Less is more. Some goody bag ideas are just about giving one thing (such as a blow-up sword).

Party Favour Ideas for Kids

Here are some of the favourite unique party bag ideas for kids:

1. Colouring-in books and pencils

2. Bubbles

3. Straws

4. Balloons

5. Books

6. Parachute Men

7. Yo-Yo

8. Mini Hand Clappers

9. Whistles

10. Water Pistols

11. Stamps

12. Mini-slinkies

13. Glowsticks

14. Hair accessories

15. Card games

16. Bouncy balls

17. Handballs

18. Slime

19. Mini notepads

20. Sparkly pens

21. Piece of chalk, a small stone and instructions on how to play hopscotch in a small bag

22. Sunglasses

23. Temporary tattoos

24. Ribbon Wands

25. Make a fairy wand or check out this how to make a Harry Potter Wand

26. homemade playdough

27. Have kiHds decorate cupcakes or gingerbread men and take them home as party favours

28. blow up swords (can double as a party game)

29. Have a treasure hunt (the kids pack their own party bags)

30. Similarly, a pinata can provide a ready to go lolly bag!

31. Whoopee cushion

32. Glow sticks

33. Parachute men

34. A lolly buffet where you let them fill their own bags

35. YoYos

36. Skipping ropes

37. Popping candy

38. Tutus

39. Fairy wings

40. Matchbox car

41. Friendship bracelets

42. Fidget toys

43. DIY Origami kits

44. Toy Binoculars

45. Succulents

Ways to Make the Party Bags extra special 

Make the bag itself stand out with some of these fun ideas:

1. Tie a helium balloon to each one (make sure you have something inside that has some weight)

2. Make your labels on the computer and personalise them with each child’s name

3. If it’s a girls party, you could give each one a little dollar store purse or bag full of treats

4. If it’s a pool party or beach theme, you could buy a plastic spade, fill the spade end with treats and wrap it in cellophane.

5. Buy a simple white paper bag, fill it and seal it by folding a round paper doily over the top and staple.  The effect is vintage and pretty, and adding a small bow makes it even prettier!

6. Buy some hessian and sew up to make small pouches – perfect as a woodland party favour bag.

7. Make an excellent (and cheap!) butterfly favour bag using a ziplock sandwich bag, a peg and a pipe cleaner!  Check out the easy tutorial here on the Baked Bree blog.

Get someone else to do the heavy listing!

1. If time is the real issue and your creativity is limited, you can always visit an online store like Loot Bags.  They have a number of themed party bags filled with treats for $3.99 each. Hopefully, the above list has given you an armload (or bag-full) of ideas to help make your little one’s party bag’s the best they can be. 

What you need to make your safe slime recipe

To make your safe slime you will need:

• Box of Lux Flakes
• Food Colouring
• Warm Water

How to make your safe slime

Step 1:

Add three cups of lux flakes to 2 litres of warm water. Mix well.

Step 2:

Add in your desired food colouring colours. For ours, the kids wanted it to seem a bit like an alien goop colour. Allow the mixture to stand in a cool place until it becomes thick and slimy (this can be overnight depending on the humidity).

Step 3:

When you feel it is at the right consistency it is all done! Now it is time to have some fun with your safe slime. You can provide eggbeaters, spoons, funnels, cups, sponges, sieves, whisks, etc. for children to experiment with, however my kids just loved putting their hands in and stretching the slime up high in the air. 

They loved the feel of it and sat there for about an hour just playing with it between their fingers.

They loved the feel of it and sat there for about an hour just playing with it between their fingers.

Tip: It is a good idea to make sure the water you use is very warm so that when you mix the Lux flakes in they fully dissolve. Ours was probably not quite warm enough and this resulted in a flew small flakey bits. The kids actually loved this texture through it, but if you want it smooth then this is something to consider when making it.

How to make a softer, lighter version of this safe slime

Another alternative way to make this safe slime is to beat it with an electric mixer before you let it sit. This actually creates quite a light and fluffy version of the slime. 

