Party GamesPrizes and return gifts for party games
Prizes are a small part of a party and cause a surprising amount of worry. How many? How costly? What about the children who win nothing? The answers are simpler than they seem. A prize is a token of applause. It should be small, cheerful and fair, and nobody should go home with nothing. We do not quote prices here, since they change from town to town and month to month; these are ideas, to be fitted to your own budget.
How many prizes?
- One per game for the winner, or one per member of a winning team.
- A "lucky" prize or two drawn from chits, for those who won nothing.
- A return gift for every child, the same for all, which is separate from the prizes.
- So for six games and fifteen children, think of about ten small prizes and fifteen return gifts.
Ideas by age
| Age | Prizes that please |
|---|---|
| 4 to 6 | Stickers, crayons, bubble bottles, small picture books, hair clips, toy animals, stamps and ink pads |
| 7 to 10 | Colour pencils, fancy erasers, puzzles, skipping ropes, balls, card games, magnifying glasses, craft kits, comic books |
| 11 to 14 | Notebooks and gel pens, key rings, water bottles, small torches, paperback books, earphone pouches, magic tricks |
| Teenagers | Phone stands, quirky stationery, snacks, sports bottles, small plants |
| Adults | Scented candles, coasters, kitchen gadgets, tea or dry fruit boxes, hand towels, diaries, small planters |
| Elders | Shawls or stoles, spectacle cases, large-print books, tea, torches, thermos flasks |
Prizes that cost almost nothing
- A paper medal or certificate made by the children: "Champion Bean Mover".
- A crown to wear for the rest of the party.
- A privilege: first slice of cake, choosing the next song, pressing the music button.
- A rolling trophy for family gatherings, which the winner must bring back next time.
Giving prizes fairly
- Announce what the prize is for before the game, not after.
- Team prizes are identical for each member.
- Keep a quiet tally of who has won. If one child is sweeping everything, let later games be team games.
- Praise things other than winning: best cheering, best sport, most helpful. These prizes are often valued most.
- Give the prizes together at the end for young children, so that nobody spends the party comparing.
Return gifts
A return gift thanks a child for coming. The same for everyone is the rule, with perhaps two versions by age. Useful things are kinder to parents than plastic toys that break in the car: a book, a set of colours, a lunch box, a sapling in a small pot, a packet of seeds with instructions, a puzzle. One good item is better than a bag of five poor ones.
What to avoid
- For under-fives: anything small enough to swallow, balloons to take home, toys with button batteries, whistles on cords.
- Sweets and chocolates as the only prize: some children cannot have them. Offer a choice.
- Toy weapons and noisy toys that the parents will resent.
- Money as a prize.
- Anything that marks out a loser: booby prizes can sting more than they amuse.
Greener choices
Wrap in newspaper decorated by the children, or in cloth bags that can be reused. Choose paper and wood over plastic where you can. Seeds, saplings and books leave nothing to throw away.
Gift ideas by person and occasion are the subject of our neighbour site Gift Ideas.