Green Birthday Party Ideas: Entertaining and the Environment

Gifts, as well as the wrapping they come in, balloons, streamers, paper plates and cups, party favours and loot bags can overwhelm our pocket book and waste bins.

Here are a few easy and creative ways to make your party more socially and environmentally responsible without losing an ounce of the party fun...

Invitations and Gifts

• Create your own invitations. Cut them out from paper or cardboard and decorate them with stickers, crayons and paint to give them a unique flair - no envelope necessary!
• Ask for toy donations instead of gifts. Most presents end up collecting dust or sitting broken in a corner after a short time so why not teach your child the value of giving by asking guests to donate a toy to a children's charity instead.

Packaging

• Ask party goers to bring gifts in bags, which can be recycled over and over again, or to use reusable fabric, wool or string instead of wrapping paper.

Loot Bags

• Turn brown paper bags into paper bag puppet loot bags. Get creative - make each bag a different character or have your child personalize them.
• Make creating the loot bag part of your party planning. Activities such a decorating cookies, making bead necklaces and bracelets or painting ceramic pots are not only great party features, they offer built-in loot bags!
• Or...lose the loot. Even if the contents of the loot bag come from a dollar store, the costs quickly adds up. Donate the money to a charity instead giving party- goers a hand designed note explaining the donation.

Decorating

• Use ribbons instead of streamers. Adding beads, charms, hockey cards or small toys gives the décor some added dimension. These items can then be saved for future art projects or given out as loot for your guests.

Miscellaneous

• Dollar stores are a great place to purchase heavy duty plastic cutlery, cups and plates for reusable durability.

By Rochelle Strauss