Whether you’re planning a birthday bash, class party or childcare farewell, goodie bags are a sweet way to say “thank you for coming!” But what makes a good goodie bag — especially when many schools these days say no to food items, and everyone’s a bit tired of the plasticky knick-knacks?
After packing — and receiving — goodie bags for six straight years, I’ve come to appreciate gifts that are practical, age-appropriate, mess-free (sorry, slime) and don’t require a parent to step in every time. Most importantly, they’re the kind that won’t end up in the bin the very next day.
If your preschool or childcare has a goodie bag tradition, I hope this local-friendly, non-exhaustive guide — organised by age and level from Playgroup to K2 — will give you some ideas and help make your planning just a little easier.
Playgroup (18 months – 2 years)
What they like: Sensory play, music, cause-and-effect toys, textures
Top Picks:
| Item | Description |
| Board books | Books of any kind will be appreciated by parents. Especially love board books that are small and educational, and there are affordable options out there. |
| Paint-with-water colouring books | This one is one of our favourites, with my boy still reaching to play with it 1-2 years afterwards! We love Melissa & Doug’s range, but we also find the super cheap options on Shopee very satisfying! |
| Foam/puffy stickers or reusable sticker books | These train the pincer grasp, and I don’t know about you, but I am always in need of more stickers. |
| Finger puppets | Great for pretend play. IKEA has some quality ones — you can buy one set and put 1-2 in a goodie bag. |
| Squeeze balls or sensory balls | A sensory gift that is not messy, but avoid those with liquid/gel/tiny beads/foam beads inside as they can be dangerous. |
| Small bath toys | Safe, durable and always a hit. Think rubber duckies or animals — great for water play or your next beach outing! |
| Flashcards | Great for learning simple words, colours or animals. You can buy them or even laminate and give out mini sets (2–3 cards per child) as part of a themed pack. |
Avoid: Anything too small (choking hazard), loud noisemakers
Nursery 1 (ages 2–3)
What they like: Doodling, pretend play, simple puzzles
Top Picks:
| Item | Description |
| Jumbo crayons or triangular grip pencils | Easier for little hands to hold and control. Great for encouraging scribbling and early drawing without frustration. |
| Paint-with-water colouring books | This one is one of our favourites, with my boy still reaching to play with it 1-2 years afterwards! We love Melissa & Doug’s range, but we also find the super cheap options on Shopee very satisfying! |
| Foam/puffy stickers or reusable sticker books | These train the pincer grasp, and I don’t know about you, but I am always in need of more stickers. |
| Mini colouring books | A classic. Pair with a small set of crayons or give on their own — always a quiet-time win. |
| Animal or transport-themed stampers | Great for pretend play or craft time. Try washable ink or go ink-free so parents can add their own. |
| Mini magnetic drawing boards or LED boards | Reusable and travel-friendly. Toddlers love doodling, erasing, and doing it all over again. |
| Beach toys | You don’t need a whole set — just one scoop or mould per child makes for a fun, practical gift. |
| Flashcards | Great for learning simple words, colours or animals. You can buy them or even laminate and give out mini sets (2–3 cards per child) as part of a themed pack. |
Nursery 2 (ages 3–4)
What they like: Roleplay, exploring emotions, building fine motor skills
Top Picks:
| Item | Description |
| DIY craft kits (e.g. decorate a mask） | Toddlers love making things their own. Keep it simple — foam masks, peel-and-stick gems, or pre-cut shapes work great. |
| Paint-with-water colouring books | This one is one of our favourites, with my boy still reaching to play with it 1-2 years afterwards! We love Melissa & Doug’s range, but we also find the super cheap options on Shopee very satisfying! |
| Reusable sticker scenes | Let kids build their own story. These are fun, open-ended, and can be reused a few times before wear kicks in. |
| “Grow your own” sponge capsule animals | Drop them in water and watch them expand! A hit with preschoolers — just pop a few in a ziplock with instructions. |
| Mini notebooks and stamps | Kids love “writing” like adults. Add a cute stamp and they’ll be journaling like pros. |
| Mini magnetic drawing boards or LED boards | Reusable and travel-friendly. Toddlers love doodling, erasing, and doing it all over again. |