Whilst this version of the slime is not as gooey and stretchy, the resulting product has a lovely consistency that my children adored. A little bit more like a thickened version of shaving cream, this option was a huge hit with the kids as well.

So soft. So light. So fun.

Play Extension

This is a wonderful sensory activity for young kids to try. Some children will begin by only putting one finger in the mix and manipulating it between their fingers and hands. This is about learning from experience, not just lecture. It is a wonderful, exciting play event where you can talk about observations and feelings and provide them with new words to express these observations.

We hope you have enjoyed making this slime and would love to hear about other safe slime recipes that you love too. If you are looking for some more creative ideas on things to do with your kids then you will also love our craft and fun ideas page.

Hogwarts supposedly has an automatic magical record of all children born with magical abilities, essentially a list of all those who are eligible to study at the school. The magical record is created by a special quill that is enchanted to write down the name of every magical child that exists from the moment they are born. Hogwarts record keeping process makes it easy for the school to send out letters at the correct time.

Furthermore, it is said that Professor McGonagall checks this list once a year herself to ensure the letters are sent before the children’s approaching eleventh birthdays. Granted, this might be the official way to get that letter, but it’s not the only way. 

Where can I get a Hogwarts acceptance letter?

The Hogwarts letter is written on a piece of parchment in green ink and is accompanied by a list of required materials and textbooks for the upcoming school year. The envelope is sealed with wax, stamped with the school crest and sent on its way via owl. The owls always know the way, of course. 

Making one yourself is an option, but if you’re in the mood to order one and call it a day, we have a few options for you: 

1. The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾: This personalised letter comes with a personalised envelope, supplies list, adhesive wax seal and a presentation wallet featuring the Hogwarts school crest. This letter is one of the most accurately designed ones out there. If the real deal is what you’re looking for, this one hits the nail on the head. 
2. eBay: Professionally printed on 100% parchment, this personalized letter includes the envelope, list of requirements, a ministry of magic note regarding owl post, plus a Hogwarts Express train ticket! 
3. WritingWithMagic on Etsy: For a truly magical experience that only a handmade touch can bring, choose this one.

What does Harry Potter’s acceptance letter say?

Harry Potter received his first acceptance letter during the summer holidays of 1991. He was understandably shocked, as he had never received mail in his life, and desperately tried to hold on to it. Vernon Dudley seized it however and burned it, after which the family was chased to the hut-on-the-rock by a relentless barrage of letters. Finally, Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, visited to present him with his letter of acceptance and a cake, marking his 11th birthday. 

Harry Potter’s letter was addressed to him, as shown below, in a precise manner: 

Mr H. Potter,

The Cupboard under the Stairs,

4, Privet Drive,

Little Whinging,

Surrey 

The contents were as follows: 

Dear <insert name>

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

It also contained an extensive list of books and items he would need to acquire before joining, including a wand and robes. 

Free Hogwarts Acceptance Letter Options

Here is a mini guide to making your own Hogwarts acceptance letter along with a couple of templates to make it easier: 

Get all your supplies ready: This depends on how you choose to make your letter. Here is a general list of items, regardless of how elaborate you wish to make it:

• Colour printer OR fountain pen with green ink
• Two white pieces of paper
• Envelope 
• Steeped and cooled tea
• Two trays (that can fit your paper easily without folding)
• Red crayon
• Wax seal stamp or you can melt the end of a crayon onto wax paper and use a button to imprint and seal your envelope (we recommend adult supervision for this one) 

Tea dye your paper and envelope: If you want to make your letter and envelope look aged and authentic, tea dyeing is an easy way to achieve that. Just fill one of your trays with cold tea and the other with a paper towel. Let your paper soak in the tea for 2 minutes, then dry it in the second paper towel-lined tray. Let them dry until they are crispy. 

Write/print: You can choose to either hand write or type your letter. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you know what you want to write first:

• The address on the envelope 
• The acceptance letter itself (look above)
• The list of requirements (look above) 

Fold and seal: First, put your letter in your envelope. Drop some red wax onto the flap by melting your crayon and seal it using your wax seal stamp. 

