Five Tips For An Affordable, Green Birthday Party (And A Giveaway!)

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Five Tips For An Affordable, Green Birthday Party (And A Giveaway!)

Blog Of The Week

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I mentioned in a recent post that my family loves to celebrate holidays, and birthday parties are no exception. Sunday was my daughter’s second birthday and we celebrated on a slim budget this year, but that doesn’t mean we had any less fun!
Here are my top five ideas that worked for us to make birthdays a little greener, leaner and less stressful in our house this year:

1) Keep it small. Not that we don’t love and cherish each of our friends and our kids’ friends too: but large, lavish parties are very stressful and expensive. So this year we limited the festivities to just extended family plus and a handful of our closest friends and neighbors.

2) Keep the menu simple. I have a tendency to want to please everyone, which means I usually plan the menu around the preferences of the kids who tend to be pickier eaters. This year, I decided if they’re not allergic to it, they can eat it – or it’s up to their own parents to figure out an alternative. I opened my kitchen to all the adults to take care of their kids’ needs but I didn’t go out of my way to specifically prepare dishes with each child’s individual preferences in mind, like I have in the past (I know, what was I thinking?).

3) Up-cycle gifts, wrapping and decorations. We live in a small house so before gift holidays, we purge the toy collection to make room for a few new things. Rather than tossing perfectly good toys that we’ve simply outgrown into a landfill, we take them to a local consignment shop where they get a second life and we can choose cash or trade for new-to-us items. This year, my 4-year-old sold a handful of toys and earned enough to buy his sister a beautiful, hand-painted wooden castle filled with PVC-free fairies, dragons and horses. The set was worth well over $300 and he got it in pristine condition for $20. The best part: he was able to buy her a gift she’ll cherish for years to come and he is so proud of himself. Each time she plays with it he announces, “I got that for Kaitlyn’s birthday at the consignment store! Look how much she loves it!”

More Green Gifting Ideas: Make sure guests understand your values. Whether your family works hard to avoid toxic toys, batteries, or specific themes for play items, it’s ok to let your guests know it! After all, most people really want to choose gifts that the kids will love and play with. So don’t be afraid to share resources like HealthyStuff.org that will help them make safe buying decisions for your family and theirs. Another green gifting idea that will teach the kids a fun lesson at the same time: ask guests to pool money toward a single gift rather than buying lots of individual gifts, and use a service like ECHOage to manage the monetary gifts: returning half of the money to your child to purchase a gift of their choice and donating the other half to a charity they help select, like Healthy Child Healthy World or Autism Speaks. And if you’re up for something a bit different that’s really catching on: try Swap.com (this is also a great resource for finding local costume swaps at Halloween! See post: Green Your Halloween: National Costume Swap Day is October 8, 2011)
Eco-friendly decorating ideas: Skip the paper invitations; send personal emails, set up a Facebook event, use an online invitation site like Evite.com or pick up the phone and let people know when/where to show up. For decoration: rent, borrow or buy items you can re-use year-after-year. Really want a specific theme? Get one without having to throw it all away at the end of the party with eco-friendly and eco-nomical Birthday Kits for Kids!
Greener gift wrapping ideas: Make a homemade card instead of buying a new one, wrap gifts in blank newsprint and let your kids decorate the package, re-use gift bags you’ve previously received, or if you absolutely must spend the dollars for gift wrapping, look for a re-usable basket or storage cube rather than spending money on paper that is going straight into the trash.

4) Limit tableware and make it re-usable or compostable. Serving healthy finger foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, and opting for cupcakes instead of slices of cake makes it easy to eliminate the need for silver (or plastic) ware. We have also found that if we simply don’t put napkins out, then people (even kids) make their way to the sink to wash sticky fingers.

