Celebrating your child’s birthday is fun, but what can you do to make it environmentally friendly? All those plastic cups and balloons are not good for the environment. Besides, a sustainable party benefits the environment and your bank account as well! Here are some tips to help you out!

Focus on Materials

Many party goods can only be used once, which is in fact, terrible since it involves more plastic and waste. If you don’t want that anymore, it’s better to opt for things that can be reused.

A few examples:

• Garlands can be bought in fabric variations, or of course, it’s nice and fun to crochet your own!
• No more disposables because we just wash the dishes after dinner!
• Balloons are no longer used. Make fun accessories to hang or buy some.
• Don’t want to be without balloons? Then buy biodegradable ones.
• Use oranges, berries, apples, or other seasonal fruits as decorations and then have the children eat them afterwards.
• Find beautiful pieces of wood or moss with the children to create a natural decoration.
• Large eucalyptus leaves and branches are great for placing in or around large pots to create a natural look.

Recycled Variants

Are you really scared of the extra plates you have? Or would you prefer balloons, etc. as mentioned above? There are also a variety of recycled and biodegradable products. This can be an excellent outcome. You may still be creating a mountain of waste but without overwhelming the environment. Of course, you can then recycle it yourself.

DIY

Whether it’s a family or a children’s group, they like good food. Now, of course, you can just buy a cake from a cake shop, but you also have the option of making your own delicious children’s cake. That way, at least you know what’s in it (you can quickly choose an honest and pure product), and you save money. Omit packaging and bags as much as possible. Not only is it less wasteful, but it’s also healthier.

Sustainable Bags

Consider paper bags for handing out at the end of the party, rather than regular plastic bags. Do something that does not require driving “hours” in advance. Celebrate at home or in the neighborhood so that you can walk (or bike with older children).

Now we should, of course, be responsible but not without fun! Another idea is to ask your kids if they would like the birthday party itself to be on the theme of the environment. It is educational and, most importantly, fun.

What Else Can You Do?

Create quizzes on sustainability and other environmental issues. Conduct a treasure hunt through the village/town to collect trash. Then, turn this trash into a work of art together. Look for good artwork that is both fun for the children while keeping in with the theme.

You can come up with a fun promotion with the kids (and make it happen), compete to see who can come up with the best action, or raise the most money that afternoon for WWF, Greenpeace, or whatever else they are interested in. Of course, all of this comes with goodies and drinks and lots of fun.

Environmentally Conscious Gifts

Making conscious choices when it comes to gift-giving is not that difficult. First, make sure everyone knows what the children want and make sure there are no duplicates, thus avoiding too much unnecessary baggage. And, of course, choose the suitable materials. There are many unnecessary plastic toys, and a little less packaging would be nice. We can at least collect the plastic neatly and have it recycled. Let’s not let it go anywhere! You can also use recycled paper if you want to wrap the gifts.