How to host an eco-friendly kid’s party!
Today I am bringing you my top tips for a very green kid’s party.
Keep in mind that even the little things we do can all make a difference.
* Plan ahead. Many environmentally friendly products sadly are not widely available, so you may need to hunt around or order online.
* Stop and consider what you will need and if the products are able to be composted, recycled or upcycled in anyway.
* Invitations can be made at home with recycled paper or cards or you can use some eco-friendly invitations.
* Skip the paper invites and email the guests. The Eco Mum suggests EventBrite - it’s an online party planner and it’s free.
* You need to be very careful with balloons! If you want to have them, buy latex balloons, which are biodegradable. Please dispose of them properly as they pose a choking risk to animals. The Eco Party Box has some more information here.
* Tell your guests that your party is eco-friendly and ask them to join in the fun. You could ask them to wrap the gift in recycled paper, make the gift a preloved book or toy or have a no-plastic gift policy. One year the NNABoy invited so many kids to the park and we really didn’t want over 20 toys (and the packaging!) to add to our home. Luckily he felt the same way and was more than happy to say ‘no gifts, donation if you prefer’ on the invites. He felt very proud donating over $250 to NAPCAN, one of our favourite charities.
* Set up boxes or bins, clearly labelled for recycling for easy clean up.
* The Eco Mum says she likes decorating with paper chains, using old wrapping paper, cards, brown paper or homemade artworks. Masking tape is best as its recyclable.
* Decorations can also be things like candles, flowers, leaves, gumnuts, pebbles, shells, seeds and pods! Popcorn garlands and hanging biccies are fun too.
* Instead of using disposable plastic tablecloths and banners, invest in a gorgeous fabric party set that can be reused over and over again at every celebration! Kelly from Dog Rose Healing says her mum has an embroidery sewing machine and makes ‘happy birthday’ table cloths that get used for parties. My gorgeous friend, Vicki Lorraine has party sets for sale – you can purchase a kit with bunting, table runner and napkins in a drawstring bag. Vicki will custom make in any colour and design and you can even choose organic cotton fabric! Check her out on Facebook for more details.
* If you want to use disposable party-ware, you can’t go past Aussie business, Eco Party Box. They have a huge range of bamboo, sugarcane and areca products. Check it out here. Jonathon and Tina are kindly offering all of you a 15% discount on everything in their store until June 30, 2013. Just use the code word “Naturemum”.
* We purchased some colourful kids cups, plates and cutlery from Ikea years ago and they work really well for parties. It’s not too hard to wash them up!
* Food covers are better options than using cling wrap (gosh we used to go through a lot of that stuff for parties!).
* Try and cater most of the party yourself. Buying individual portions of food uses lots of packaging and it’s usually more expensive.
* Face-paint can be really toxic. The NNAGirl breaks out in a terrible rash if she gets her face painted! Choose a natural face paint like Pure Poppets.
* 4 My Earth owner and greenie, Rebecca does rock painting as a fun craft activity that also doubles as the take home party favour!
* The Eco Mum likes to use small paper bags, small reusable baskets or hand-sewn small pouches to be kept and reused for party bags. She fills them with things like vintage toys or vouchers for movies/DVD rental.
* The guys at Eco Party Box have a huge range of eco-friendly party bags and natural wooden toys and goodies. Check it out here.
* These seeded thank you tags are possibly my favourite idea though. How gorgeous! Add the child’s name and tie them to the party bag.
* Author and tree-hugger Rebecca Mugridge has some fabulous ideas on games and activities based around nature at her blog here.
For your next birthday party, spare a thought for the environment and see if you can make even one small change. Trust me, it makes you feel good to know you are doing you’re little bit!
Giveaway:
This giveaway has now closed. The winner was Melissa.
Jonathon and Tina from Eco Party Box are kindly giving away an eco-friendly party pack! It contains a packet of 25 latex balloons, a packet of walnut sailing boats and a packet of invitations.
To enter:
* Be a Natural New Age Mum blog subscriber (add your email to the box on the top right).
* Like Eco Party Box on Facebook. Go here.
* Leave a comment on this blog post, telling us your best eco-party tip.
Terms and conditions:
This giveaway is only open to Australian residents. It closes on the 16th of March at midnite. The winner will be chosen from those meeting the entry requirements using random.org. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook. Best of luck!
41 Comments
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- Birthday Celebrations! Featuring Lots of Recipes!! | naughtynaturopathmum's Blog - [...] How to Host an Eco-Friendly Kid’s Party [...]
I can’t stop commenting on these posts, they are absolutely fabulous and you really make things look so easy and it is! Thanks again for another great ready reference for the future x
awww thanks Alisha – it is easy by the 25th party!
Great post Sonia! I’m loving all the recent party posts. My daughter’s second birthday is just over a month away so it’s perfect timing! My best eco-party tip has already been covered in your post – using 4 My Earth food covers for covering all the food. I have been using them for over 6 months now and love them!
I love reading your posts and sharing them to my followers to show that there are great alternatives and ways to have a super party that will also have other parents talking!All in a good way! Thanks
one of the best things we did at mr 6′s party was have sausages on bread rolls for lunch at the local pool, we had reusable trays & didn’t bother with all the plates and bowls ect just used the rolls instead & napkins for cake we also did a skewer fruit platter very easy.
i love the covers idea much better than all the cling wrap we used
Last year we went to a party where the children were given a little flowering plant in a pot as a take home gift, I thought that was fab!
