Last month, I wrote about my son’s impending first birthday.  For those that read the blog, you will recall my trepidation about stepping out and throwing an earth friendly kids birthday party and still being considered a cool Mom.

Well the bash happened on July 18th, and I am proud to report that we did not sacrifice our eco-values in order to score top points for originality and fun.   Just check-out our little cowboy!

As expected, eco-friendly options did not stack the shelves at our local party supply store. However, rather than succumb to the pressure to follow suit, or to fall victim to the lure of convenience, I stuck to my guns.  I did not purchase the newest trend in themed table cloths, sesame street napkins, sponge bob hats or backyardagin plates, despite how cute.   Instead, as vowed, I opted for originality and came up with the little cowboy theme which allowed me to stay true to my mission to throw an earth friendly kids birthday party.

Here are 7 ideas that I put into play to help give my son an earth friendly kids birthday party that he will appreciate one day:

1. All supplies were purchased from locate stores in an effort to avoid excess carbon emissions from unnecessary travel.   Also, on the day of the party, last minute pick-ups were dived up among guests attending, who were all eager to help.  For instance, the cupcakes were delivered to my sister-law`s place of work, instead of me having to pick them up on the day of the party.  Food from a local restaurant was picked-up by a friend who lived minutes away from the location, and ice was purchased by my brother who had to pass the gas station on the way regardless.   Now, although, it may not appear to be significant, these trips alone saved us at least one full hour of driving, which in turn saved us on gas and carbon emissions.
2. Loot bags were eliminated entirely.  Instead, I purchased adorable material bandanas and straw cowboy hats that the children could wear during the party, and bring home for play-time afterwards.   Also, instead of the typical party toys and favours, I opted for side-walk chalk, bubbles and balls that the children could play with in the yard.  Not only did the children have a blast, the little cowboys and cowgirls made memorable photos.
3. In terms of the gifts, there was only one gift wrapped present (obviously they did not get the memo!), which was a huge improvement from parties in the past.   Instead, most of my guests complied with my request and reused previously owned gift bags.
4. Traditional invitations were not sent and instead guests were notified verbally over the telephone or via e-mail.    Not only is this much more earth friendly, but it helped to save money normally spent on paper and stamps.
5. I am proud to report that all plates, utensils and cups were washed instead of tossed.  Yes, this does mean that I passed on all disposables.  In fact, I purchased glass plates, marked down in the clearance section of my local Home Sense (for $2.00) which will be re-used over and over again.  Also, instead of paper cups, I re-used mason jars that I keep around the house for preserves.  The mason jars were filled with lemonade (or a spiked ice-tea for the adults) and garnished with fruit wedges and a straw.   Utensils, tablecloths and napkins were collaboration of old, new, and borrowed, which added a touch of whimsy.Now, for all those cringing at the thought of clean-up, you can rest assured when I tell you that the clean-up was a breeze.  In fact, the clean-up took no more time than it would have if I used disposables.   My guests graciously walked dishes into the kitchen after dinner and put food scraps into the designated compost container while I quickly washed up.   Whether it was the extra hands, or the lack of paper garbage, the clean-up could not have been simpler.
6. Lastly, for all those fearful of taking the leap away from supplying bottled water to guests, you will be pleased to know that a pitcher of filtered water worked much better than supplying individual bottles of water, and not one person complained.    In fact, not only did this eliminate mounds of plastic bottles that would normally be tossed out after-warded,  the pitchers allowed guests to help themselves to how much, or how little, water they wanted without restriction.

Aside from being my sons very first birthday, which would have been perfect regardless of what we did, I have to say that streamlining the party to fall in line with our eco-beliefs made it even that much more special.  Less garbage translated to less work, and less work translated to  more time to enjoy what mattered most – good company, good food and good fun.

I believe that following any of these tips will help you create a memorable earth friendly kids birthday party for that special person in your life.

Cheers.

Tags: birthday party, carbon emissions, Earth Friendly, earth friendly kids, earth friendly kids party, eco friendly kids, eco-friendly party, planet forward, reusable bags