5) Have some fun! Whether you have a big yard for kids to run around in or a small apartment that is perfect for a treasure hunt, use what you have and make it fun! I know this is an extreme example (just for the record, we don’t normally “entertain” kids at birthday parties…we just play outside in the backyard)…but earlier this summer, my husband and I attended a benefit auction to support Washington Toxics Coalition's important work. We felt strongly about supporting this organization and bought a gift certificate from “the bubble guy” to support the auction. Rather than forgetting about it in a drawer, we decided to use for Kaitlyn’s birthday. Even though our party was small and on a gloomy day in our front yard, the bubble guy helped make it loads of fun by teaching the kids (and parents) about protecting the environment, while making bubbles out of everything from fly-swatters to musical instruments to those rings that you find on 6-packs of soda, all tied together. The kids were enchanted and the squeals of laughter from the kids drew passing cars and neighbors to stop and enjoy the moment.

Related articles:

Green Your Halloween: National Costume Swap Day is October 8, 2011! (greenkidsguide.com)
Eco Games for Gala Green Birthdays (celebrategreen.net)
Play Up Your Child’s Imagination and Creativity with a “no battery” birthday (GreenGiftsGuide.com)
When a Birthday Bash Becomes a Toxicology Class (HealthyChild.org)
30 Ways to Get Your Kid to Play Outside (TheDailyGreen.com)

Ready for more? This was just one submission we received for this week’s Blog of the Week (a series where we feature posts from the Healthy Child blogger network). Here are other posts on this topic:

It’s My Party and I’ll Give What I Want To, by Paige of Spit That Out the Book
A Teddy Bear Picnic Eco-Friendly Birthday, by Brenna of Almost All the Truth
Sustainable Birthday Parties, by Tovah of Thrifty & Green
10 Green and Natural Gifts for a One Year Old, by Charise of I Thought I Knew Mama
5 Eco Friendly Goody Bag Options, by Lori of Groovy Green Livin
A Light Green Birthday, by Micaela of Mindful Momma
10 Ideas for a Greener Celebration, by Betsy of Eco-Novice

Great submissions everyone! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and advice! Interested in being a part of this program? Sign-up here!

What are your tips for having a green & healthy birthday or baby shower?

Giveaway[CLOSED]: Congratulations Stefanie! You are our randomly selected winner! Stefanie's comment was "Some tips I have for a great baby shower or birthday party is to serve organic foods that are not only healthy, but also delicious for kids and adults. For baby showers I like to have a clothes swap so all the moms can recycle their old kids clothes by giving them to the new mom. For green activities for kids, I use face paints that are nontoxic and party supplies from recycled materials. My favorite treats to serve are to make a sundae bar so everyone can personalize their own dessert, or serve cake in ice cream cones which are great tasting and easy for kids to eat." THANKS everyone! Your added tips are a great addition to this post!

Answer this question in the comments by Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 11:59PM for a chance to win one three-month subscription to Citrus Lane. Valued at $75, the subscription includes a monthly box filled with innovative and essential baby products, all tailored to the age of your child. The products selected are always healthy, natural and made of the highest quality materials, while solving a parent's everyday conundrums. And there’s no paid placement, so only the best is in the box. Each box has a retail value of approximately $40, and you can start at any age between newborn and 18 months. If you love surprises and love receiving mail, you will love these boxes!

For an extra chance to win, sign up for our newsletter and leave a comment saying you did so! We will pick a winner and announce it here on Wednesday, September 28, 2011.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of Healthy Child Healthy World.

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Posted by Jennifer on 09/27/2011 at 09:07 PM

We are attending a birthday party this weekend. She is turning 3 and the invite requested no gifts but if people feel they need to bring something, they have been invited to bring a wrapped book. Each kid who brought a book will take one of the others. I thought this was a great idea!

Posted by Jessica on 09/27/2011 at 02:21 PM

I subscribe to the newsletter!

Posted by sarah brushaber on 09/27/2011 at 01:34 PM

I get your newsletter and love it!!! thx

Posted by Jillian on 09/27/2011 at 01:19 PM

We don’t serve meat (better for environment) and use cloth napkins.

Posted by Maddeline on 09/27/2011 at 12:40 PM

Signed up for your newsletter!

