The children are our future. And if nature is ever going to stand a chance at survival it will be up to us to ensure that the next generation is all for sustainable living. People often ask how and where we should begin to teach children to appreciate nature and be sensitive towards her in their every action. Some sternly say it’s through education and I agree but education can be both in and out of the classroom. I say the best way to teach a child is to lead your life as an example. Show the how it is a way of life and they will follow seamlessly.
One way to create that impression both on your child and other families is to hold a green kids birthday party! It isn’t difficult, it won’t cost you anymore than hosting a conventional one and best of all you get to beam with pride as everyone young and old become amazed and at your ingenuity.
I know hosting can be a huge emotional burden for many but with a bit of planning, nothing is impossible and in this 2 part article I’m going to give you some pointers to make a simple yet effective green party.
Now everyone has their own approach but this is mine.
- 1. Decide on your budget
- 2. Determine the size of the party and the type of invites
- 3. Select the theme (I put this second because the size of the party can affect the effectiveness of a theme) and determine the props.
- 4. Decide the events (games, entertainment)
- 5. Decide on the menu for the edibles
- 6. Decide on the door gift/ souvenir
The budget
Working backwards is the easiest way to keep track of spending. Firmly decide how much you’re setting aside for this party and stick to it. It helps to keep an excel worksheet of the budgeted costs (never actually start buying till you balance this worksheet!), and formularise it to show when you’ve gone overboard. That way you can fine tune the spending by cutting down, substitution or simply reassigning the costs.
Size and Invites.
For a kids party, I really like to keep it small…not too small but I think 10 is a good number. Keeping it green and saving on cost, go for online e-invitation cards. You can design your own or personalise some ready- made ones and send them off to your child’s friends. Everyone has an email these days and no worries about invitations getting lost in the mail and no replies to RSVPs because in the age of IT, everything is possible. You can set to be notified when the invites are opened and you can always set up an RSVP Management site…all free if you use MyInvites! I love this site, it’s the best!
Continued next: Putting it all together…
