When you think about children’s birthday parties, one of the memories you likely have is stuffing large black trash bags full of trash — paper plates, cups, wrapping paper, party decorations — more trash is created at a three hour party than the average family amasses in a week.
The good news is, with some informed planning and no extra effort you can throw a party that leaves behind little to zero footprint.
Let’s take a look at some simple ways to plan and pull off your child’s next party that will leave Mother Nature smiling and teach your child and her guests some valuable lessons about sustainable living.
1. Invitations
We’ve talked before about invitations and the option of using electronic invites, which naturally eliminates any waste and has a huge convenience factor.
But if you or your child prefer an invite your guest can hold in his hand, there are several fun and creative options there too.
Instead of running out to your local party store, look around the house to see what you already have that could be turned into an invitation.
Let your kids get creative and create their own invites from items that are headed to recycle or should be headed there because no one’s using them.
When possible, hand deliver the invitations.
This gives you even more room for creative construction out of cardboard or other materials that may not travel through the mail so easily.
If you want to go a more traditional route, consider using biodegradable, seed-infused paper for your invitations. That way your guests can plant their invitations and watch them grow after the party.
Seed paper invitations leave behind no waste and are a lot of fun, making it hard to go wrong with this option.
Whatever you decide, use the invitation to set the tone for the party, letting your guests know that part of the fun this year will be in seeing how eco-friendly you can all make this party.
2. Decorations
Balloons are fun, but they make an appearance at every party.
How about encouraging something new and different this year?
Again, look to what you have on hand to create more personalized decorations the whole family can be a part of.
The decorations are pretty irrelevant to your child in the end, she just wants to play with her friends and get her hands on some cake.
A hand-written banner on recycled paper, coupled with a few strings of lights you can reuse again and again, will do the trick here.
Consider using a fun print bed sheet for the tablecloth (which could double as a gift), or use an old sheet that kids can write on and create a unique memory of the party.
3. Food Service
This can account for the bulk of the trash as kids use multiple plates, cups, forks and spoons throughout the party.
Consider purchasing a set of plastic, reusable party ware and write each child’s name on her cup.
Pull out the reusable cloth napkins you have at home, or will have after you purchase them for the party!
There is also a wide variety of compostable and eco-friendly party ware available with just a quick google search.
The coordinating character sets of paper products that are sold at party stores obviously have a popular appeal with kids, but again, they don’t really care what they’re drinking out of or eating on.
And, choosing an environmentally friendly alternative is a great way to educate your child and have her feel good about making a better choice.
As for the food itself, avoid juice boxes and other single-serving options.
Mix up a pitcher of lemonade, and offer a pitcher of water. Do full size cartons of juice if you must have juice, and just go with your reusable cups.
You can also make a conscious effort to have a lot of finger foods that the guests can just pick up and pop in their mouths, avoiding the need for more than your one reusable plate that can serve as both a food and cake plate.
4. Gifts
When you initially share your excitement about having a Mother Nature-friendly party with your guests, stress that this applies to the gifts too.
Strongly consider forbidding gifts altogether.
Your child might initially rebel against this idea, but agreeing to provide her with the gift or experience she really wants should ease the pain a little here.
If you do go with gifts, ask that they be wrapped in something other than traditional wrapping paper.
Challenge your guests to come up with something they already have around the house to wrap the gift in, or urge them to pull something out of their recycle container and use it as a gift box or wrapping.
Another unique option is to use Echoage, which allows your guests to just go online and donate money in lieu of bringing a gift.
Half the money (or whatever portion you choose) then goes to a charity selected by your child, and the other half is put towards a group gift, which means your child can get a larger gift, like a new bike, by pooling everyone’s money together.
The advantages here are the ease and automation of allowing your guests to send money to a charity your child is interested in, the avoidance of a bunch of cheap plastic toys at the party, and the fact that your child can get a gift he really wants by pooling all of the guests’ money gifts.
5. Goody Bags
Just say no to the bag full of cheap plastic trinkets that break or get lost the first day you have them. Instead choose one of the options we discussed here in 5 Party Favor Ideas Your Guests Will Thank You For.
Also, remember that when you book your party with KidsPartyCharacters.com, we include a simple gift bag for each child to take home.
The Ultimate Goal For Your Party is FUN
Your child may initially balk at some of these non-traditional suggestions you make.
Try to mitigate this by sharing stories with her about the importance of being environmentally responsible, and focus on the fun things she’s going to do at her party.
Truth is, none of the things you’ll do to make her party Mother Nature-friendly will interfere one bit with the fun that happens, a fact she’ll likely admit at the end of the day.
And of course, to guarantee that your child and her guests are all smiles, book your next party through KidsPartyCharacters.com, where she’ll have over 200 of her favorite characters to choose from as her special party guest.
At KidsPartyCharacters.com we have packages that include all the extras kids love, such as cotton candy and face painting. We also use professional actors for our characters, who put on a show that will fill your child’s party full of lifelong memories.
Need ideas and inspiration for your next party? Join us on Facebook for daily updates and an inside look at the magic we create and excitement we bring to children’s parties.
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