Fonts for Harry Potter Letter

Chiller is an excellent font available in Microsoft Word. It looks akin to a font you would find in a Harry Potter letter and is perfect for a nod to witchcraft and wizardry. Chiller font is also legible, separating it from other cursive-type fonts that would otherwise be appropriate. 

Make Hogwarts acceptance letter extra special by leaving a couple of white feathers next to the letter. You can pick these up for a couple of dollars from a craft store or a neighbour who has white chickens or ducks. 

IQ games are brain games that require players to use logic in order to solve various challenges or puzzles. These games can help to develop mental skills and boost IQ in kids and adults alike.

Benefits of IQ Games

Playing IQ games is not only a fun way to pass the time, but can also be extremely constructive. These games can help to improve the following skills:

• logical thinking
• analytical thinking
• spatial awareness
• critical thinking
• STEM skills
• problem solving
• creativity and imagination

and many, many more!

Games to Try

Here are our favourite games to enhance your cognitive prowess!

IQ Stars

We love this IQ Stars puzzle game that requires concentration, problem solving and logic to fit these colourful constellations into the tray. Its compact size makes it great for travelling or in the car, and with levels from starter to wizard it can continually challenge players of any age. Other variations include IQ Link, IQ Puzzler Pro, IQ Fit, IQ XOXO and more.

Rush Hour Shift

This two-player game is a battle of logic and strategy in which you try to manoeuvre your mini vehicle out of gridlock and block your opponent in. It’s great for kids as young as 6, and fun for families to play together. There are also lots of other fun games to challenge your mind at thinkfun.com.

Jumpin’

Enjoying a round of bunny hop with these cute little figures looks like child’s play, but with 60 challenges at escalating levels of difficulty, it will even challenge adults’ logic, planning and spatial skills.

Ozobot

Ozobot is a programmable robot that kids can code to improve their technology, coding and creative skills. It can be used either at home or in the classroom. You can find out more at ozobot.com.

MentalUP

This app helps children develop their mental skills, including attention, memory and visual intelligence, and makes screen time valuable cognitive development time. You can try out a wide variety of their games for free at mentalup.co.

Rubik’s Cube

This ’70s classic is a 3D puzzle that has kept kids and adults alike guessing for decades. Some will give up after a few twists and turns, but those that hang around long enough can begin to unlock the secrets to solving this perplexing polyhedron.

Mastermind

This classic game involves logic and deduction to crack a code made by coloured pins. It is available online and from most major toy stores.

Temple Trap

This Indiana-Jones-style game is a modern twist on the classic sliding puzzle where you had slide tiles around a board in order to get them into the right order or reveal a picture. In this version, you slide 3D temple pieces into place so your playing pin can escape the Temple Trap maze.

RiddleCube the Game

This is great as a family game as it can have up to four players. Each has a shape-shifter RiddleCube that they have to fold, twist and stretch to match the shape of any of 200 challenge pictures. RiddleCube improves problem-solving and spatial reasoning skills.

Chess

The ultimate game of strategy, problem solving and concentration, chess is the perfect way to stretch those brain muscles! It takes a little while to learn the different moves of each of the pieces, but once you do, you can keep playing forever, with the challenge only as difficult as the level of your opponent.

We hope you find these mental fitness challenges fun and stimulating! For other great game ideas, check out 6 Easy Card Games for Kids and these Board Game Ideas for Toddlers and Pre-schoolers. 

Top 10 Low-Maintenance Indoor Plants

Even families without green thumbs will have no trouble keeping these plants thriving indoors. An added benefit is that indoor plants can filter the air and some even produce oxygen 24 hours a day, which can aid better sleep at night! 

! NOTE: Where mentioned, some of these plants may be toxic if ingested. Care should be taken if these plants are kept in reach of small children or pets who might try to have a taste.

