Senior Citizens Party Favor Ideas

Hosting a party for senior citizens means offering food suitable to an older generation, playing age-appropriate music and sending everyone home with party favors geared toward their age. Party favors can be purchased or made; if possible, they should match the theme of the party. An easy way to come up with a few party favor ideas is to read information about what was popular when the guests were younger.

One of the easiest party favors to give is an edible item. Put the face of a pop icon easily recognizable to those 50 and older on sugar-free cookies. Some of the most common icons from the past are Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, John Wayne, Lucille Ball, Superman, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Robinson and Julie Andrews. Another option would be to fill brown lunch bag with popular candy from their generation. For example, in the 1940s, Chuckles, 5th Avenue, Good & Plenty, Lifesavers and Necco candies were popular. In the 1950s, candy like Nips Wax Bottles, Mary Janes, Lemon Heads and Boston Baked Beans were popular. Fill bags with candy from the '20s, '30s, '40s, '50s and '60 to ensure you have party favors for a range of senior citizens.

Give the elderly partygoers a piece of history by typing out comparison charts and pop culture facts. Hopefully they will look back fondly upon the lists of facts like how much milk cost, the price of a gallon of gas, the average annual income, what made the front page of the local newspapers and the top movie and song of the year. Print the information on card stock and laminate the cards before giving them as favors .

Send the senior citizens home with party favors that will entertain them. Visit a store and pick up DVDs of movies and TV shows that were popular in past decades, such as "Tarzan the Ape Man" (1932), "Citizen Kane" (1941), "Stagecoach" (1939) and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954). You should be able to find DVDs of TV shows from decades gone by like "The Andy Griffith Show" and "I Love Lucy." The available titles will vary at each location. If you prefer to go another route, you can tape a pen and pencil to the front of word search, crossword puzzle and sudoku books. Place the party favors on a table for guests to take as they leave.

Instead of sending older guests home with useless items, give them something that can make their home life a little bit easier. Hand out reflective switchplates that can help them find light switches at night. Another option is to give guests glow-in-the-dark door grips to make turning door handles easier. Or you could put bags of tea in tea cups and gourmet coffee in coffee mugs to make a lasting party favor that is both potable and useful.