Life
13 Fun Things To Fill Your Piñatas With Other Than Candy
Piñatas can make any celebration more festive, but you don't have to stuff them with bags and bags of candy. In fact, there are tons of things you can fill your piñatas with other than candy that will give your guests a thrilling surprise. These unexpected trinkets are sure to bring your partygoers some delight.
Of course, it's important to remember that your piñata goodies will still get rattled around and beaten up by bat-wielding kids. So it's a good idea not to put anything fragile or heavy inside. That said, there are plenty of party favors, tiny art supplies, and other surprises that can survive a trip inside the piñata and come out intact.
And fun fact: stuffing candy inside the piñata is a somewhat recent tradition. In fact, the earliest piñatas were probably filled with seeds, as noted in Children & Youth in History. Other little treats, such as fruits and nuts, were also sometimes used.
Today's kids, however, can look forward to any number of trinkets inside the piñata, and its goodies are only limited by your imagination. With a little extra thought (and some help from Amazon or a local party supply store) these extra-cool treats will help your kids forget all about candy.
1Colorful Hair Ties
Wrapables playful hair ties ($12, Amazon)
I mean, one can never have enough hair ties, right? These have fun and adorable little characters on them.
2Novelty Pens
Magical mushroom pens ($1, Perpetual Kid)
There's about a zillion different types of novelty pens on the market, so you shouldn't have a ton of trouble finding any. These colorful mushroom-shaped pens are especially fun.
3Animal Erasers
Tiny animal erasers ($10, Amazon)
How adorable are these? They're colorful, cute, and useful for the school-attending set. Most any kid would be thrilled to get one of these things to use or simply play with.
4Stickers
Mini piñata stickers ($4, Stickers Galore)
Any roll of stickers will send kids in a tizzy. But these mini stickers are perfectly on-theme.
5Bouncy Balls
Bouncy balls ($14 for 50, Oriental Trading)
Get the biggest bag of bouncy balls you can find. The resulting chaos when the piñata opens will be worthwhile. That said, you might have to dig bouncy balls out of your lawn for the next several years.
6Tiny Glider Planes
Flying glider planes ($12, Amazon)
Quick and easy to assemble, these flying glider planes are sure to be a hit. This particular style comes in a pack of 72, so every kid at your party is sure to get a plane or two.
7Bags Of Healthy Snacks
Just because you're going without candy doesn't mean all food is forbidden. In fact, a little bag of carrots, nuts, or apple slices would probably go over well with most kids. Even the little raisin boxes are a great option.
8Temporary Tattoos
Temporary Tattoos ($5 for 72, Oriental Trading)
Get a bunch of tattoos of whatever show or movie your kid is currently obsessed with. In no time you'll have a party full of branded kiddos.
9Bubble Wands
Bubble wand assortment ($15, Amazon)
Everybody loves bubbles. These oversized bubble wands (they're over a foot tall!) will keep the whole party happy.
10Friendship Bracelets
Whether you buy a bag of them or make a bunch of friendship bracelets especially for the party, these make excellent favors. It might even become a beloved keepsake.
11Squishy Toys
Ice cream cone stress toys ($15, Oriental Trading)
Squishy toys are all the rage with kids right now, plus they're unlikely to hurt anyone when flying out of a piñata. In other words, they're perfect. These soft-serve-shaped ones are especially cute.
12Seed Packets
Sunflower seed packet ($1, American Meadows)
For a totally different party favor, slip some seed packets in the piñata. For instance, sunflower seeds are great for any level of gardener. This treat will probably last longer than anything else in the piñata, too, to be honest, and it'll be a fun activity that kids can do when they get home.
13Rainbow Crayons
Rainbow design crayons ($12, Amazon)
Granted, any pack of brand new crayons is a thrilling gift to a kid. But these rainbow ones are extra-special, because they can make all the colors in one swipe.
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