ecobites.com

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

BIRTHDAY PARTY PLANNING BASICS

Plan a special birthday trip to an organic farm - what a great gift for the children to see a goat / cow being milked and to collect eggs and then know where the egg comes from - not out of a carton!

Plan a party at a local park / beach / nature walk .... have a back up plan if the weather turns, as you don't want to disappoint children.

Children remember what they did at a party, much more than what they  
ate, what the plates and napkins looked like or whether the house was 
spotless. Don't sweat the little details!

The best party times are......1:00 - 3:00 or 2:00 - 4:00

You won't need to serve a meal but a few healthy organic finger foods are advised.

For little ones try 10:00am -11:30 to work around nap time.

 

INVITATIONS

The Invitation Equation:

Child's age + 1 = happy kids

Parties for very young children, more often than not will include family members; cousins, siblings etc.
As your child gets older, invite only your child's closest playmates.
They already know each other well which makes the party so much more fun! Think about friends from playgroup, school, Sunday school, special relatives and neighbours.

It's not mandatory that you invite the siblings of your child's friends, or even parents (unless children are very young). Most parents enjoy the break and you won't feel so much pressure to entertain adults.

I don't want to leave anyone out!
This is a common dilemma, especially when your children 
begin to attend school. Try to be discreet by mailing / emailing the  invitations. Speak with the teacher about coming in for a 
brief and simple class party with an organic no added sugar muffin / healthy treat for each child, then the teacher does'nt have to worry about cutting a cake. Donate something use ful and eco-friendly for the class or start a donation program for a local kids charity / adopt an animal etc.

WIN or LOSE PARTY GAMES
No one should go home a loser! 
Competitive games are enjoyable only for the people who win. A party should be fun...Avoid tears by selecting games where everyone gets a chance to succeed. For example, if it's a game like musical chairs, when a player is called "out", assign that player the task of playing the music.
After one round, that player will rejoin the group. Better yet, plan a few cooperative games, in which the whole gang faces a challenge, such as following a treasure map, then they each receive a prize or split 
the treasure evenly.

Be Prepared!!!
Try setting up your party in activity stations to lead the children in the direction of the party focus. The stations need not be fancy or expensive. The birthday child can pick what they want to do i.e. blocks at one station, dollhouse at another, shop with gumnuts, shells, boxes at another / cooking station / decorate brown paper bags to use as party favours. 
You should not need more than four stations. Prepare ALL of the activities, games etc. before the party. This enables you to focus on the kids when the party begins.

Ask a friend , family member or neighbour to help with the party. It's likely you have a neighbourhood teenager who would love to help, especially if donating to your child's favourite charity / eco cause.

Party Favours
In choosing party favours, it's better to spend more creativity than money.
Give a wonderful thank you item/items that reflects the party theme;
a flower pot and seeds for a garden party, modeling clay for an art party. Use antique bandannas or napkins as the bag and fill them with wooden toys (rubberwood is excellent), or a keepsake charm or a small book. 
You can even send the kids home with a treasure they've made during the party. The birthday child may hand out the favours. This will remind her to say "thank you".

Have an Eco-Birthday Party
 Inspired by Emily, Age 8,  Mystic, Connecticut, USA