As guests leave, it's customary to hand out goody bags. But with the average rate for party favors hovering around $10-$12, they can put a hefty dent in your budget. To keep costs down, shop at discount stores.
Try this dollar store goody bag: little packs of modeling clay, some pencils and some candy in bags you also purchase from the dollar store.
A few things you may want to avoid in the giveaways: excessive sugary sweets or candy, noisemakers or anything that can spill, like vials of paint.
To combat any post-party blues for your child, be sure to plan some after-party activities. For example, don't open the gifts at the party and create an adventure of opening the gifts after all the guests have left. Or take your film to one of those one-hour photo places, develop the pictures and then have your child help create the album.
If you like, take photos of the gifts your child received (and maybe your child playing with them) to use as thank-you notes.
If you vetoed renting a venue because you thought it would be too expensive, think again. There are lots of cheap and cheerful alternatives to having a home party. A lot of fast-food places, for example, have party rooms for hire and all the food is right there. They usually have a package price that's very reasonable. You can go to the zoo or the museum, or create picnic in the park with a guitar sing-along.
It's fun to think about other things that are in your area: a nature center, a local pool, even a beauty parlor. Throw a sleepover at a local hotel. All the kids can come and spend the night in the hotel and have room-service breakfast.
A survival kit for a kid's party includes plenty of extra film, tape and batteries, especially for the video camera. And keep a First Aid kit on hand, just in case.
