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We have all been there: stuffing ripped-up wrapping paper, cups and
plates into garbage bags after your child’s birthday. It is enough to make
an eco-warrior mom’s head spin off. All that waste. It’s overwhelming. But
how do you throw a bash for your kiddo and skip the environmental meltdown?
Here are some tips to make things a little greener for the next big celebration:
Invitations
Use recycled paper to make invites. I am a big fan of The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company. Another option is invites that are made from paper with seeds in it. Each invitation is printed on 100 percent post-consumer waste, seed-embedded plantable paper that grows wildflowers when the invitation is planted. But nothing really beats using Evite. The site makes it easy to create an invite and e-mail all your guests. You can keep track of who is coming and who isn’t. However, when it comes to thank-you notes, I am still a big fan of writing notes by hand.
Decorations
An outdoor party can be the perfect backdrop for a child’s party. Whether in your backyard or at a local park, let Mother Nature decorate for you. No need to hang streamers or balloons. Let the trees and the flowers spruce up your gathering. Of course, you have to contend with the possibility of bad weather. But a little rain doesn’t ruin a game of chase or a tag session. And think skating party and hot chocolate in the dead of winter.
Food
Organic, organic, organic. Let the trailer for the new documentary Food, Inc. do the talking. You know the drill. Buy organic fruits and veggies and check out Katherine Pennington’s amazing vegan cupcake recipe.
Beverages
Try to avoid plastic bottles and individual juice boxes. Kids tend to take three sips and leave the table. Bottles get thrown away. Try using recycled paper cups and writing the kids’ names on them. You can incorporate keeping track of your cup as a party game—“The Great Cup Scavenger Hunt.” This sort of worked at my last child’s party. A group of 6- and 7-year-olds were pretty good at keeping track of their cups. Also, make sure to have a big recycling box in a central location so people know where to drop their recyclables.
Party Bags
It is fun to create something at the party and then have the kids bring that home as the “goody bag.” You can make necklaces, paint a picture frame or decorate cookies. If you want to go super green, send the kids home with some packages of seeds that they can plant in their newly decorated flower pots.
And now, time for green confessions: I have had no luck in convincing my older two children to forgo presents at their various parties. They are not behind my no-materialism shtick. If anyone has any good ideas on how to make your children “buy” into this, please send them my way. I am all ears.
So keep some of these ideas in mind when you are planning the next party. And remember, you don’t have to do everything. Every small step makes a difference.
Resources
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Green Party Goods: Eco-friendly/planet-friendly products for any celebration. They have some nice party favor ideas. |
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Kiwi Magazine: A good list of various eco-friendly party ideas. |
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ECHOage: Making charitable giving easy for the little ones. Guests are invited to an ECHOage birthday party online. Instead of bringing a wrapped and packaged present, guests simply RSVP and give a secure online contribution. ECHOage pools all the contributions. The birthday child chooses one (one!) special birthday present from all their friends and makes a donation to the charity of his or her choice. |
In 2006, Francesca Olivieri co-founded the company sage baby, an online eco-friendly baby store offering everything from organic clothes and skincare to furniture. She also writes a monthly blog for Scenic Hudson as well as contributes articles to Daily Candy Kids, CitiScoop and NRDC’s Simple Steps. She continues to watch her green business grow while seeking to apply her values to her own home and family. Francesca lives in New York City with her husband and three kids, 8, 6 and 4.
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