How to Create the Perfect Budget-Friendly Summer Party Favor

Whether you're planning a sea animal-themed birthday party, a beach or pool bash, or simply creating a small end-of-school or back-to-school gift for classmates, here's a simple yet fun party favor idea that kids will love.

These favors are especially great for young children who enjoy playing with play dough, making them perfect for kids from 3 years old in preschool or kindergarten. Not only will these favors keep children entertained for hours, but they'll also help develop fine motor skills, teach about colors, and expand vocabulary. Both little ones and their parents will adore them!

To create these sea animals party favors, you'll need:

1. Playdough:
   
   For young children, it's best to choose reputable brands like Play-Doh that are safe for little ones. To make it more cost-effective, consider buying multi-pack boxes as they're usually more economical than individual containers. The downside is that you can't choose specific colors (though this tends to matter more to adults than kids).
2. Sea Animal Cookie Cutters:
   
   When searching for play dough-specific cutters, I didn't find many interesting options. However, cookie cutters were a different story – they come in many shapes, and I found some that even included stamps to better define the features of sea animals. It was great to find a pack with a variety of shapes like octopus, fish, seahorse, starfish, crab, and shark, which kids love.
   
3. Playdough Tools:
   
   
   Primary colors
   
   Pastel colors
   

   As a bonus, we chose sets that contained various play dough-specific tools, small rollers, simple shapes, and other fun accessories. This way, we could divide the pack to complete each child's favor.

4. Avery Labels for Custom Stickers:
   
   To personalize the party favors, we prepared a sticker design to add names. You can create these through the Avery website or write the names by hand. We chose the sticker option to make it easier to personalize the bags - you simply need to peel and stick them on the bag. This method is quick, clean, and allows for a professional-looking finish without the need for special skills or extra time.
5. Free Printable Sea Animal Label Design
   
   

   Here you can download the labels in a PNG file with a single label or a letter-sized PDF with twelve stickers that you can print at home. We recommend using the Avery template and uploading the PNG file to easily add the name.

6. Self Adhesive Clear Plastic Bags:
   
   These bags are perfect for packaging your party favors. They're clear, allowing the colorful play dough and tools to be visible, and the self-adhesive closure makes them easy to seal without the need for additional tape or ties. This not only saves time but also gives the favors a neat, professional appearance.
   

How to Assemble your Under the Sea Party Favors:

1. Gather all your materials: play dough, cookie cutters, play dough tools, self-adhesive cellophane bags, and personalized stickers.
2. For each party favor:
   • Take one container of play dough.
   • Select two cookie cutters (try to vary the shapes for different bags).
   • Choose a small assortment of play dough tools and accessories.
3. Place the play dough container in the center of the cellophane bag.
4. Arrange the two cookie cutters and the assortment of tools around the play dough container in the bag.
5. Carefully close the self-adhesive cellophane bag, making sure all items are securely inside.
6. Peel the personalized sticker and stick it to the outside of the bag. Place it where it's easily visible, typically on the front or top of the bag.
7. Repeat the process for each party favor, varying the cookie cutter shapes and tool assortment to add variety.

This simple assembly process creates an attractive, personalized party favor that's sure to delight young guests. The clear bag allows children to see the fun items inside, building excitement for the creative play to come.

Why These Party Favors Are a Hit:

• Creative Play: Encourages kids to use their imagination and creativity.
• Interactive Fun: Provides an engaging activity that kids can enjoy long after the party ends.
• Personal Touch: Custom labels make each favor bag feel special and thoughtfully put together.

Love this sea animal-themed party favor idea? We have many more ocean-inspired designs on our website! You can find mermaids, whales, adorable sea turtles and even sharks, we offer a variety of sea animals party themes for any underwater adventure.

Where to Buy:

• Avery Labels: Amazon
• Cookie Cutters: Amazon | AliExpress
• Playdoh: Amazon
• Playdough Tools: Amazon | AliExpress

These sea animal-themed party favors are sure to make a splash at your next children’s party. Happy planning and have a fin-tastic time!

Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. What does this mean for you? It's simple: if you make a purchase through these links, it won't cost you an extra shell, but a small portion of the sale will help keep our little reef thriving. It's how we continue to bring you a sea of party ideas. Your support helps us stay afloat in this big ocean of creativity. Thanks for swimming along with us!