Post by thatgirl2478 on Apr 18, 2014 8:56:35 GMT -5
So far our birthday parties have been family only, so no need for favors. However, I will say that we got some small plastic toys at one of the cousins birthday parties and they have been invaluable to put in the diaper bag/purse as child distraction...
I don't think you should feel obligated to do favors, but if you do, I think the stuff from your pinata is enough.
We just did our daughter's third birthday party. I had the kids decorate paper bags, into which they later collected pinata stuff. The pinata stuff was almost all consumable - some candy, but also raisins, animal crackers, tattoos - as I don't like plastic knick-knacks either. Most kids also took a balloon on the way out, and I sent a few people home with leftover gourmet cupcakes.
DS's party is on Saturday. We're cutting the backs off t-shirts and making them into superhero capes. Also we're doing a piƱata. I thought just the candy would be fine. DH said we had to have "something". Which is crap, because we didn't have favors for any parties until DD was 6, I think, which ended up being a snack.
I agree with you and my DH is like your DH. So I ended up spending $75 on favors on top of the pool party. I like it when there are no favors because it means there is less stuff in my house.
I didn't read through all the replies (sorry ), but we do a book exchange. Each kid brings a wrapped book as a gift (my kids get way too much stuff from family, we really really don't need gifts), then after cake each kid chooses a book and they open them. Voila! Party favor, people get to bring a tangible gift, nobody cries because they want to open the birthday kids presents.
If you don't want to do favors, no big deal. Most kids and adults will not miss them.
I usually do edible favors, but for DS's first birthday I went way overboard. It was a Halloween themed party and I sewed personalized trick or treat bags for each of the kids. 26 of them with the kids' names on them. I think they were a hit because I still see the kids carrying them in FB photos every Halloween. One mom even asked me to make another one when her last kid was born.
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There is nothing I hate more* than having to take home a bag of cheap crap toys that my child will suddenly become attached to and NEVER LET ME THROW AWAY.
I love it when we get an easy favor. The last birthday party DD was invited to, the favor was a little cellophane bag with half a dozen birthday cake Oreos in it. She got to eat one each day for four days after dinner. (The other two disappeared into mommy's tummy.) She was so excited about that cookie each day.
The cookies at our 1yo's party were for the adults who brought the kids. XD
Did you do anything for the kids too? I need ideas! Giant cookies are kind of my favorite thing in the world but I didn't want to anger the healthy hippy moms....
I did organic fruit puree pouches for the youngest kids at DD's 1st birthday.