Posted by Maddeline on 09/27/2011 at 12:36 PM

Our first child is on the way and we are very into the living green. We reuse a lot of stuff for decorations. A glass jar from sauce, jam, ect. Add some flowers, utensils or coloring supplies tie a ribbon from a present you got before around the jar and you have a cute container. The box from dried goods can be broken down and the inside used for cards, wrapping, drawing, sniffed up as a placemat. Or left as a box and you stick the gift inside intend of buying a gift box. Fabric scraps can be turned into flowers with a little hand sewing, or in a bow, or tied in bunches on a string as a streamer. Cuttings from the yard to decorate the table, you can strip fallen branches of leaves and paint them or leave them as they are in a jar. This is one my Mama taught me; old bills, junk mail, scrap papers in general painted and cut into long strips and woven basket style into a placemat. You can also take finished woven piece and use it to make a runner, decorate a jar, wrap presents, as a backdrop for a homemade invite. So many uses. Just look around and keep an open mind you can turn just about anything into something fabulous with a little creativity, elbow grease, and time.

Posted by Danga Rach on 09/27/2011 at 11:55 AM

newsletter =)

Posted by sharon on 09/27/2011 at 11:15 AM

reusable plates cups etc, use email or evites instead of paper invitations..
I think less is more, smaller amount of kids, less presents, less waste, not so much money..the idea is to celebrate the child’s bday not to top the last party one attended…

Posted by Claire Moshenberg on 09/27/2011 at 10:24 AM

For a baby shower, if you’re buying baby bedding as a gift, make sure you avoid flame retardants by choosing textiles made from polyester, down, wool (also a naturally flame retardant fabric), or cotton. For more tips, check out my blog on MomsRising.org on how to create a green baby registry:
http://www.momsrising.org/blog/tips-tuesday-how-to-make-a-green-baby-registry/

Posted by Heather Brandt on 09/27/2011 at 10:21 AM

Send party invitations electronicially/ by email instead of snail mail.

Posted by LaraSort on 09/27/2011 at 06:53 AM

When looking for toys or party favors consider where it’s made and it’s long term use. the bag of 12 cheap toys may get you far as far as party bags but why not give one useful toy that will last a long time than 6 pieces of flimsy plastic that will be thrown out within the week.

Posted by Jenny Wojcik on 09/26/2011 at 04:49 PM

One way I like to decorate is to create my own decorations. Every year my children want some specific theme so I just create my own theme related decor, much of it that can be reused often. By doing this I use what I have and I can recycle what I don’t need when I’m done. Many of the decorations end up on the kids walls as wall art. I don’t have to worry about wasting money on centerpieces, banners, posters, etc. that will just get tossed.
I’m currently throwing a baby shower and it is so fun and easy to find ideas to make an adorable theme just using what I have. Colorful craft paper cut into triangles and strung on twine or ribbon are adorable, easy and I will be able to reuse them for my daughter’s birthday because the colors are similar!
For food I just stick with what I know. I don’t try to cater to the people coming, I just keep the food simple and a nice variety. For the baby shower I’m doing a simple brunch theme that much can be pre-made and I can make it all using the healthy ingredients I have on hand! We’ll eat this all on china plates that I’ve scavenged from resale shops. They are beautiful and reusable. I just wash them and use them for the next party I do. They make a beautiful statement when you want something simple and elegant.

Posted by Cindy on 09/26/2011 at 09:19 AM

My daughter is now 5 and we have used the same “happy birthday” decorations every year. I have a supply of washable dishes and silverwear that we break out for parties and forego paperware. We always provide recycling bins for any throw away items, too. When we shop for others or using b-day money she received, we shop at a local thrift store and at a kids’ consignment store to find “like new” items to recycle. We also save any gift bags and wrapping paper to reuse when we get invited to parties! We make our own cards to go with them!

Posted by dina on 09/26/2011 at 06:06 AM

We just had my daughter’s 9th birthday. I usually try to steer them toward cupcakes but my daughter insisted on a cake this year. We did hot dogs(not that healthy, but) and I put out trays with fresh fruit and veggies which were a huge hit. My kids have stuck to the same themes for the past few years so I’ve been able to get some decorations that I can reuse year after year. The biggest thing I do is I always stress gifts optional. Family members always go a little overboard, so they don’t miss out on gifts and I’m really fortunate that even at 9 and 6 my kids are more excited about having their friends with them to celebrate than what they might be unwrapping that day.

