ecobites.com

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

What games / activities are right for my party? 

You can adapt a traditional party game so that it works with your theme.

Party Theme:

Ocean Party

Visit the Aquarium: Arrange to take partygoers to the local aquarium. Have the children bring along dive log fish stickers, and a piece of sturdy paper. Challenge them to find live examples of the fish on the stickers. Invite them to place on the paper each sticker of the fish they see and record other observations. (1.5-2 hours; all ages)

Clean the Beach: Make arrangements to have a beach cleaning party at a nearby beach. Provide partygoers with bags and gloves. Give prizes to the Eco kids who collect the most garbage. You can arrange a scavenger hunt at the same time. While children are cleaning, they can look for items (moon clam shell,crab print, etc.) listed on a card and check them off when they see them. (1-2 hours; older eco kids)

S.O.S.: Save Our Seas: Compile an action list of things to do to help the oceans. Get partygoers to work in small groups. Each group can choose one of the ideas on the list to illustrate in a poster. Provide large poster board, coloured pencils, coloured paper, scissors, and eco-friendly glue. Have Eco kids share their posters and talk about what steps they can take to help ocean life. You might arrange to exhibit the posters at a local eco business. (1 hour; older eco kids)

Ocean Adventure: Live near the coast? Take the children to the ocean and explain about the ocean life and tides.Buy some sea shells for the goodie bags.

Artist Party

Visit an Art Museum: Arrange to take your group of partygoers to a local art museum. Find out in advance about kid-friendly exhibits to see and interactive art projects. (1-2 hours; all ages)

Colour Their World: Tie-dye organic cotton T-shirts with natural dyes.

Make a Mood Mural: A mood mural is a large piece of art showing different kinds of feelings or moods. Ask partygoers to help you make a list of different moods (silly, happy, angry, excited, etc.), then have them work individually or in pairs, each selecting a mood to draw together on large mural paper. Provide eco friendly markers, paints and brushes, or collage materials like construction paper, old magazines, and stickers etc.Take digital photos of the finished mural for each child to take home. (1 hour; all ages)

Finger Paintin’ Fun: Use eco friendly paints and recycled paper to let the children create their own masterpieces. The children can take these home as favours or you could hang them up in your child’s room.

The Perfect Birthday: Ask partygoers each to select a medium (painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, photography, etc.) and provide them with the appropriate materials. Then challenge the children each to create a piece of art called The Perfect Birthday. Encourage experimentation, free-thinking, and wide interpretation of the theme. When everyone is done, put on an art exhibit of the finished works. (1 hour; older eco children)

Mini Van-Goghs: Take children to the local art museum or art garden. After the visit, have the children make their own art sculptures from recyclable objects.

Music Party

Listen to the Music: Arrange to take partygoers to a musical performance appropriate for children, or have performers come to your home to play. You might organize a musical scavenger hunt for the performance. Give Eco kids a card with things to listen for (such as a a soprano voice, a string plucking, a bell ringing, high hat, etc.) and have them check off the items as they hear them. (1-2 hours; all ages)

Move to the Music: Different kinds of music make us feel like moving in different ways. Play a range of music (fast and slow, soft and loud, dramatic and playful, sad and happy, etc.) and ask children to use their bodies to match the mood of the music. Encourage experimentation and innovation. (0.5 hour; younger kids)

Musical Masters: Teach the Eco kids how to play the cowbell, triangle, among other more simple instruments. Play along to some of the childrens favourite songs.

Eco Kids Got Talent Quest: Have children create a talent—whether it’s singing, dancing, yodeling, etc. Have them make their own awards out of recyclable materials.

Nature Party

Out in the Field: Take a tour of an organic farm, a dairy farm or an orchard.(all ages)

Plant a Tree: At a nursery, purchase a tree native to your area that will provide habitat for a range of animals. Ask for planting instructions. Plant the tree in your yard or arrange with the park district to plant the tree in a local park.Have partygoers help dig the hole and place and water the tree.Children can also plant tree seeds at home or as part of a large-scale tree-planting effort during the party.

