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Looking for books that make great fillers for kids’ party bags? Here is a list of 31 books that are brilliant party bag fillers.
By far, the most cost-effective way of buying books for party bags is to buy them in sets you can divide up. So I’ve included a few of my go-to favourites that kids and their parents love.
Now, here’s a thought. Instead of including books in party bags, you could give a single book as a party favour. This trend is growing at kids’ parties, especially for kids ages seven and over. Give the kids a book and a slice of cake to go home with, and it is a job well done!
With this in mind, I’ve included ideas for higher-value books for kids, including colouring books for younger kids and journals for older kids. Journals are another trending party favour, especially journals with prompts to inspire kids to write.
Right, let’s take a look at some great books for party bags and party favours…
31 BOOKS FOR PARTY BAGS
7 BOOK SETS TO DIVIDE UP FOR KIDS’ PARTY BAG FILLERS
These book sets are great to buy and divide up for filling party bags. This is a great way to keep costs down when hosting a kids’ birthday party.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- Mr. Men Complete Collection Box Set
- Horrid Henry the Complete Story Collection
- Little Miss: My Complete Collection Box Set
- Usborne Thats Not My...
- Meg and Mog Magical Adventures
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is super popular for eight years olds and upwards. Buy the box set and break it up to give each book as a party favour for your child's next birthday party.
The Mr Men Box Set is a great idea for party favours for kids parties. Buy a box set of books and divide it so you can give every child a book as a party favour. It's a great alternative to filling party bags. There are 48 books in the set, which makes it great value for money.
This box set of 30 books is ridiculously good value and a great way to give each party guest a fun book about the crazy capers of Horrid Henry. Gift wrap books with tissue paper for added an extra element of excitement for the kids.
Perfect kids' book box set to divide up for kids' party favours or kids' party bag fillers. There are 36 books in the set.
There are 10 books in this set, so great for little party bag fillers for kids aged 1 year upwards.
Meg and Mog are modern children's book classics. This set features all the wonderful stories of Meg and her feline sidekick Mog. There are 20 books in the box set.
6 BOOKS THAT MAKE GREAT KIDS’ PARTY FAVOURS
These books make wonderful party favours to give instead of filling party bags. Gift wrap them, pop them in a gift bag or simply hand them out.
- The Giant Boy’s Storybook
- All the Ways to be Smart
- The Wind in the Willows (Wordsworth Collector's Editions)
- Heartstopper Volume 1
- Paper Girls: The Complete Story
Each story in this wonderful book created to inspire boys is full of magic powers and superheroes, with beautiful illustrations that will spark joy and imagination. Every story has an important moral that boys can learn from and grow with.
This international best-seller celebrates all the unique and wonderful qualities that make children who they are.
How about giving a collector's edition of a classic children's storybook as a party favour? The child might not appreciate it immediately, but it's a lovely keepsake.
How about giving a graphic novel as a party favour for older kids? Graphic novels are cult classics at the moment. The Heartstopper series of books is now a monster hit on Netflix. Great for kids aged 12+
Papergirls are the graphic novel books of the moment - and also now a very successful Amazon Prime TV series. The novels feature four twelve-year-old newspaper delivery girls from 1988 who uncover the most important story ever. It's a tale where suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide with nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood. In short, Papergirls is wonderful, and I challenge any 12-year-old tween not to love it!
11 ACTIVITY AND COLOURING BOOKS
Activity and colouring books make lovely party favours. Here are some of the most fun and colourful.
7 JOURNALS THAT MAKE GREAT PARTY FAVOURS
Journals are brilliant party favours, particularly for tweens and teens. Here is a selection of some of the loveliest and most inspiring journals for kids.
- The You Are Awesome Journal
- All About Me Journal
- The HappySelf Teen Journal - A Daily Journal for Age 12+
- Gratitude Attitude
- Wreck This Journal: Now in Colour
- Big Life Journal - 2nd Edition (ages 7-10)
This You Are Awesome journal is full of life hacks, tasks and challenges to help each kid to be awesome. What's not to LOVE!! In an age where screens are everywhere, it's great to have a gift that encourages a little writing!
Journaling is a BIG thing at the moment. This makes these journals a super cool party bag idea for kids. My ten-year-old daughter received this gorgeous All About Me journal as a party favour and started writing in it immediately. And this journal is now an absolute favourite party favour idea with Mums Make Lists readers.
Journals are great for 12-year-old girls on so many levels. They provide a brilliant outlet for all the angst, thoughts and emotions of tweens soon-to-be teens. A journal is also a great way to encourage kids to write and allow their thoughts and dreams to flow onto the page. I also know from experience that journals are a wonderful memento to look back at in years to come.
Papier notebooks and journals are gorgeous; this gratitude journal is no exception. It has five months' worth of entries, morning and evening prompts, affirmations and inspiring thoughts to encourage tweens and teens to journal.
This is probably the coolest journal in the world right now! This journal is for kids who wouldn't usually start or keep up journaling or sketching. It is full of creative and quirky prompts, encouraging kids to destroy pages, paint pages with coffee, and colour outside of the lines... the journal is the genius creation of guerilla artist, Keri Smith, inspiring those who didn't even think they could be artists to create.
The Big Life Journal is all about a growth mindset. It contains inspirational stories, beautiful illustrations and guided activities to help kids learn to believe in themselves.
BOOKS MAKE GREAT PARTY BAG FILLERS
Books make great party bag fillers. They are entertaining, and books have numerous benefits for kids’ cognitive development, making them thoughtful and worthwhile additions to any party bag or to give as a party favour.
If you are planning on giving a book as a party gift. You could include it in a party bag along with some tiny treats, like candy or sweets. I’ve got several posts on ideas for party bags, loot bags and party favours.
Luci is the founder of Mums Make Lists. She has written about all aspects of organising family life for ten years. Her main areas of expertise are family finance and budgeting, simplifying housekeeping and family admin and kids’ party planning. Read more.