Mother In Law’s Tongue or Snake Plant (Sansevieria) 

Low light

Low water

Air purifying

Releases oxygen at night

! Mildly toxic to pets and humans

Chinese Money Plant or Coin Plant (Pilea peperomioides) 

Bright, indirect light

Low water

Air purifying

Releases oxygen at night

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Indirect light

Medium water

Air purifying

Releases oxygen at night

! Toxic to pets and mildly toxic to humans

Orchid (Orchidaceae)

Indirect light

Medium water

Air purifying

Releases oxygen at night

Air Plant (Tillandsia)

Indirect light

Medium water

Air purifying

Releases oxygen at night 

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum)

Indirect light

Medium water

Air purifying

Releases oxygen at night

Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera)

Indirect light

Low water

Air Purifying

Releases oxygen at night

! Toxic to pets and mildly toxic to humans

Aloe (Aloe Vera)

Bright light

Low water

Air Purifying

Releases oxygen at night

! Toxic to pets

Prayer Plant (Calathea)

Bright, indirect light

Medium water

Air purifying

Releases oxygen at night

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) 

Bright, indirect light

Low water

Air purifying

! Toxic to pets and humans

Where to Buy Indoor Plants in Brisbane

With so many gorgeous plant shops popping up all over Brisbane, these are some for you to check out:

All The Green Things

29 Vulture Street, West End

allthegreenthings.com/ 

Botanick

20 Pedder Street, Albion

botanick.com.au/ 

Brookfield Gardens

2371 Moggill Road, Brookfield

brookfieldgardens.com.au/ 

Capalaba Produce

3247 Old Cleveland Road, Chandler

https://www.capalabaproduce.com.au/

City Farm Nursery

Edgar Street, Windsor

nscf.org.au/nursery/ 

Cottage Garden Nursery

999 Stanley Street, East Brisbane

cottagegardennursery.com.au/ 

Eden Gardens

Corner Gympie and Beams Roads, Carseldine

edengardens.com.au/ 

Epilo

64 Deshon Street, Wooloongabba

epilo.com.au/ 

Houseplant Hoarders

275 Nudgee Road, Hendra

houseplanthoarders.com/ 

Little Fox Lane

589 Robinson Road, Aspley

littlefoxlane.com/ 

Mappins Nursery & Aquarium

240 Montague Road, West End

darrylmappin.com/ 

Oasis Plant Nursery

65 Herston Road, Kelvin Grove

oasisplantnursery.com.au/ 

Oxley Nursery

174 Dowding Street, Oxley

oxleynursery.com.au/

Templex Nursery

1895 Beaudesert Road, Algester

https://www.facebook.com/TemplexNursery

The Grow Centre

110 Logan Road, Wooloongabba

35 Pickering Street, Enoggera

1/27 Millennium Place, Tingalpa

thegrowcentre.com.au/ 

The Olive Branch Studio

149 Kitchener Road, Kedron

facebook.com/theolivebranchstudiobrisbane/ 

The Plant Bunker

Basement Level, 6 Railway Terrace, Milton

the-plant-bunker.myshopify.com/ 

The Plant Lounge

Shop 1/8 Station Street, Nundah

Shop 8/8 Stuart Street, Bulimba

theplantlounge.com.au/ 

The Soul Pantry

31 Wolverhampton Street, Stafford

thesoulpantry.com.au/ 

Zendo Pant Hub

Shop 3, 1401 Logan Road, Mount Gravatt

https://www.zendo.com.au/

One way to get the kids involved is by making a commemorative poppy and taking the time to explain to them the significance of this striking red flower (here is an ANZAC resource to help you do that).  Below is a simple step-by-step guide to how you can make a paper poppy with your kids.  It requires only a few items to make and will give them a personal sense of involvement and contribution. 

What you need to make a paper poppy

• A red sheet of A4 paper
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Glue
• Stem wire or pipe cleaner
• Black marker

Step 1

Fold the red A4 piece of paper in half horizontally.  Repeat this twice more until you have a rectangle approximately 10.5cm x 7.5cm in size.

Step 2

One long side of the rectangle will be a fold and on the other side you will be able to flap open.  Draw two petal shapes (as seen below), one slightly larger than the other, at the bottom of the folded sheet on the side that can open.  Cut out the two shapes.