How Their Garden Grows: Provide seeds, pots and soil, and have children plant their own flowers, herbs or veggies. For treats, make fruit flowers and healthy “dirt pots” (deep bowls or pots filled with layers of yoghurt, fruit and cookie crumbs)

Take a Hike: Take your group for a hike in the woods at a forest preserve or park. Find out in advance about trails and choose one appropriate for children. Provide children with a park service list of flora and fauna to look for and have them check off species as they go. Explain that good hikers walk quietly, never disturb wildlife, and leave nothing behind. (1 hour; all ages)

Make Like a Tree: Together create a forest ecosystem skit. Each child can play a different member of the forest (tree, bird,fern,and so on). Have children act out what happens when a tree is cut down, when there is a fire or drought, and when new trees are planted. (0.5 hour; younger kids)

Follow the Track: Provide partygoers with animal track images as models for making tracks out of construction paper and also pens and scissors. Each child should then use his or her paper tracks to make an animal trail aand leave written clues about the type of animal that made the tracks. Children can take turns following each other's trails and trying to identify each type of animal. (1 hour; older eco kids)

Trail Party: Organize a trail upkeep party with your local park service or park district. Alternatively, host an ivy pull. Provide partygoers with tools and together work on a section of forest. Make sure partygoers understand what effects their work will have. When they're done have a picnic in one of the park's picnic areas. (1-2 hours; older eco kids)

Eco-Adventure: Create a rainforest scene, have everyone dress up as their favourite African animal (you can even make masks at the party) and watch Tarzan. Adopt an animal from the National Zoo (about $50) and look through the adoption photos and materials with the children.

Backyard Eco-camping / Star-Gazing Start the party at dusk. Set up tents in the backyard, tell spooky stories, gaze at the stars and identify constellations. For treats, have children make their own organic trail mix. Older children can have a sleepover in the tents.

Bird Brain Party

Go Bird Watching: Contact a local birding organization to arrange for a guided bird watching outing. Ask for a checklist of the birds you are likely to see and give each partygoer a copy. Have children check off the birds they see. (1-2 hours; older eco kids)

Be a Bird Sleuth: Take a walk in your neighbourhood or local park. Tell the children to be bird sleuths and use their bird brains to look for evidence of birdlife (sightings, calls, sounds of movement, nests, etc.). Have them walk quietly in small groups and take notes to share later. (0.5 hour; all ages)

Bird Sanctuary: Have partygoers help you build a bird sanctuary in your yard on a balcony or porch, or at school. Provide a large pot drainage saucer and a large pot. Put the saucer on top of the overturned pot and you have a birdbath for Eco kids to paint and decorate with mosaic tiles. Some partygoers can make suet out of fat and black oil sunflower seeds and fill up plastic cups with the mixture when it is still warm. The cups can be hung from tree branches. Others can make a ground feeder for black oil sunflower seeds out of a pre-cut wood frame and screen netting from a local hardware store. You might make a poster showing the six points of the  Audubon healthy yard pleadge.

1.Reduce pesticide use

2.Conserve water

3.Protect water quality

4.Remove invasive exotic plants

5.Plant native species

6.Support birds and other wildlife on my property (1 hour older eco kids)

Eco Kids in the Kitchen:  teach children how to prepare a healthy dish that they can eat at the party or take with them as party favours.(all ages)
  

Japanese Tea Party: Hold a Japanese tea ceremony and teach children how to roll fruit and veggie sushi.

Spa Divas: Girls can get makeovers with natural organic makeup, then top off their looks with manicures and pedicures using nontoxic nail polish. (older eco-girls)

“Come As You Are” Party: Surprise your guests with an early-morning pickup while they are still in their PJ's (only parents will know the start time). Serve a healthy breakfast, putting candles in healthy muffins instead of cake.

Bookworms: Have each child bring a new or gently used book for a book exchange. Then have everyone sit in a circle and contribute to making up a story. Write their tale down on recycled paper, and let the children decorate with green / eco paints, beeswax crayons and markers.
 
Support the Community: Call the local fire or police station and ask for a tour. Perhaps in lieu of gifts, the families could donate money to the station.

Birthday Olympics: Set up a series of fun activities including relay races, jump rope and kickball. For treats, hand out organic cookie “medals” or organic fruit bars for Eco kids.

Around the World: Make the party internationally themed. Each child could represent a different country.

Calling all Super Kids: Let each child create their own Eco Super Hero. Let them make pieces of their costumes with old clothes.

The Big Dipper: Heat up a range of bee waxes and have Eco kids dip their own candles. (older eco kids)

Fashionistas: Take old clothing apart and create new ones; works especially well with T-shirts.

The Mystery Escapade: Stage a scavenger hunt at a local park.  

Shining Star: Let the Eco kids dress up as their favourite eco conscience celeb. Check out www.ecorazzi.co for the greenest Hollywood stars. Perhaps have children write emails (cut down on paper) to their celebrity and attach their dress-up photos. (older eco kids)

Bowling for Dollars: Take Eco kids bowling, set up teams and the winning teams get money to donate to a favourite local kids charity or children’s hospital. (older eco kids)

Who-Dun-it: Set up a mystery party (Clue-like)...only the theme is to find the person who didn’t recycle or who wasn’t eating healthy. Provide hints and costumes for the characters. (older eco-kids)

Eco-crafting: show children how to make eco-crafts out of things lying around the house. As part of the invitation ask them to bring some things that you need for the crafts. They’ll be surprised to see what you make of them!

