Wearable art
Meri Meri Happy Icons Tattoos ($5 for two sheets at the time of publication)
Tattly The Go Go Animals Tattoo Set By See Creatures ($15 for eight tattoos at the time of publication)
Ooly Glitter Temporary Tattoos ($8 for three sheets at the time of publication)
Meri Meri tattoos are easily some of the most gorgeous, high-quality temporary tattoos I’ve come across. The gold metallic used in the designs is luscious, and the colors are richly pigmented and opaque. They aren’t cheap, and the itty-bitty tattoos feel a tad throwaway. But if your kid and their crew are fans of body art, the foil options alone are worth the splurge.
Similarly special, Tattly’s The Go Go Animals Tattoo Set By See Creatures is top notch. It features a coterie of bright-colored, beloved fauna—including alligators, giraffes, and zebras—zipping around on skateboards, bikes, and motorcycles. These tattoos are nice and big, and each is cut individually, so you can buy a pack or two and give a couple of tattoos to each kid.
If you’re hosting a bigger crowd, these Ooly Glitter Temporary Tattoos are bright, fun, and a great value, with 50 tattoos for around $8. We’ve gotten the Cute Doodle World set—where cheeky mer-cats and sunglass-sporting pineapples vibe next to vivid ice cream cones and sprinkle donuts—and adults, 10-year-old boys, and 5-year-old girls all found tats they were excited about.
Bite-size brick sets
Lego Minifigure Hot Dog Guy Key Chain 853571 ($6 at the time of publication)
Lego Creator 3-in-1 Magical Unicorn 31140 ($10 at the time of publication)
Lego Creator 3-in-1 Red Dragon 31145 ($10 at the time of publication)
When I’m favor hunting, I like to do a quick “Lego sets under $10” search to see what’s available. Often there are some lower-price mini builds that make perfect party favors.
Wirecutter’s Lego reviewers (fun job, amirite?) love plenty of epic Creator 3-in-1 sets, but the smaller ones are some of my family’s favorites. My 6-year-old daughter loved building this Magical Unicorn and is savoring it before she takes it apart and rebuilds it into a pastel-rainbow peacock or seahorse. We’ve also enjoyed building and playing with the Red Dragon set. And while we haven’t tested it yet, this Creator 3-in-1 Super Robot looks cute, too.
We’re also big fans of the Lego Minifigure keychains, which kids can hook to their backpacks or their first set of keys. They’re usually $6 a pop but often go on sale on the Lego site. We’re especially fond of these adorable “dog guys”: Hot, and French bull.
An educational book they’ll go ape (or lion, or tiger) for
Who Would Win? book series ($4 each at the time of publication)
National Geographic Kids Readers ($5 each at the time of publication)
I’ve never seen my children more excited about leaving a party than when they received a book from the Who Would Win? animal match-up series. These books pit members of the animal kingdom against each other, using scientific reasoning to deduce who would come out on top in a battle between, say, a lion and a tiger or a killer whale and a great white shark. And my kids can’t get enough. For those who prefer animal facts with a more pacifist flavor, the National Geographic Kids Readers series covers a range of habitats and critters—including manatees, caterpillars to butterflies, and meerkats—all sans showdowns. The Nat Geo series also features other scientific topics, like planets and meteorology.
Bright bandages
Welly Bravery Badges Fabric Bandages ($7 for a pack of 48 at the time of publication)
The Welly Bravery Badges Fabric Bandages are a sweet way to wear your art on your sleeve. All my kids have gone through intense boo-boo phases, cleverly inventing injuries so they could slap on yet another bandage for the eighth time that day. These colorful, high-quality ones from Welly will give them all the more reason to keep on doing that. Welly’s bandages come in lots of different styles, so you’re likely to find a good fit by theme or age. We have the monster ones, and the ice cream and dinosaur bandages are next on our list.
A sturdy lock
Master Lock Combination Padlock ($6 at the time of publication)
This Master Lock Combination Padlock is precisely the kind of offbeat item you wouldn’t typically think of as a party favor, but odds are good that plenty of kids will find it exciting and a little grown-up. Bonus points if the lock fits in with an existing theme (spy party! sports party! High School Musical party!). After one celebration where this was the favor, one Wirecutter editor heard that her friend’s kid spent hours fiddling with the lock to crack the combination. Beyond the amusement factor, the lock is a finely tuned, durable feat of everyday engineering. And it’s something guests can use for their school locker, at the gym, or anywhere else they want to protect their belongings—all for under 10 bucks.
Vintage tin toy brooches
Tin Bug Brooch ($24 for a set of 12 at the time of publication)
These vintage, never-been-used Japanese pins come with the original 1960s paper backing, which is perforated, making them perfect for divvying up and giving out as gifts. They work great as costume jewelry and also make quite a statement. Plus they’ll be amusing for grandparents who remember when tin toys were all the rage. They also come in bird and butterfly designs.