Step 3

You should be left with the following petal shapes.  The two large and two small joined petals pieces are all that we will need.

Step 4

Using glue, make a small dot at the centre of one of the larger joined petals and place the other large one on top in the opposite direction.  Then repeat this with the smaller two petals on top.

Step 5

Cut a small circle out of the remaining petals and draw a black dot in the centre of it using the marker pen.  Glue this into the centre of the flower.  Draw some lines out from the centre dot like (see below) so that it looks more like the centre of a poppy.

Step 6

Poke a small hole (with a pin or tip of your pencil) and thread your stem wire or pipe cleaner through it.  

And there you have it! 

You might also be interested in our resource on how to explain ANZAC day to toddlers and kids in an age-appropriate way. 

If the Easter bunny coming to town isn’t enough to get your Brisbane Kid curious about carrots, here are 3 fun carrot-based activities we’ve tested for you to try.

Growing carrot tops

The orange part of the carrot that we normally eat is actually the tap root of the carrot plant.  This activity shows kids how plants use their roots to suck up water, and use the water and sunlight to grow their leaves. 

sprouting carrot tops

How to:

Cut the end off a carrot, leaving about two and a half centimetres (one inch) of the orange root below the carrot top.

Place the carrot in a dish of water near a window that gets plenty of light, but not directly in the sun (in Brisbane windows facing south can be good)

Change the water daily to help the carrot grow.

After a few days, the carrot should start to sprout new leaves.

Tips: pick a carrot with a bit of greenery still on the end to help kick-start the process

Try this with more than 1 carrot – maybe put them in different locations? Compare and contrast how the carrots grow. 

Painting with carrots

This is a fun (and potentially messy) activity to allow Brisbane Kids to use carrots in a very different way. 

Cut some carrots in a few different ways (lengthwise, across, cut some notches out of the sides of a carrot etc) and prepare some paint.

Encourage your Brisbane Kids to explore the different patterns, textures and shapes they can create.  Can they use the carrots as stamps? Rollers? brushes? Can they use the carrot almost like a pencil to draw through thicker paint?

Paint tips: Brisbane Kids recommends washable paint for this activity

If you’re trying this with younger Brisbane Kids or or children who are sensory seeking, you might like to try taste safe ‘paint’ such as yoghurt with colouring added, or a mix of flour, water and colouring.

Carrots can be rinsed off and composted after this activity.

Carrot shape plate

For this activity, cut some carrots into slices of different shapes and sizes.

Younger Brisbane kids might like to practice their shape names and perhaps arrange the prices of carrot into a face. 

Older Brisbane kids might like to create a more elaborate scene, or practice their knife skills by cutting the carrots into different shapes themselves (or with the help of a trusted adult). 

Snacking on the materials definitely allowed, even encouraged, during this activity.

You can include other fruits or vegetables in this activity or even add some hummus or a dip for some extra colour and flavour.

Off cuts can be used in cooking, given to a carrot-loving puppy if you have one, or composted (if they aren’t eaten up as you go). 

As if Frozen 2 being released early on Disney Plus isn’t enough, Frozen fans can look forward to a series of short movies featuring the loveable and hilarious Olaf. What is remarkable about these 50 second short movies, is that they were made while in isolation! 

At Home with Olaf is all about Olaf being his silly and charming self while in Arendelle. Think snow fights and practical jokes and you have an idea of what to expect. 

The shorts are being promoted as a series, so we expect there will be more added to the collection as time goes on. At this stage, it is not known how often the releases will happen but we will keep you posted through the weekly email we send out every Tuesday. If you aren’t a subscriber you can add your email here.

Fun in the Snow

The first episode is called Fun in the Snow

Now we know what you are thinking – all of that for 40 seconds of fun? So we thought we would hunt down some other free Disney Frozen Clips and activities for you.

Frozen Olaf & Sven’s Hilarious Carrot Scene

This features the scene where Olaf loses his nose and thinks Sven is going to eat it!

