Return gifts with the birthday child's photo on them, priced so a class of forty does not become a problem.
Return gifts for birthdays
The problem with a birthday return gift is the arithmetic: forty children, a budget per head that has to stay small, and a gift that should not be thrown away in the car on the way home. Photo badges, magnets and keychains solve all three.
What to order for which age
Badges work for older children who will pin them on and wear them at the party. Use hook badges rather than pins for younger ones — no pin to open, and nothing to prick a finger.
Keychains suit school-age children and their parents, because they go on a school bag and stay there. This is the one that lasts longest.
Fridge magnets are the parents' favourite, honestly — the photograph ends up on the family's fridge instead of in a toy pile.
Avoid magnetic backs for very young children entirely.
What to put on them
A photograph of the birthday child, their name and the age. That is the whole design, and it is what makes it a keepsake rather than a party favour. Adding the date is worth it; adding a cartoon character is usually not, because it dates faster than the photograph does.
Crop the photo tight before sending — a full-length picture at 58mm loses the face, which is the only part anyone wants. Send at 300 DPI or higher.
Making the budget work
Rates step down at each quantity tier, and the biggest drop is between a small order and the first bulk tier. For a class of forty, 44mm badges or 58mm keychains keep the per-head cost lowest; 58mm badges and magnets cost a little more each but feel more like a gift.
You can mix products inside one order at the combined quantity — badges for the children and magnets for the parents, priced as a single order rather than two.
Timing
Standard delivery is 5–7 business days from artwork approval, with 2–3 day express to select pin codes. Birthday orders are the ones most often left late; send the photograph as soon as you have picked it.