| Name tracing boards | Customisable name tracing boards are surprisingly affordable these days, and work great for 3- to 4-year-olds to learn writing their own names! |
| Beach toys | You don’t need a whole set — just one scoop or mould per child makes for a fun, practical gift. |
| Flashcards | Great for visual learners. Try alphabet, animal, or emotion cards — laminate a few and pack them in a bundle. |
Kindergarten 1 (ages 4–5)
What they like: Creative play, drawing, storytelling, early games
Top Picks:
| Item | Description |
| Books | A wonderful take-home gift. One good book is more meaningful (and less wasteful!) than five random toys. Great for calming down after the party too. |
| Cartoon character bookmarks | Fun, functional, and budget-friendly. Kids love anything with their favourite characters — and it gets them excited to read. |
| Stationery sets (pencil, sharpener, eraser) | Perfect for soon-to-be P1s! A little pencil case or themed set gets them excited for “real school.” |
| DIY craft kits (e.g. make your own crown, photo frame) | Craft kits at this age can be a little more complex — think layering foam, sticking sequins, or decorating with letters. Great for solo or parent-child time. |
| Mini notebooks and stamps | Kids love “writing” like adults. Add a cute stamp and they’ll be journaling like pros. |
| Mini magnetic drawing boards or LED boards | Reusable and travel-friendly. Toddlers love doodling, erasing, and doing it all over again. |
| Mini puzzle cubes or mazes | Kids this age love challenges. These small toys are great for quiet play, party games, or even as rewards in a classroom setting. |
| Flashcards | At this age, kids can start recognising sight words, math facts, or simple Mandarin characters. You can gift a themed mini set (e.g. “My First English Words”). |
Kindergarten 2 (ages 5–6)
What they like: Peer play, prepping for P1, crafting independently
Top Picks:
| Item | Description |
| Books | Still the gold standard. Choose picture books with local flavour — something they can grow into or read with a parent. My girl still reads the National Geographic kids readers! |
| Customisable items (e.g. pencils, pencil cases, lunch boxes, canvas pouches, bag tags) | Kids love seeing their names on things! Great for building excitement and ownership for P1. You can use fabric markers, vinyl stickers or even letter beads for DIY. |
| Fun P1 stationery prep (letter stencils, bookmarks, quote pencils) | Perfect for soon-to-be P1s! A little pencil case or themed set gets them excited for “real school.” |
| Origami paper packs | Cheap, cheerful and great for fine motor skills. Add a printed sheet of instructions (e.g. cat, boat, shirt) and it becomes a mini craft kit too. |
| Blank notebooks | Perfect for doodling, “writing stories” or practicing their letters. |
| Mini magnetic drawing boards or LED boards | Reusable and travel-friendly. Parents also love this as a teaching tool when guiding P1s to do homework. |
| Mini drawstring pouch | Handy for holding their small treasures, pocket money, or emergency tissue — bonus if it’s fabric and washable. |
| Flashcards | Great for building recognition and recall — whether it’s sight words, basic addition/subtraction, or hanyu pinyin. At this age, kids are ready for more structured learning tools, so flashcards can actually feel fun and useful. |
Little Notes
Where to shop for goodie bag items (Singapore Edition)
Here are some tried-and-tested places to pick up last-minute goodie bag gifts — without blowing the budget:
Daiso (prices from $2.18)
- Great for: Mini stationery, stickers, animal figurines, small notebooks, sensory balls, paper fans, origami paper
- Watch out for: Toys with tiny parts or weak plastic quality
SKP (many outlets islandwide)
- Great for: Party favours in bulk, paper bags, card games, stickers, foam shapes, simple DIY craft bases, gift packaging
- Watch out for: Very generic toys that may break easily
IKEA (Children’s section, Marketplace area)
- Great for: Quality toys and craft materials like
- TITTA DJUR finger puppets (pack of 10, split among kids)
- Soft toys
- KID’S drawing roll paper or crayons
- Colourful utensils
- Bibs
- Watch out for: Higher prices compared to Daiso/SKP for bulk gifts
Popular Bookstore
- Great for: Mini books, bookmarks, small stationery sets, activity pads, cute erasers, DIY badge kits
- Watch out for: Branded character items that can be pricey
If you have some lead time, you can order online!
