5 Quick tips for an eco-friendly kids birthday party!
There’s probably no better time than now to organize an eco-friendly birthday party. Instead of feeling discouraged by all the sad news we’ve been hearing about our environment, let’s help the future of our planet. Mother Earth will give you a big, green thumbs up with these 5 quick tips for an eco-friendly birthday party… Hip, hip hooray!
Tip 1: Rethink your balloons
Who doesn’t like balloons at a birthday party? Unfortunately, most balloons harm the environment. Especially the ones that escape from a kid’s hand, float off up into the sky and… land in a spot where it takes decades for them to degrade. Balloon fragments are a danger to many animals, especially sea animals. The good news? There are other options! How about decorating the yard or the room with fabric or paper flags, banners, streamers, kites, pinwheels, or tissue paper pompoms? Just as fun, often reusable, and the sea turtles will be grateful!
Tip 2: Find fair trade or locally made snacks and drinks
A birthday party is the perfect occasion to support local businesses in your area. Have your local baker make a birthday cake, find a local farmer, or go to the farmer’s market to get some seasonal produce for a healthy snack. For other items that you can’t find at local businesses, try to find a fair trade alternative.
Move over plastic straws… sustainable straws are becoming more and more popular. Use paper ones, or even better: use reusable steel straws!
Tip 3: Don’t use disposables or use degradable plates and cups
No worries, we don’t expect you to do a massive stack of dishes after the party, but skipping the plastic disposables is a great way to make your party more eco-friendly. You could, of course, use regular plates and silverware, and actually wash them afterwards, but you can also use plates that are made from recycled paper (so you can recycle them again!), and cutlery made from bamboo.
Tip 4: Don’t over order food or give people a box to take home
How often are you looking at a massive amount of leftovers at the end of a party? Half the cake is still there, partially eaten cookies are scattered over the floor, there are bowls of candy touched by lots of little fingers… Your first reaction is to throw it all in the dumpster. But isn’t that such a waste of food? For starters, we recommend not buying too much food. Kids, just like adults, tend to overeat at parties when the food is out and constantly accessible. If you do have cake or cookie leftovers, give all the kids a little box to take leftovers home.
Tip 5: Ask for sustainable, non-toy gifts
As your child’s toy heap starts to look more and more like Mount Everest, it might be a good idea to add some sustainable, non-toy gift ideas to the wishlist. For example, ask for a tree that your child can plant, so he or she can learn to take care of it and watch it grow. Or ask guests to contribute to a charity that your child picks. And no, we are not suggesting that you completely take away the joy of some new birthday toys. However, having a mix of toys and other types of gifts help make your child’s birthday a little more earth-friendly and keeps the toy heap looking more like a mole hill, not a mountain.
Why not give a gift that grows? Shop our Little Saps evergreens seedlings: we ship our Little Saps nationwide.