 |
|
|
Celebrate Green Features, March 2009Welcome to Celebrate GreenTM's feature ideas for March We’re happy to present the following material for you to use in whole or in part in blogs or magazine articles. Here's what you'll find in this email: Just a few guidelines: 1. If you use a portion of the article, as a courtesy, please include a link to www.CelebrateGreen.net somewhere in the body or at the end as we have done. 2. If you use the entire article, we'd appreciate it if you would include the following at the end: Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, available at www.CelebrateGreen.net 3. If you need more information, would like to interview us about an upcoming holiday or celebration, or would like to ask about custom material, please contact [email protected] or call 425-793-3590 (Pacific time). 4. If you have any suggestions for how to make this material more useful or have an aspect of a particular holiday or celebration you'd like us to write about, email [email protected] Thank you and enjoy! Lynn and Corey ü Great green ideas for children's birthday parties Celebrating an eco-friendly birthday can be loads of fun and cost next to nothing. All it takes is a little thought and planning. Once you and your child (assuming she's old enough), have chosen a theme, look at each aspect of the event: decor, food, activities and gifts, and ask yourself the following questions. (We're talking about children's birthdays here, but the same principles apply no matter the age of the honoree.) 1. Can I reuse or re-purpose items I already own for decor? Avoid purchasing paper goods like tablecloths, even napkins. If you're crafty, take a plain white sheet and color in animals, pirates, tea cups or whatever matches your theme, or visit a thrift store and see if they have some fabric that could be used. The most practical solution for napkins is washcloths. If you don't have enough, you can pick up a dozen for less than $10 in many discount stores. These can be used as every day napkins until they totally deteriorate at which time they transform nicely into dust rags. For table decorations, check your house, especially your child's room, assuming it's her party. Among her toys, we bet you can find enough items related to the party theme to create a unique tablescape. If she's old enough, she can set it up on her own. There's no need for conventional balloons which, unless disposed of properly, can be a threat to wildlife and also post a choking hazard to children. Instead, make a few pinatas with recycled paper and fill them with some healthy treats or treasures. 2. What can we eat that everyone will enjoy but that's healthier than the usual birthday fare? Avoid planning a full meal. Much of the food goes to waste as kids are notoriously picky or just too excited to eat. Instead, lay a table with a choice of healthier snacks (depending on children's ages), like raisins, peanut butter (be sure to ask parents beforehand whether their children are free of allergies), fruit, 100% fruit leathers, or organic "bars." Instead of juice or soda, put out pitchers of cold filtered water, homemade lemonade, or if it's a winter birthday, how about making real organic hot chocolate? When it comes to the cake, save money and create something healthier by making one yourself. It's not that difficult or time consuming. If you have a small group, donning chef hats and making the cake can be a fun part of the celebration. Another option for do-it-yourself fun is cookie baking and decorating. Individually decorated cookies make great no-waste party favors. Be sure to set out a container for composting leftovers. 3. Do we really have to haul the gang to an amusement park, restaurant or skating rink to enjoy a memorable party? The answer is absolutely not! Think about what your kids love doing daily. For instance, one four-year-old we know lives and breathes hide 'n seek. Why shouldn't her party involve several variations on the game? Not only can all the partygoers play, but how about hide 'n seek with some gifts, both for the birthday girl and the guests? Or why not hide and seek for objects instead of people? If your child loves animals, call your local 4H club and see if a teenager will bring a rabbit or other animal for the children to learn about and pet. We're betting that no matter what your child enjoys, he'll love integrating activities based on his passion into the party. Neither of ideas the above costs a penny. And remember that when you focus on the child instead of the event, magic can happen.
The birthday child isn't the only one who is showered with gifts, though. At many events, tiny guests return home laden with so many items, you'd think it was their birthday! Downsizing prizes and party favors is not difficult. Every game does not have to have a winner who is rewarded with a trinket. How about making a craft project the centerpiece of the party, with the children taking home what they make? Even better,donate the projects to a children's hospital. Birthday parties should be fun for everyone and there is no reason to create waste and shower anyone with carloads of stuff. Instead, aim to create a memorable event that focuses on simple pleasures. For more simply green children's birthday ideas, check out this post. ü Top eco-tips for kids' birthdays 1. Use e-vites or have your child make invitations from recycled materials. If she can walk or bike to her friends' homes to hand deliver, all the better. 2. Aim for a 100% zero waste party. Get the birthday child in on the idea from the beginning and plan with him how to make it happen. 3. Focus on games and activities that cost nothing, but that kids enjoy. Depending on the child's age, the party's location and time of year, these can include variations on old favorites like musical chairs, hide and seek, "olympic events," and a variety of races. For more ideas for birthdays and every holiday and celebration, visit www.CelebrateGreen.net ü Top picks for birthdays 1. Eco-friendly party supplies www.ecomyparty.myshopify.com 2. Home made eco-friendly stickers for little guests, instructions here. 3. A gift and a cause can make your child's birthday more meaningful at www.echoage.com For more ideas for birthdays and every holiday and celebration, visit www.CelebrateGreen.net ü Long lead time?
2. Decorate with natural materials, re-purposed items, anything but new and store bought unless they can be reused for a number of years. 3. Try a solar oven instead of traditional barbecue. These can be easy and fun to make and, assuming you've got sun that day, produce perfectly well cooked food. Kids especially love constructing an oven, then cooking on it. 4. Find or invent alternatives to traditional hand held fireworks, especially for children. Not only can these be dangerous if they explode incorrectly, but they also may contain chemicals that no one, especially children, should breathe. 5. Do not buy cartons of bottled water. There simply is no reason to do so and loads of reasons not to. Download this amusing label, print it out and glue to a glass pitcher filled with water from your tap. Your guests and Mother Earth will thank you. More ideas on greening up July 4th here or email [email protected] or call 425-793-3590. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, please click here. |
4. How do we take the focus off gifts? At the same time parents may decry our nation's emphasis on overconsumption, they equate a great birthday (or Christmas or Halloween for that matter), with giving and receiving lots of stuff. But more people are beginning to believe that children's birthday parties, especially the gift giving parts, 
1. You can have a barbecue without paper. Avoid purchasing paper plates and single use utensils. Opt for regular plates, cups and glasses. To make clean up easier, fill a tub with water and ask guests to place used dishes and utensils in it. Or have them load items directly into the dishwasher.