Really great tips!! I have just had a look around the Eco party box – they have some really lovely things
I don’t really have anything new to add to your tips, but we always prefer to use reusable items for birthdays – plates, cups, cutlery, platters etc added to over the years from op shops. we love to get crafty! Invitaions, party bags, sometimes the liittle prizes – time permitting – we handmake or decorate. Our fabric bunting has been going strong for many years now and is used for every single birthday, celebration and party and was made from fabric in my stash that – truthfully – I didn’t like enough to use on anything else but it made gorgeous bunting! We also find that we don’t need much extra decoration with these – as soon as the flags are up it’s party time !!!
All these posts are mking me so excited, and even though it can be a bit daunting, you make it look so easy and even just one small change can make a difference! I love trying out new things, and over the years have found that personality trait causes me stress with the overvriety we have in “stuff” and “things” today, but the challenge and newness of searching, findig and using eco-friendly products for a party is so exciting
!
Lots of great ideas that I will be using. My eco party tip is to be organised early especially with the menu so that I have enough time to make lots of healthy yummy treat.I loved the “Make it Pink” smoothie you shared – what a great way to add healthy colour to the party table.
I often cover the tables with paper (recycled) and have the party guests decorate. Lots of fun!
Everytime we go on a picnic with family and friends my kids draw and decorate loose bits of paper around the house and that is used as table mats when we have our bbq.
Definitely coming back to your party posts when I get to party time for my kiddies!
Hi, Thanks for all this great info!
I have been looking for a long time for a environmentally friendly reusable party set (plates, cups, cutlery etc,) like a picnic set but for more people and maybe brightly coloured for kids. Has anyone seen something like this??
Hi Emily, no I haven’t. I will ask on Facebook if you like. Are you connected with me there?
Yes that would be great thanks!
we use a lot of fruit……therefore what we don’t eat, goes to the chooks and compost
for parties we use jam jars for cups, biodegradable paper straws, serve organically grown Vegas food
My eco friendly tip is to use some wrapping paper as a table runner under a clear plastic table cover, then the paper can be used again later to wrap presents
love the tips!
We bought some cute cups to use at my daughters party and the children took them home as their party favor, no horrid sugar filled bags to take home.
Great blog. For pass the parcel you could use your children’s drawings as the wrapping paper and if they open it gently enough they get to keep the picture to take home in their party bag.
My eco tip is reuse, reuse, reuse. Rather than throw away tables clothes, plates, decorations etc. I build up my collection each party, store it, bring it out and add to it with each party. I also give away items that I don’t think I will use again when people have a similar theme to something I’ve done. It may take a litle more work but anything that’s worth it usually does right?
Food covers instead of plastic, recycled napkins instead of plates and cups which the kids took home full of lollies from the handmade pinata!
Use newspaper as wrapping paper!
For my sons 1st birthday we had a teddy bear picnic theme. Everything was reusable and for the party favour my grandmother and I knitted little bears for the kids to take home. It was great, I learnt how to knit and the kids loved them.
Get the kids to make wrapping paper for the pass the parcel game. Stamp painting with reusable shapes or sea sponges or even potatoes was a favourite.
i like to take reusable weather its a party or a picnic or even a b.b.q my kids love kebabs made on rosemary sticks you can this with meatballs at my daughters party this year we made a fruit punch and cleaned out the shell of the watermelon and stored it in there it keeps flavour no mess just compost when finished and we got little pineapples and stuck wodden umbrellas in the sides with some eco friendly straws and the kids filled these up when there drinks were empty out of the water melon you may need two depending on the size of the party passion fruits are good to use as little dishes also we filled these up with a choc passion fruit custard /pudding and served these up cold from the fridge the kids loved them they where a hit we had a giligans island party theme and used as much as we cold without using plastics and plates my sister made little platters from weaving banana leaves together we were able to compost these after the kids were finished and used big ones to put food on the table it was a great party with not much put to waste or in the rubbish
Thankyou, just found your blog and am loving the great eco tips.
To save on party invitations and envelopes , I email everyone!!!
Ha maybe I’m mean, but I have been known to use regular cups/dishes at parties(I HATE the throw away kind and HATE plastic – there is enough already in my house!) but turn the washing-up into a party game using a paddling pool and having a dish-washing race with prizes
GOLD!!!!
Using reusable plates and forks and preparing foods yourself rather than buying prepackaged foods with loads of plastic
Oh, and loads of fresh food and less junk is always better
My Eco party tip is very much recycle and reuse. I create candles in recycled glassware and try and theme my parties accordingly. Tea party requires tea cup candles, vintage theme require crystal glassware. I also try and buy all my props from the op shops and markets. No need to buy anything brand new when there is plenty out there to be creative with.
Thanks for this post. Instead of party bags I like to wrap things into kraft paper. Love the idea of seeded tags to add on.
Buy bio degradable plates and serviettes
For three years I have been taking bath together with my daughter! Saves time, money and resources, too!
I bought a set of reusable plastic picnicware (plates, bowls and cups), enough for 20 people, in a gender-neutral colour. I can use them over and over for birthday parties (and Christmas, and BBQs!) without wasting money on disposable items
Oops in my excitedness I forgot to leave a tip: reduce, re-use and recyle as much as you can! There are sooo many things used for a party that just get thrown away and take years to decompose, and so many of these things we can buy eco-friendly that are recycleable and just as nice/durable
I don’t have any tips to add to the above… but.. I have saved this page and plan on using ALL of these tips at our future birthday parties! Thank you.. again for your ideas and advice- I love when mothers can work together to help our children be happier and healthier! xxxx
thanks Brooke – I appreciate your kinds words xx
I really appreciate your effort on sharing this post to us. I got lots of idea for my kid’s birthday party.Thanks for all the tips though i don’t have tip to share. This will be my first time to create an Eco-friendly kids party and Im so excited for it. Thanks for the tips.
thanks Joanne… keep in touch and let us know how you go!