Party favors for kids that aren’t junk

Why a drawing book makes a better party favor

Most goodie bags are a handful of candy and a few small plastic toys that are broken or lost by Monday. Parents search for “party favors that aren’t junk” for a reason. A drawing book is different:

• It gets used. Each book has about 50 characters to trace, draw or copy, so one favor fills dozens of quiet afternoons.
• It’s non-food and allergy-friendly. No nuts, no sugar, no dyes, and no note to send home about ingredients.
• It’s screen-free. Kids get a break from tablets, and the books travel well for car rides and waiting rooms.
• It matches the theme. With dinosaurs, unicorns, robots, monsters, Halloween and more, the favor can match the cake and the invitations.
• It works for any skill level. Kids who say “I can’t draw” start by tracing, or follow a drawing in six small steps. Every How to Draw step shows the finished drawing as a light gray outline, so kids can see where each line goes.
• It’s flat and light. A paperback slides into any favor bag, box or tote, with room left for crayons.

Party favor ideas by theme

Match the favor to the party. Each theme below has books in more than one style and a free printable page you can add to the goodie bags.

Dinosaur party favors

A dinosaur party needs favors that stomp. Each dinosaur book has about 50 cartoon dinosaurs, from T. rex and triceratops to brachiosaurus and pterodactyl, and the robot dinosaur books add laser eyes and rocket tails for kids who want both.

Try: Trace Then Color: Cartoon Dinosaurs, How to Draw: Cartoon Dinosaurs, How to Draw: Robot Dinosaurs. Show all dinosaur books · free dinosaur drawings · dinosaur favor tags (PDF)

Unicorn, mermaid and princess party favors

For a unicorn or mermaid party, pick from mermaids and unicorns, fairies and princesses, or the unicorn animals: a unicorn sloth, a unicorn dolphin, even a unicorn alligator. They are sweet without being babyish, so they work for boys and girls alike.

Try: Trace Then Color: Mermaids, Unicorns, and Other Cute Stuff, How to Draw: Unicorn Animals, How To Draw: Fairies, Princesses, and Other Cute Stuff. Show all unicorn & mermaid books · free unicorn and mermaid pages · unicorn & mermaid favor tags (PDF)

Animal, pet and zoo party favors

Puppy party, kitty party, farm or zoo party: the animal books cover baby animals, cats and dogs, cute cartoon animals and mixed-up mutant animals. Animals are the safest pick when you don’t know every guest’s favorite thing.

Try: Trace Then Color: Baby Animals, How to Draw: Cute Cartoon Animals, How to Draw: Cartoon Cats & Dogs. Show all animals & pets books · free animal drawings · animals & pets favor tags (PDF)

Under the sea and pool party favors

Sharks, octopuses, whales, fish and mermaids for an ocean, shark or pool party. A drawing book is also a good favor for a pool party because it gives kids something calm to do while they dry off.

Try: Trace Then Color: Fish, Sea Creatures, and More, How To Draw: Fish, Sea Creatures, and More, Draw by Grid: Mermaids, Unicorns, and Other Cute Stuff. Show all under the sea books · free sea creature drawings · under the sea favor tags (PDF)

Monster party favors

Cute monsters, food monsters (a pizza monster, a grumpy cupcake), alphabet monsters and weird creatures. Monster books are funny rather than scary, which makes them a good fit for little monster first birthdays and big-kid parties alike.

Try: Trace Then Color: Cute Cartoon Monsters, How to Draw: Food Monsters, How to Draw: Alphabet Monsters. Show all monsters books · free monster drawings · monsters favor tags (PDF)

Halloween party favors for kids

Swap some of the candy for a book: witches, mummies, werewolves, ghosts and jack-o’-lanterns that are more silly than spooky. They make good classroom Halloween party favors too, and they also work for trunk-or-treat handouts and October birthdays.

Try: Trace Then Color: Spooky Stuff for Halloween, How to Draw: Spooky Stuff for Halloween, How to Draw: Cartoon Ghosts. Show all Halloween books · free Halloween drawings · Halloween favor tags (PDF)

Robot party favors

Robot, coding and STEM parties: cartoon robots, baby robots and robot dinosaurs, built from boxes, bolts and antennas. Robots are mostly straight lines and simple shapes, so they are one of the easiest things for a beginner to draw well.

Try: Trace Then Color: Cartoon Robots, How to Draw: Baby Robots, Draw by Grid: Cartoon Robots. Show all robots books · free robot drawings · robots favor tags (PDF)

Space and alien party favors

For an outer space or astronaut party: silly aliens, alien cyborgs, and the Cool Stuff books, which mix aliens, robots, monsters and space gear in one book.

