Birthday party favors for kids that are not junk

Good birthday party favors are one useful thing, not a bag of ten small ones. A paperback book, a box of crayons with a coloring page, a bottle of bubbles, a seed packet, a stick of sidewalk chalk, or the craft each child made at the party will get used. The plastic whistle and the sticky hand will be in the car seat by Tuesday and the trash by Friday. The rest of this guide covers ideas by type and budget, what is safe for which ages, and how to do personalized coloring pages as favors without paying anyone.

The one-good-thing rule

Most junk favors are bought to fill a bag. Drop the bag and the problem mostly goes away. Pick one item worth having, and put it in a paper bag, a small box or nothing at all. Parents notice the difference, and kids do not miss the filler.

A useful test: would your own child still be using it in a week? Crayons, books, bubbles and chalk pass. Mini slinkies, plastic rings and candy necklaces do not.

As a parent of a preschooler, I have noticed that the favors that last are the ones a kid can do something with. The stuff that is just stuff disappears fast.

Favor ideas that get used

Favor	Good for	Notes
Paperback picture book or early reader	3 and up	Thrift stores, library sales and school book fairs keep this cheap
Crayons plus a coloring page	2 and up	Chunky crayons for toddlers, see our crayons vs markers guide
Bubbles	2 and up	Gets used that same afternoon
Sidewalk chalk	3 and up	Thick chalk is easier for small hands
Seed packet or a seedling in a cup	4 and up	Sunflowers and beans sprout fast enough for kids to care
Homemade play dough in a jar	3 and up	Flour, salt, water and food coloring, made the day before
Decorated cookie	Any age that eats cookies	Decorating it is the party activity too
A photo from the party	Any age	An instant print or a printed photo of each child with the birthday kid
Something made at the party	3 and up	Painted rock, paper crown, decorated tote, a bead bracelet for older kids

The last row is the easiest win. If the party activity produces something, the favor is done and it already means something to the child who made it.

Personalized coloring pages as favors

A coloring page with the birthday kid on it, or better, the birthday kid and the guest together, is a favor that is genuinely about the party. You can do it for free:

1. Take a photo of the birthday child in a costume or with the party theme (a dinosaur hat, a fire truck, a cake).
2. Turn it into line art with free tools. Our guide to turning a photo into a coloring page for free walks through the steps.
3. Add a line of text at the bottom: "Thanks for coming to my 5th birthday" or a guest's name, written in by hand.
4. Print on heavier paper and roll each page with a ribbon and four crayons.

For something bigger, a small book with one page per guest works well for a class-sized party. Our guide to making a class coloring book covers the layout, and how to ask parents before you use a photo of their child.

If you would rather not make the pages yourself, a few companies turn photos into coloring pages. Colorkin is one: pages are drafted with AI illustration tools from your photos and checked and finished by a person. The Classroom Edition ($199) is built for up to 24 children, each starring on a page, and is licensed for printing copies, which can suit a big party where every family has agreed to share a photo. Most parties do not need it; a single homemade page printed for every guest is a perfectly good favor. There is more on how photo coloring books work in our guide to personalized coloring books with photos.

Safety rules by age

Party favors go home with siblings too, so plan for the youngest child in the house, not just the guest.

• Under 3: no small parts. The CPSC's Child Safety Protection Act fact sheet shows that toys and games with small parts meant for ages 3 to 6 must carry the warning "CHOKING HAZARD, Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs." If a favor carries that label, it is not a toddler favor, and the AAP says to avoid toys with small or detachable parts for infants and young children.
• No latex balloons for young guests. The AAP's choking prevention page says balloons pose a choking risk to children up to 8 years of age, and the CPSC fact sheet quotes the required latex balloon warning about uninflated or broken balloons.
• Watch the candy. The same AAP page lists hard, gooey or sticky candy, chewing gum, popcorn and marshmallows among foods to keep from young children. Swap candy-filled bags for a cookie or fruit snack.
• Small balls and marbles need extra care for anyone under 3, and the CPSC fact sheet covers their warning labels too.

Favors by budget

Free or nearly free: the craft made at the party, a printed coloring page with crayons from your own stash, a photo of each guest, cuttings or seedlings from your garden.

A few dollars each: a thrift-store or book-sale paperback, a box of crayons, a bottle of bubbles, a seed packet in a small pot.

More: a new picture book chosen for the theme, a small set of watercolors for older kids, or a personalized coloring book for each guest.

Skipping favors entirely

You are allowed to give nothing. For toddlers especially, the cake and the bubbles were the event. A short thank-you card with a photo of each guest from the party, sent a few days later, is cheaper than a favor and gets put on more fridges.

For more ideas sorted by who the gift is for, see our gift ideas hub.

Questions parents ask