Select Region
Follow us!


Are Party Favors Necessary?

Are Party Favors Necessary?


You’ve planned and paid for a birthday party that reflects your child’s passions and interests, chosen a cake the flavor she loves, and generally made sure everyone would have a fun afternoon. Do all the guests also need to go home with a goody bag or other party favor?
 

Whether to give guests party favors is a personal decision that a family should make based on their own wishes. For her part, though, Jodi Levine, founder and owner of Jodi’s Gym in Mount Kisco and the Upper East Side, suggests skipping them entirely, because there could be a more beneficial and educational use of a family’s time and energy. “I’d love if more children would, in lieu of party favors, give a donation, maybe in the name of their party guests,” Levine says.

The same can be said for birthday presents. “I would love to see more kids, in lieu of birthday presents, perhaps bringing something to give to people who are less fortunate,” Levine says, “like a token gift for the child and a donation box, so when children are coming to the parties, at least they are giving to a cause that might be helpful to some children who are less fortunate than they are.” 

Michelle Sperry, owner of Fleur de Lis Academy in Norwalk says party favors are fine when passed out to each child one by one, as opposed to storing them in a box and telling the kids to take one. She recalls a time when a girl was having her party at Sweet Soireés, Fleur de Lis Academy’s birthday party space, and she gave her own party favor to a little girl that was crying and was not even a part of her party.



“There really goodness in children,” Sperry says. “The best advice I can give to parents is expect goodness and that’s what they’ll give you.”


Main image: Kids at a birthday party
Courtesy Bigstock/morganlstudios
 

Raising a Gracious Birthday Party Host

Find Birthday Party Resources Near You



More Parenting Articles:

Why You'll Love Kathleen Hurley

Why You'll Love Kathleen Hurley

Kathleen Hurley, an ex-Wall Streeter, launched her popular blog, Let's Be Mom Friends, when she had her first child. Writing about baby resources, she...

Latest News:

Family Activities:

Have a Laugh:

Samantha Neudorf

Author: Samantha Neudorf is a former editor at NYMetroParents. See More

Featured Listings:

Clover Prep Learning Center

Clover Prep Learning Center

Fresh Meadows, NY Clover Prep caters to multiple learning styles starting from age 2.5 to 9th grade. All classes hold a 1:5 or 1:8, teacher to student ratio. This rati...

Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning

Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning

Jamaica, NY AN INTRODUCTION For over four decades, the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL) has served as an arts oasis in a section of New York City wher...

Camp East Woods

Camp East Woods

Oyster Bay, Conveniently located "on the hill" in Oyster Bay, our facilities expand over 46-acres and offer rain or shine accommodations: two gymnasiums, a theate...