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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters opt for beeswax birthday candles instead of conventional, petroleum-based ones, we'll avert the weight of 4,000 birthday cakes in oil byproducts.
COCKTAIL FACT
The backup vocals to the Beatles song "Birthday" were performed by three of the band members' ladyloves: Patti Harrison, Linda McCartney, and Yoko Ono.
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home › tip library › Kids' Birthday Parties
You say it's your (kid's) birthday?
The Bite
It's our birthday too, yeah. OK, not really, but if it were, you can bet we'd throw an fun, eco-friendly bash.The Benefits
- Inspiring kids' imaginations. Creative eco-games and activities make for funner fiestas.
- Less post-party mess. You can party on, but the decorations don't have to: Mylar balloons take several hundred years to biodegrade; latex ones take about six months.
- Piece-of-cake, organic goodness. Serving pesticide-free eats is important, since kids' bodies are still developing and since they consume more than adults, relative to their body weight.
Personally Speaking
Jen's younger bro ruined (or, depending on who you ask, made) her early birthday parties by boogying across the lawn in his birthday suit.Wanna Try?
- Goodbaker Chocolate Cake & Cupcake Mix - rich, organic chocolate-cake mix that's vegan but tastes as good as the other stuff. Also: yummy instant, dairy-free chocolate frosting ($5).
- Big Dipper Wax Works Birthday Candles - natural or multi-colored beeswax candles that avoid the petroleum in conventional candles ($5/12 candles).
- Petit Artisan Party Bags - crafty, UK-made eco-party favor bags that might inspire some great ideas of your own (£2-£4/$4-$8).
- Party America and Party City - two chain-stores that offer latex balloons without plastic bags.
- Kiwi Magazine - 30 fun ideas for kids' theme parties.
- DIY Bite: For kids three years old or younger, ask parents to contribute to a good cause instead of bringing a gift, since your kid won't remember the presents anyway.
Oct 08,2007
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Balloon Ballyhoo
Loosing helium balloons to the skies, note or photo attached, is just plain fun. As long as there's not a clown involved, balloon animals are a riot. I can't get over the crazy lawn chair balloon guy.
Balloons are just delightful things...that is, until they deflate and make their way to the landfill.
Hope is on the way: We're keeping an eye on Ecovy Ltd., a UK-based company (what's with all the eco-party stuff coming from the land of tea and crumpets, anyway?) that's developing balloons that biodegrade faster than latex, including a paper-based version. While not currently available for general sale, the prototypes I have in my possession are promising.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to be delighted...
Balloons are just delightful things...that is, until they deflate and make their way to the landfill.
Hope is on the way: We're keeping an eye on Ecovy Ltd., a UK-based company (what's with all the eco-party stuff coming from the land of tea and crumpets, anyway?) that's developing balloons that biodegrade faster than latex, including a paper-based version. While not currently available for general sale, the prototypes I have in my possession are promising.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to be delighted...
Biter Comments...
After watching a large ballon release I did some research on balloons. The current latex balloons don't biodegrade in 6 months. They actually take 4 years to fully break down.
I have posted my brief research on my blog at http://mawalkingwolf.blogspot.com/2007/08/balloon-releases.html
Latex balloons may degrade faster, but they are extremely unsafe for small children, even up to age five. If bitten (believe me, this is totally compelling for kids), they can pop and be sucked into the child's throat, and they almost always cause suffocation at that point because it's impossible to expel them. Mylar balloons take forever to degrade, but they can be refilled with helium repeatedly, and when they lose the ability to hold air, you can cut them up to create wrapping paper. I try to be eco-friendly, but not to the point of endangering my kids.
Great comment! The obligatory goodie bags, usually full of pointless plastic stuff shipped from halfway around the world, need to go as well. Instead, give ice cream gift cards, fruit bars, homemade cookies, etc.
The number of children allergic to latex is increasing. I completely support creative thinking; however, make sure the kids coming to the party don't end up with localized, or worse, systemic reactions.
Hi: I agree that less is more and will be doing an 'unbirthday' for the both kids in 2008 - who needs 2 of everything, toys, goodie bags, etc. that proliferate the 'burban outdo the Jones' kiddie fest. However, as much as we all think there's degrading going in, today's modern landfill is designed to avoid degradation with tightly compacted detrus, methane gas, leachate collection, coverage each day with semi-permeable materials. The better solution is to avoid/reduce the things that have to go in the trash, buy use recycled goods and recycle what you have, compost the food and unwaxed paper plates you don't consume in the back yard or communally (as is done in some European nations), keep the party favors to a minimum and enjoy the TIME with kids. Have a fabulous birthday.
helium is also going fast and soon the world will run out. so it would be nice if we didn't have to have a balloon float on it's own just to celebrate, especially since we use them to celebrate EVERYTHING from presidential elections to little susie's birthday party to hospital stays. maybe tying up the balloons would be better for the environment.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Cheese and Choux | October 08, 2007 at 07:03 AM