Plan a child’s green birthday party

If you have kids, there’s a good chance you have birthday parties, and there’s no reason why they can’t be eco-friendly. Following are some ideas that can keep a child’s birthday party green and fun.

Green your invites – send party invitations by email vs. paper copies via snail mail. Or buy recycled paper invites.

Green your cake – bake an organic birthday cake with natural or edible decor on top vs. little plastic toys. You can use candy or flowers to decorate a cake or just plain old frosting. Use beeswax birthday candles instead of wax. Avoid one time use cake pans and if you make cupcakes use silicone baking cups vs. paper baking cups.

Green the gifts – wrap in recycled birthday wrap or get creative and use newspaper or other used paper item to wrap with. Don’t go overboard. One or two well-thought out gifts are better than a bunch of gifts.

Green the favors – Don’t hand out plastic baggies full of little junky toys. Try to gather cool eco-minded party favors that kids will actually use up like soy crayons, a little pot with flower seeds, or a small LED flashlight.

Green the theme – plan a ‘Beasts of Waste’ Birthday Party, a nature birthday party, a tree planting party, a trip to the farmers market party, or a short hiking adventure.

Green your decor – skip the balloons they’re no good for the planet especially when let off into the wild. Use cloth table covers, real dishes or recycled paper plates. Be creative and make rings of colored magazine pages vs. buying a new paper banner or decorate with fresh flowers.

Green your food – Serve homemade organic pizza with organic juice and organic fresh cut veggies and fruit.

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