A Great Day to be a Kid - $1.41 DIY Activity Bags

When super excited, I relax my Midwest sensibility and default to West Coast vernacular. Forgive me, but to properly start I can't help saying...

DUDES! 

The DIY project I'm about to share was hands down the most fun, affordable and quick to assemble. I'm talking about providing entertainment for the 20 or so children we expect as guests. 


A few Bees from past generations shared their cute ideas for kiddie activity bags, including Mrs. Lox, Mrs. Toucan and Mrs. Martini. For ours, I'll begin with the price.


I spent $34 to create 24 of these fun little surprises. Yay for the budget! No lie, each completed bag cost a whopping $1.41 each. That's right, one dollar and forty-one cents. Can you even get a cup of Starbucks drip coffee for that price?

Easy peasy and cute to boot!

Inspiration struck while browsing Michael's last week. They have an aisle of "Fun Finds" that were on sale for 70% off. Most of these party favor toys retail for $1 and I looked for packages with multiples to stretch my 30 cents to the max. I love a bargain!

Sunglasses 2pk = 15 cents per pair

Couldn't resist testing them out. What can I say? It was a late night.

3-D puzzles, 6 per box. I broke them up and put 3 different puzzles in a bag = 15 cents each

Kazoos. I love it when kids make noise! 4 pk = 8 cents each

Activity books, 6pk = 5 cents each

Sticker books, 12 pages per book. On clearance for 79 cents = 7 cents a sheet

64 crayon box for $1 = 2 cents each

Smaller sized kraft bags, $4.99 for 13 = 42 cents each

Notice Ollie in the background inspecting my assembly. He's an excellent supervisor, just ask him. And the surfboard in the background is actually wedding related. You'll have to wait until my next post to hear about that...

Back to the bags, we're almost finished. A quick stop to the Dollar Tree rounded out the loot.

Krazy Straws, 6pk = 17 cents

Mini pinball games, 8pk = 13 cents each

(I neglected to take a photo, oops)

Cinnamon graham crackers, 6pk = 17 cents each

Token photo of furry cuteness, Ollie feels neglected!

Mr. Hot Tea and I come from extended Filipino families, which meant that an adults-only reception was never an option for us. Kids actually make up 10% of the guest list. I'm happy to be able to provide them with an unexpected present to keep their attention occupied (at least through dinner) and hopefully avoid any early munchkin meltdowns.


Were kiddie activity bags part of your DIY project list? Maybe you're contemplating adding them now? Feel free to share your enthusiasm or at least tell me you're running to Michael's to scour the Fun Find bins. Happy hunting!