Shopee / Lazada
- Great for:
- Bulk buys (e.g. sticker books, stampers, foam crafts)
- “Split-the-set” gifts like Play-Doh 10-packs, Usborne boxed sets of books
- Party packaging (cute paper bags, labels, tags)
- Watch out for:
- Inconsistent quality — always check reviews and real photos
- Long delivery times (especially for cheaper overseas sellers)
- Many items look cute but break easily or arrive smaller than expected
Amazon.sg
- Great for:
- Pre-packed party favour bundles (e.g. Play Packs, sticker sets, activity kits)
- Bulk goodie bag fillers (like finger puppets, stampers, colouring books)
- Watch out for:
- Longer shipping times for international items
Little Notes
What I don’t recommend (from a parent who’s been there!)
After years of packing (and receiving) goodie bags, here are a few things I’ve learned to gently skip — even if they look tempting on Shopee or come in bulk packs. *not judging* I myself have given some of these too! 😅
Slime or kinetic sand: Yes, kids love them… for all of five minutes. But they’re messy, hard to contain, and often end up ground into floor tiles, car seats or hair. Save yourself — and fellow parents — the clean-up!
Scratch art cards: They look fun but the black shavings get everywhere. Plus, the wooden stylus (or rather, satay stick!) that comes with it is often too sharp for preschoolers, especially if younger siblings are nearby.
Plastic toys with lots of tiny parts: Mini building kits, DIY doll accessories, or any toy with fiddly, detachable bits may seem exciting — but they get lost and don’t last beyond a day or two.
Deflated balloons: Not toys per se, but often included in party packs — balloons are a known choking hazard for young children, especially when popped or if they chew the rubber.
Whistles, toy trumpets or recorders: Unless your goal is to drive parents up the wall (😅), avoid these noisemakers. They’re fun for a minute, then become a sound pollution situation.
Pop-it fidget keychains: They’re everywhere, but let’s be honest — most kids already have one, or ten. They quickly lose novelty and are often made of thin silicone that tears easily.
Mini dart guns / shooters / slingshots: Even the “cute” ones with foam bullets encourage rough play, and preschools generally ban anything that resembles a weapon.
Mini puzzles with tiny pieces: Anything with more than 5–6 small pieces is likely to get lost, sucked up by a vacuum or cause tantrums when a piece goes missing on Day 1.
Random capsule “gacha” toys: Fun surprise element, but the quality is inconsistent — some are impractical or inappropriate for preschoolers, and they often just turn into clutter.
Every kid is different, every parent too
Every parent (and child!) is different — and that’s okay. My own boy loves puzzles, so I actually enjoy receiving a mini puzzle in a goodie bag. But I totally get that for some parents, it might feel like one more thing to keep track of (or step on 😅).
Personally? Books are always welcome. I’d much rather receive one age-appropriate book than a bag of random small stuff that gets tossed aside. And chances are, it’ll be read again and again — maybe even passed along to another child later.
At the end of the day, goodie bags aren’t about impressing anyone — they’re just a small gesture of thanks and joy. If the gifts bring a smile to one child and make life a little easier for another parent, I’d say that’s a win already.
Just a heads-up: I’m not earning anything from affiliate links or product mentions in this post — these are simply ideas that have worked for me (or not!) over the years. I hope they help you too, especially if you’re staring down a class list and wondering what to pack!
This Little Season 