b'day party favor ideas?

[luvmyfam444]

for 12 year olds? I usually never have an issue coming up with ideas - but this year I'm stuck. I typically do something that goes along with the theme (the theme is Amazing race). They are just gonna be doing random games to get the next clue (eat babyfood, pick out worms, count steps) - that kinda thing

 

[Kirby]

Are they boys or girls or a mixed bunch?

Glow sticks, bracelets, etc go over well at that age plus temporary tatoos. How about some sweet/sour candy or pixie sticks? Bubbles?

 

[mjkacmom]

How about personalized hershey bar wrappers?

 

[LuvLDM]

Honestly, for 12 yr. olds I wouldn't even do favors.

 

[luvmyfam444]

oops - sorry - all girls...

HMM - I need to check on the Hershey wrappers (DUH! I used to do them for all the parties but haven't done any in while)

 

[laurie31]

We have done T shirts a couple of times. That sounds expensive, but you can get the plain ones at Michael's or AC Moore for just $2-3, and make your own design and then iron it on. Or let the girls decorate them with fabric paint. My girls LOVE to decorate stuff with fabric paint (they are 11 and 13).

Or, more in keeping with the theme, you could get those plain white tennis shoes (we call them "Keds" here) and let them decorate those with fabric paint. I think you can get those at WalMart for just a few bucks each. Or you could get white flipflops.

 

[NAB]

How many are going to be there?

My dd got a $5.00 gift card to Dairy Queen once. She that was pretty neat.

All that little stuff you put in those bags including the bag itself adds up fast even if you get it at the dollar store.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

I'd keep it simple and do mostly candy. My DD10 went wild over a treat bag she received and it was ALL candy! Go figure! Apparently it was good candy, in her opinion...mini 3 musketeers, milky ways, sour patch kids, nerds, laffy taffy, m&m's and some other name brand stuff I can't recall.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

My DS went to a party once where they put out a big bowl of mixed candy, handed out bags, and let the kids divvy it up.

I like the t-shirt decorating idea. Girls would love this! But you may have to do this as the first activity so they have time to dry. Any other article of clothing like shoes may be tricky to size everyone. The flip flops might be cute if you found out sizes ahead of time, or over bought and then returned the sizes you didn't use.

 

[Luvmy4boys]

My DS (age 7) went to a party where the favors were a CD of the B-day boy's favorite songs. Maybe 12 yr olds would like that too. I thought it was an original idea.

 

[Kimberle]

My dd just turned 11. I got the girls a choker from Justice. It was a piece symbol on cords. I also gave them gum. That's it! Once she got a little manicure kit (from Claires). Another hit.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Honestly, for 12 yr. olds I wouldn't even do favors.

Same here.

 

[ElizK]

I wouldn't do a "goody bag", but we have done tie-dye parties, and their dyed shirts were the favors. One time I had a Keno party, and I supplied all the prizes. The prizes were the favors that year.

 

[Kirby]

I think that my daughter had a sleepover birthday party about that age and we made a craft. The girls really liked that.

 

[itchin2go]

We always do a cd of my daughter's favorite songs. It's useful, plus it's a keepsake for me -- showing what she was into at the time.

Last year, I made laminated bookmarks with a child's name on each one. You can buy the laminating pouches on ebay. Then it's just a matter of making the paper insert(s) and laminating. I bought a laminator for less than $25 from Kmart a long time ago and I have used it over and over again.

Along the same lines, I make bag tags out of cardstock or business card blanks and then laminate those and make a loop out of ribbon. You can put just a first name, or go all the way with address, etc. Very useful.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10102851@N02/1021806006/

"Amazing Race" theme brings maps to mind. You could get maps and cut them up to make cute bookmarks.

Another idea from a party my daughter went to is a journal for each girl. You can get blank small notebook type things fairly cheaply. This mom put a bookplate in the front of each journal saying thanks for coming to my party, Love ______________. I think it had a cute elastic around it, but it just depends on what you can find available (and cheap) at the time. Again, useful and cute.

My pet peeve is stuff that gets thrown away. I'm as guilty of it as the next person, but I *try* to steer clear of that.

P.S. I think an Amazing Race party is a GREAT idea!

 

[luvmyfam444]

thanks for the ideas - y'all are sure good!

I love the music idea - but I think all the kids have ipods - lol

I plan to grab some nail polish & lipgloss of course - but I was trying to think of something else.

I'm thinking maybe one of the "games" maybe will be a craft so there's something there to keep.

Yes - I know it gets expensive - but since we aren't paying for the party (location) & aren't feeding the kids - then we have a bit of extra money to spend on favors - and there's only 9 kids - well 11 if you count siblings.

 

[laurie31]

thanks for the ideas - y'all are sure good!

I love the music idea - but I think all the kids have ipods - lol

I plan to grab some nail polish & lipgloss of course - but I was trying to think of something else.

I'm thinking maybe one of the "games" maybe will be a craft so there's something there to keep.

Yes - I know it gets expensive - but since we aren't paying for the party (location) & aren't feeding the kids - then we have a bit of extra money to spend on favors - and there's only 9 kids - well 11 if you count siblings.

My kids think they've struck gold if they get an iTunes gift card. If you're sure all the kids have iPods, they would make a GREAT party favor. (not sure how they fit the theme, but my guess is the kids won't care )

Picture frames make cute crafts, and then you can take a pic of the group and give them all a copy to put in the frame.

 

[minniebeth]

I know when my DD12 is with her friends, all they ever want to do is take picutres of themselves together. Pictures making faces, jump shots, laughing, together...........scores and scores of photos. They put the pictures on their walls, doors, bathroom mirrors, lockers, everywhere!!
If you have the money, maybe disposable cameras so they can take photos together at the party. Some stores sell them in bulk so they're cheper.

*Or* another option along the photo line is to get them each a cheap little photo album, they have them at Michaels, Jo Ann's, Walmart for .99 cents, and then send them each some photos you took and developed at the party as a memory of the party/friends.

Oh...and I agree the Amazing Race type party theme is awsome!!

 

[golfgal]

Honestly, for 12 yr. olds I wouldn't even do favors.

Me either. We stopped doing "parties" when the kids were 10. They get a big one at 16 though.

 

[Kirby]

What kind of neighborhood do you live in? Maybe they could go to different places on your street and take a picture with something or doing something, something that might tie in with your Amazing Race theme. You could reproduce those pictures and give to each in a small photo album as a keepsake. Like other posters have mentioned, that age group loves to take pictures of themselves.