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Wearable art
Meri Meri Happy Icons Tattoos ($5 for two sheets at the time of publication)
Tattly The Go Go Animals Tattoo Set By See Creatures ($15 for eight tattoos at the time of publication)
Ooly Glitter Temporary Tattoos ($8 for three sheets at the time of publication)
Meri Meri tattoos are easily some of the most gorgeous, high-quality temporary tattoos I’ve come across. The gold metallic used in the designs is luscious, and the colors are richly pigmented and opaque. They aren’t cheap, and the itty-bitty tattoos feel a tad throwaway. But if your kid and their crew are fans of body art, the foil options alone are worth the splurge.
Similarly special, Tattly’s The Go Go Animals Tattoo Set By See Creatures is top notch. It features a coterie of bright-colored, beloved fauna—including alligators, giraffes, and zebras—zipping around on skateboards, bikes, and motorcycles. These tattoos are nice and big, and each is cut individually, so you can buy a pack or two and give a couple of tattoos to each kid.
If you’re hosting a bigger crowd, these Ooly Glitter Temporary Tattoos are bright, fun, and a great value, with 50 tattoos for around $8. We’ve gotten the Cute Doodle World set—where cheeky mer-cats and sunglass-sporting pineapples vibe next to vivid ice cream cones and sprinkle donuts—and adults, 10-year-old boys, and 5-year-old girls all found tats they were excited about.
Bite-size brick sets
Lego Minifigure Hot Dog Guy Key Chain 853571 ($6 at the time of publication)
Lego Creator 3-in-1 Magical Unicorn 31140 ($10 at the time of publication)
Lego Creator 3-in-1 Red Dragon 31145 ($10 at the time of publication)
When I’m favor hunting, I like to do a quick “Lego sets under $10” search to see what’s available. Often there are some lower-price mini builds that make perfect party favors.
Wirecutter’s Lego reviewers (fun job, amirite?) love plenty of epic Creator 3-in-1 sets, but the smaller ones are some of my family’s favorites. My 6-year-old daughter loved building this Magical Unicorn and is savoring it before she takes it apart and rebuilds it into a pastel-rainbow peacock or seahorse. We’ve also enjoyed building and playing with the Red Dragon set. And while we haven’t tested it yet, this Creator 3-in-1 Super Robot looks cute, too.
We’re also big fans of the Lego Minifigure keychains, which kids can hook to their backpacks or their first set of keys. They’re usually $6 a pop but often go on sale on the Lego site. We’re especially fond of these adorable “dog guys”: Hot, and French bull.
An educational book they’ll go ape (or lion, or tiger) for
Who Would Win? book series ($4 each at the time of publication)
National Geographic Kids Readers ($5 each at the time of publication)
I’ve never seen my children more excited about leaving a party than when they received a book from the Who Would Win? animal match-up series. These books pit members of the animal kingdom against each other, using scientific reasoning to deduce who would come out on top in a battle between, say, a lion and a tiger or a killer whale and a great white shark. And my kids can’t get enough. For those who prefer animal facts with a more pacifist flavor, the National Geographic Kids Readers series covers a range of habitats and critters—including manatees, caterpillars to butterflies, and meerkats—all sans showdowns. The Nat Geo series also features other scientific topics, like planets and meteorology.
Bright bandages
Welly Bravery Badges Fabric Bandages ($7 for a pack of 48 at the time of publication)
The Welly Bravery Badges Fabric Bandages are a sweet way to wear your art on your sleeve. All my kids have gone through intense boo-boo phases, cleverly inventing injuries so they could slap on yet another bandage for the eighth time that day. These colorful, high-quality ones from Welly will give them all the more reason to keep on doing that. Welly’s bandages come in lots of different styles, so you’re likely to find a good fit by theme or age. We have the monster ones, and the ice cream and dinosaur bandages are next on our list.
A sturdy lock
Master Lock Combination Padlock ($6 at the time of publication)
This Master Lock Combination Padlock is precisely the kind of offbeat item you wouldn’t typically think of as a party favor, but odds are good that plenty of kids will find it exciting and a little grown-up. Bonus points if the lock fits in with an existing theme (spy party! sports party! High School Musical party!). After one celebration where this was the favor, one Wirecutter editor heard that her friend’s kid spent hours fiddling with the lock to crack the combination. Beyond the amusement factor, the lock is a finely tuned, durable feat of everyday engineering. And it’s something guests can use for their school locker, at the gym, or anywhere else they want to protect their belongings—all for under 10 bucks.
Vintage tin toy brooches
Tin Bug Brooch ($24 for a set of 12 at the time of publication)
These vintage, never-been-used Japanese pins come with the original 1960s paper backing, which is perforated, making them perfect for divvying up and giving out as gifts. They work great as costume jewelry and also make quite a statement. Plus they’ll be amusing for grandparents who remember when tin toys were all the rage. They also come in bird and butterfly designs.
31 Kids Birthday Party Favors That Aren’t Junk
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