’re planning on giving out edible treats, place the selection in wide plastic bins or wide-mouth empty glass jars. Give an empty goodie bag to guests and ask them to fill their bag up with a small amount of candy from the bins. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, have the children go on a treasure hunt to find the hidden cache of candy.
You might choose to ignore the entire idea of a collection of small gifts in one goodie bag, and opt for one reasonably priced gift instead. Go to your local office store or dollar store and see what is offered. A coloring book and a slim box of crayons are fun and won’t get thrown away or broken once the child returns home. Colorful pencils and erasers are also a nice idea, as well as inexpensive notepads for the children to draw in. Peruse the clearance aisle of your local toy store for inexpensive trinkets and toys.
An alternative to the basic goodie bag is to set up a craft project. Have each child make something to take home. Crowns and masks can be made out of cardboard or craft foam. If you have a Polaroid camera or a digital camera, take a picture of each guest with the birthday child and print out the photograph right away. Each child can then decorate small picture frames with glue, stickers, and glitter so that they have a unique memento of the party.
Another creative crafts idea is to let kids paint on ceramic pots and plant a few flower seeds in each one. If you and your child are willing to skip over the idea of having each guest bring a present to the party, you might want to set up a book exchange. Each guest brings in a gift-wrapped book, and at the end of the party, all the books are passed out to the guests.
For craft ideas, I really love the Quick and Easy project page from FamilyFun.com. Few of their suggestions require a ton of supplies, and they’re very simple to make.
Goodie bags don’t need to be fancy, and they don’t have to cost a fortune. When guests partake in creating a goodie bag, it adds a personal touch and isn’t that the most important thing.
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