Frozen “Let It Go” Music Video

We know, you just can’t get enough, just like us! So here is the music video of Let it Go – enjoy!

Other Frozen Fun

If you got this far then we are thinking that you have a diehard Frozen fan on your hands, so here are some other interesting resources to make the most of this fun movie series

How to draw Olaf This child-friendly drawing tutorial takes kids, step by step, through the process of drawing Olaf 

Make a 3d snowflake With only 6 pieces of paper, tape and a stapler, Disney Studios will show you how to make a 3d Snowflake so you can decorate your entire house in a frozen theme! 

Olaf Colouring In Printables Disney Family has a stack of cute Olaf Printables you can download for free and keep the kids busy

Frozen Puppet Theatre activity Get the kids together and print out frozen character templates and make your own Frozen Scenes. This is a great way to introduce kids to video making. This resource steps you through the whole process from making the scenes to shooting the videos in your very own Frozen Shadow Puppet Theatre Show. 

Frozen Cookies All these activities have probably made you hungry so why not finish it off with some Frozen inspired biscuit decorating! 

One of the little characters you can create from them is a cute little pink pig and below are our step by step instructions on how you can make these guys with your kids.

What you need to Make a Pink Paper Roll Pig

• 1 x Paper roll
• Pink paint
• Hot glue gun or craft glue
• Black marker pen
• Pink pipe cleaners
• Pink buttons (large)
• Scissors

Step 1

Cut your paper roll in half horizontally so that you have two equal, short cylinders.

Step 2

Paint each paper roll pink on both the outside and inside of the roll (this will make two pigs).  

HINT: You may need to put a couple of layers on them to get your desired colour and coverage.

Step 3

With a hot glue gun, glue your large pink button (pig’s nose) to the centre of the cylinder.

Step 4

Once dry, with a black marker pen draw on some eyes and eyebrows for your pig.

Step 5

Cut a small section of the pink pipe cleaners and fold around as per the image above (top).  Then, fold these over the top of the paper roll so that they rest on it like ears (bottom image).  Secure to the paper roll with the hot glue gun.

Step 6

Grab four sections of pipe cleaner and wind them three times around the width of a pencil.  Leave a longer straight section at the end and cut off.  Make four of these (or 8 if you are doing two pigs) as these will become the hooves.

Step 7 

With a hot glue gun, secure the long section of the pipe cleaner to the inside of the base of the toilet roll so that just curled sections remain out of it.  Adjust these slightly once dry so that the little paper roll pigs can stand on their own.

Step 8

Finally, curl another section of pipe cleaner around the pencil, this time leaving a shorter straight length at the end.  Then, at the back of the paper pig roll, pierce a hole with a pen and feed in the curled pig tail pipe cleaner.  Your lovely little paper pig roll is now complete and ready for the kids to play with!

If you liked this post and you have more empty rolls then take a look at our How to make a twinkling paper roll village 

What you will need

• 2 x white paper / plastic plates
• 1 x yellow paper / plastic plate
• Hot glue gun
• Feathers
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Red sheet of felt or a small piece of red / orange cardboard
• Pink paint
• Black marker pen

Step 1

Cut one of the white plates and the yellow plate in half.

Step 2

With the hot glue gun, glue the two halves of each plate together so that the bases of the plate are on the outside (therefore leaving a gap in the centre of them – as per the above image).

Step 3

With the second white plate, cut out two shapes as per the diagram above.  These will form the bunny’s ears – so you have a bit of creative licence here as to what shape you want them to be and how big.

Step 4

Paint the inside of the ‘ears’ pink and add a small pink triangle (bunny nose) and two pink circles (bunny cheeks) to one side of the glued together white plate (as per above).

Step 5

With a marker, draw on the bunny eyes and whiskers, as well as the eye for the bird.  Glue on a selection of feathers for the bird and also glue on the triangle of felt, to make the birds beak.

Step 6

Finally, glue the ears onto the inside of the white plate bunny and add on the ribbon hands to each of the bags.  These are now complete and ready to use.  Have fun collecting all those eggs kids!