Muscular Dystrophy Carnival: Have a carnival for the neighbourhood and raise money for muscular dystrophy. Get your friends involved in the planning and celebrate your birthday with a fun carnival that helps others! For more details, visit www.mdacarnivals.com.

Scrapbooking: Share memories and make new ones. Create scrapbooks from supermarket brown bags. Hole punch the bags and tie with ribbon. In the invitation ask children to bring some of their favourite photos. As a favour, give each child a box camera to take photos throughout the party for their scrapbook.

Mexican Fiesta: Have children make their own burritos with healthy beans, salsa, brown rice / millet/ quinoa / buckwheat, guacamole and organic cheese. In advance, make a pull string piñata with the birthday boy or girl; it’s a great way to reuse old newspaper. Fill the piñata with healthy snacks.

Picnic Power: Take children on a picnic. Have them make their own organic sandwiches and help pack the picnic basket. Take a few blankets and spread them out in your backyard or at a park. Talk about nature, go on a scavenger hunt and collect items from nature. Tell stories and sing songs.

If none of these ideas spring out at you, brainstorm with your child. Their ideas may surprise you.

Next, you need to consider your party space and whether you'll need to play indoors. We recommend that you select games and actiivities that can be played indoors and outdoors or have a few easy games planned in case there is a weather change.

For the younger children, party games are not required, just take some time in preparing the party playroom / outdoors area. A cubby made from sheets draped over table / chairs, a few different stations set up - tea set on a table, dolls corner, kitchen, dress-ups,gumnuts,pinecones,shells, play cloths, river stones in a washing bowl with a wooden nail brush and cloth, beaters,watering cans if outside, found items from the garden etc. for creative play and a cooking activity is lots of fun and great as the birthday favour. For a simple fun party - get a collection of used cardorad boxes and let the children create and have fun. A digger party is fun and easy for younger children - put a tarp and add sand and items to create - request children where digging clothes.

Bubbles 3+

What you need: biodegradable detergent, water, a little glycerine or coconut oil, bubble-makers such as straws, funnels, wire, pipe-cleaners.What to do: Let the children help you make up the bubble mixture. Now give them a variety of materials, to make great bubbles. Have the camera handy to record some of the beautiful bubbles they will make.


Tips for Birthday Party Games

    Select Appropriate Games
    Some games will be a hit and others will be a 
    "dud". When appropriate, ask your child to participate in 
    the party game planning. If they think it's a fun game...
    their friends probably will too. Consider your party space 
    and the age group of the children.

   Be Flexible
   If you sense that a party game is not going well,
   let it go and move on to the next activity. 
   Or, make a quick adaptation to an existing game.
   If your party games are dependant on the weather...
   be prepared to take the party indoors if necessary.

   Be Prepared
   Have all games set up and ready to go before the party.
   Make sure you understand how the games are played.

   Everyone is a Winner
   Parties are a time to have fun. We always suggest that all
   participants receive a prize or none at all. Especially when
   entertaining very young children who don't have a grasp
   on good sportsmanship. Consider playing most, if not all
   games without prizes but everyone gets a prize or sticker, stamp.
   Then when all of the games are complete, everyone is a winner.

Some popular party activities - washing clothes, small wooden pegs and a made rope washing line -sing "Wet, wet washing hanging on the line, When the weather's fine. Along comes the wind and blows it all around. Flip-flap, flip-flap, When the weather's fine."

Cooking - gingerbread men or star shapes etc are great for birthday favours, remember to have a bucket to wash the hands. Read or tell the story of the Gingerbread Man.

Organic apple bobbing.

paper-bag kites - a great acitivity if you plan your party at a park - help the children decorate their paper bags, make sure their bright and colourful, attach some crepe-paper strips with a stapler or some sticky tape to the closed ends of the paper bags. These are the tails of the kite. On one side of the open ends of the bag place some masking tape for reinforcement, and then punch a hole in the masking tape. Thread some string or wool through the hole to complete each kite.

Sand pits - are great for machine parties / for cooking - add pots and pans, spoons etc.

Treasure hunt  / Blind man's buff /

Garden obstacle course (get the party child to help set up the course using eg crawl under some garden chairs, jump ten times on the rebounder, jump through three or four tyres or hoops, jump over the broom, walk along the rope, crawl up a plank balanced on a very strong box,run around a tree, hop through the rungs of a ladder laid flat on the ground, walk sideways back to the start) these games are as endless as your iminagination) 3+

Happy Green Birthday!