I recently threw my toddler’s second birthday party at our home. We didn’t invite any of her toddler friends from daycare due to pandemic restrictions in our state. Instead, I wanted to make extra gift bags for her friends at daycare. This article is about creating the perfect gift bags for toddlers.
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Since I knew the age range for these toddler gift bags was around one to three years old, I took extra care in putting them together. I definitely wanted to stay away from any suffocation or choke hazards and toxic materials.
Out of all the party planning for my daughter’s birthday, I spent the most time and thought on these gift bags for toddlers. Why? I wanted them to be safe but fun, exciting, budget-friendly, and age-appropriate.
Tradition of party favors
I’ve always wondered why party favors have become such a ‘thing’ at parties in America. It seems like, over the decades, party favors have become a permanent staple in many parties, from birthdays to baby showers and even weddings.
I learned that a party favor is the host’s way of thanking all of the guests for showing up and participating in the event. These small gifts are gestures of appreciation and gratitude for the invitees. (Source)
At a kid’s birthday party, it can be a lot of fun for a child to receive a goodie bag with candy and small toys.
- Additional reading: Birthday gift ideas for 2 year olds
So, here is how to create perfect gift bags for toddlers.
Choose the bag or container
There are a variety of goodie bag options from simple brown paper gift bags to personalized baskets. Many parents opt to purchase cellophane goodie bags that tie into the theme of the birthday party. We chose Sesame Street party favor bags from Amazon.
Bag or container options
- Paper gift bags
- Cellophane goodie bags
- Sand buckets
- Baskets
- Favor boxes
- Drawstring bags
Goodie bag contents
As I was shopping around for the perfect items to fill these gift bags, I realized that my options were pretty limited for toddlers. A lot of the bulk party favor items from Amazon contained tiny toys that weren’t suitable for toddlers.
Since the theme for my daughter’s party was Sesame Street, I was also looking for items that were theme related.
The goodie bag for my toddler’s birthday party contained the following items: crazy straw, Capri Sun, Sesame Street stickers, a Ring Pop, miniature Play-Doh, bubble gum, fruit snacks, Sesame Street crayons, and light up glow sticks.
Despite my best effort to make the gift bag toddler-friendly, some of these items do require some level of parental supervision. When I was snapping one of the glow sticks to turn on, I accidentally snapped too hard and the neon liquid leaked onto my hand. Yeah, definitely needs supervision.
Although Play-Doh is non-toxic and appropriate for 2 years of age and older, my daughter immediately wanted to eat the dough. On the other hand, she knew exactly what to do with the Ring Pop and enjoyed every last bit of it.
So, I did have to watch over my own toddler as she went through her goodie bag.
Ultimately, most parents will probably go through the bag first and know their toddlers well enough to decide what requires supervision.
Food options for toddler gift bags
The best way to fill gift bags for toddlers is to provide a mixture of food and non-food items so they will have something to snack on and items to play with.
- Juice boxes
- Miniature Rice Krispie treats
- Ring pops
- Fruit snacks
- Goldfish
- Bubblegum
- Cookies
- Popcorn
- Twizzlers
Toy options for toddler gift bags
- Bouncy balls
- Miniature Play-Doh
- Stickers
- Mini beach playset
- Jumbo crayons
- Bubble bottles
- Sidewalk chalk
- Spiky balls
- Crazy straws
- Small notepads
- Drinking cups
- Noisemakers
I’ve linked some options from Amazon below. My personal favorite is the Toddler Play Pack, which includes a coloring book, stickers, and crayons for each toddler. There’s no need to get gift bags for these!
A few days prior to the party, my sister-in-law told me about Oriental Trading for party supplies and favors. Wow, I wish I knew about this online party store ahead of time because they have some great items at reasonable prices.
Final thoughts on gift bags for toddlers
Overall, the toddlers enjoyed the goodie bags. It was a little stressful but also fun to put them together. Just remember that toddlers will put everything in their mouths, so stay away from small items and choke hazards.