Posted by Cinella Reyes on 09/26/2011 at 05:20 AM

I subscribe & love ur newsletter!

Posted by Ellen Gale on 09/26/2011 at 03:54 AM

I signed up for the newsletter too!

Posted by Ellen Gale on 09/26/2011 at 03:53 AM

I make the food and use as much local and organic food as possible. I let my guests know that too! It’s my way of spreading the word about eating healthier and helping the planet! We also use as much of our own silverware, glassware and plates. I try to save wrapping paper and gift bags for future birthdays. Anything disposable goes in the recycle bin.

Posted by Misty on 09/25/2011 at 08:53 PM

I already subscribe to your newsletter, thank you!

Birthday farm party: My hubby is going to make stick horses for each of the kids!-from left over wood scraps. We are putting hay out to rake up-as if cleaning stalls; new wood and magnet games will be out to play with, and are also a gift to our son; They will be digging in dried corn and beans; also setting up reading corner of farm/animal books from my son’s bookshelf and library; got costumes at a consignment sale to dress up like a horse and cow…there’s more, but I don’t want to go on and on.

Posted by Marlena U. on 09/25/2011 at 05:52 PM

signed up for your newsletter

Posted by Marlena U. on 09/25/2011 at 05:50 PM

I have a friend who requested that all of her baby gifts come from consignment stores. She wanted gently used items rather than brand new ones. It was amazing to see what good deals people found!

Posted by Delia on 09/25/2011 at 02:35 PM

We use reusable plates, cups and napkins. To save money, we keep it low key and the children have fun playing. I don’t give out goodie bags, but instead we incorporate a craft activity that they can make while they are here and take home with them. I find my craft supplies and sometimes kits at consignment and thrift stores. This past birthday my daughter asked for donations for the Samaritan Purse Christmas boxes instead of gifts for herself. It is a great way to share with others with more needs and be a blessing without adding more stuff to our home. Instead we add lots of love!

Posted by Erin on 09/25/2011 at 08:06 AM

Green Tip: Something that people rarely think of but when I had my son’s first birthday party we had it at a hall and we made two important decisions as soon as we arrived. 1st- turn off the AC. Guests were in and out all day and so we would have been cooling the outdoors. 2nd- get a recycling bin! halls and other rental facilities rarely have one out and we saved tons of bottles and plastic cups from a landfill! Also if you are planning having beer, try getting a keg- the container is reusable and often cheaper! And get big wine bottles- again it’ll save waste and money. Happy Partying Everyone!

Posted by Jen Branham on 09/25/2011 at 06:39 AM

I wrap gifts in reusable bags instead of paper or plastic and I look for toys and games that are made out of recycled materials - lately we have purchased gift certificates for a local arts and crafts studio for birthday parties - the parents are thrilled to have an experience for their child’s present instead of another toy to add to the pile

Posted by MamaK on 09/25/2011 at 04:46 AM

I have thrown a lot of parties in recent years! I would say that making your own food is one way to control both the packaging used and the ingredients. I just had a joint party for my sons. I made the cake myself. Not only did it taste great (blueberry muffin cake w/ cream cheese frosting) but it had no food dyes or chemicals in it. We also served fruit, raw veggies and made cheese quesadillas.
I have been slowly collecting re-usable plates and silverware for party purposes too.

Posted by Jocelyn on 09/25/2011 at 03:39 AM

Wrap gifts in an article of organic clothing that can then be passed along to a friend of the child’s choosing. Saves on the waste and encourages the concept of sharing. We also, as someone else mentioned, always choose before a birthday or holiday, to choose a selection of gifts and clothes to give to others. Frees up space and encourages the kids to think about others. We find it works even better when they have a specific child in mind—makes it more personal and thoughtful.

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