Try: Trace Then Color: Cartoon Aliens, How to Draw: Silly Aliens, How to Draw: Cool Stuff. Show all space & aliens books · free alien drawings · space & aliens favor tags (PDF)

Silly and gross-out party favors

For the kid who laughs at everything: goofy faces, grumpy faces, silly faces and the Crusty Goobers, a gloriously gross gang of characters with boogers, stink lines and bad hair days. A good pick for 7 to 10 year olds who think they are too old for cute.

Try: Trace Then Color: Crusty Goobers, How to Draw: Goofy Faces, How to Draw: Grumpy Faces. Show all silly & gross books · free funny face drawings · silly & gross favor tags (PDF)

Art party favors (any theme)

Throwing an art party, or mixing themes? Shape Drawing Challenge gives kids a starting shape and lets them decide what it becomes, the Cool Stuff books mix a bit of everything, and the How to Draw Sketchbook has room for their own ideas.

Try: Shape Drawing Challenge, How to Draw: Cool Stuff 2, How to Draw: Sketchbook: Extra Drawing Pages for the "How to Draw" Books by Kevin Coulston. Show all art party books · all free activity pages · art party favor tags (PDF)

Party favors by age

Mixed ages at one party? Buy the same theme in two series, for example Trace Then Color: Cartoon Dinosaurs for the little ones and How to Draw: Cartoon Dinosaurs for older guests, so the bags still match.

Goodie bag ideas built around a book

A book turns a goodie bag into a small art kit. Pick one from each line:

1. The book in the party theme (use the filter above).
2. Something to draw with: a 4 or 8 pack of crayons, a few colored pencils, or washable markers.
3. A pencil and eraser, ideally a fun-shaped eraser that matches the theme.
4. Stickers in the same theme.
5. A free printable page from the theme’s free pages, rolled and tied with ribbon or tucked inside the cover.
6. A favor tag with the guest’s name (free printable tags below).

Want no bags at all? Hand each guest a book tied with ribbon and a pencil tucked under the bow. It looks like a gift and there is no plastic to throw away. For more ideas on what to buy, see the art supplies guide by age.

Make the favor part of the party

Set up a drawing table while guests arrive or while presents are opened: a few printed pages, crayons and a sign that says “Draw the birthday dinosaur!” Or play a free draw-along video on the TV and have everyone draw the same character, then hand out the books as guests leave so they can keep going at home. It is a calm activity between the loud ones.

Free printable party favor tags

Finish each favor with a tag. Every sheet prints eight tags on letter paper with Kevin’s cartoon characters, a thank-you line for the theme and space to write each guest’s name. Print on card stock, cut on the dashed lines, punch the circle and tie the tag to the book or bag with ribbon. Kids can color the characters too.

• Dinosaur“Thanks for stomping by!”
• Unicorn“Thanks for a magical day!”
• Animals“Thanks for coming to my party!”
• Under the sea“Thanks for making a splash!”
• Monsters“Thanks for monstering around!”
• Halloween“Thanks for a spooktacular time!”
• Robots“Thanks for beeping by!”
• Space and aliens“Thanks for coming! You’re out of this world!”
• Silly“Thanks for being silly with me!”
• Christmas“Thanks for the holiday fun!”
• Any party“Thanks for coming to my party!”
• Classroom“You’re a great artist! Keep drawing!”

Party favors for a big guest list or a whole class

Inviting the whole class? Books are sold one copy at a time on Amazon, so for 20 or more kids, mix and match:

• A free page for every guest. Print a themed coloring or drawing page for each child from the free activity pages. They are free to print for birthday parties and classrooms.
• Books as prizes. Give a book to the winners of party games, or to the birthday child’s closest friends.
• One book, different covers. Choose one theme and buy it in all three series so every guest gets a book that matches, at the right level for their age.

Classroom gifts for students

Drawing books also make good classroom gifts from teachers to students, and from parents to the class:

• End-of-year gifts. A drawing book is a summer-long activity. Pair it with the free 5-day summer drawing camp plan.
• Christmas and holiday gifts. One reader used the Christmas books “as add on gifts and stocking stuffers.” Christmas books, or a free set of Christmas activity sheets for every student.
• Classroom birthdays without food. Many schools no longer allow food treats. A birthday child can donate a book to the class library with their name inside, or hand each classmate a free printable page.
• Gift tags for the class. The classroom tags say “You’re a great artist! Keep drawing!”, with room for each student’s name.
• Prizes and rewards. A non-food reward for a reading log, a behavior chart or a class store.
• Art center and early finishers. One copy of a book in the class library feeds an art center for a whole year. See the teacher resources, art center task cards and no-prep sub plans.