Ideal for making your child’s birthday party a plastic-free one
A divisive subject on parenting forums if ever there was one – to party bag, or not party bag, that is the question…
Party bags (‘goodie’ bags here in the UK) are often real bones of contention, causing debates about necessity and showiness, and accusations of ungrateful children (and parents!). As such, knowing what to put in your children’s birthday party goodie bag can be a little stressful to say the least.
You likely have fond childhood memories of goodie bags, a wonderful way of thanking the children for coming, showing them gratitude for bringing a gift, and helping them not feel too jealous of the birthday boy or girl’s stash of presents, too!
Back in our day, goodie bags were mainly composed of plastic tat that ended up in the bin. However, times are changing. There are even companies dedicated to making eco-friendly party bags, and we’re very much here for this concerted effort to reduce waste.
If you’re planning a birthday party for your child and are looking to avoid the plastic tat, then here are some ideas for eco friendly goodie bags, IDEAL for making your child’s birthday party a plastic free one.
A CAKE POP
Let’s get realistic, straight from the off; at any children’s birthday party, the chances are high that the kids will be too excited to eat, and so eager to play that they won’t be able to stay in one place long enough to enjoy the birthday cake you’ve lovingly made. While, of course, it’s often tradition to pop a slice of cake in the goodie bag for the kids to enjoy later, those slices of cake often get all mushed up, turning into a crumbly, sticky mess.
Instead, consider making cake pops. Here, a cake is formed into a convenient, easy to carry lollipop, packaged in chocolate and wrapped around the end of a stick. What fun!
All you need is cake mix (if you’re not much of a baker, premade is absolutely fine), melted chocolate or icing and some sprinkles, plus a silicone cake pop mould and sticks. You could even tie the cake pops in with your colour scheme, opting for icing in matching shades.
And the best part? Aside from being a far less messy option than a slice of cake, these cake pops are a wonderful way to use up leftover cake and crumbs, which would otherwise be destined for the bin.
A LITTLE CANDY
Yes, it’s arguable that your little guests probably don’t really need another sugary souvenir after all that party food. However, kids love sweets and sometimes you’ve just got to please the crowd.
Candy is always great to have, especially at birthdays! Consider providing personalized sweet jars of different sweets so the kids can curate their own candy gift bag, getting creative, imaginative and probably a little over-excited we’d wager… Talk about being like a kid in a sweet shop!
Buying candy in bulk is a good idea here to cut down on single plastic wrappers, and the jars eliminate the need for plastic when the kids carry their sweets home, too.
Alternatively, you could buy a Candy Obsession pick and mix kit, which you can personalise for each child. Make sure to have a variety of candy available so that no one goes home disappointed.
SOME SEEDS
An eco-friendly and educational present for little guests, seeds can be included in every child’s goodie bag as a lovely way to keep the party going for as long as possible after it’s finished! Whether it’s vegetable or fruit seeds, or wildflowers that bring the birds and bees to your garden, kids will just love nurturing their little plant as the seasons change.
Not only will they learn to respect the environment and nature, as well as the importance of consistency and routine, but the kids will be reminded of your birthday party each day when they water and check on their plants!
Read: 10 ways to make your garden more wildlife friendly
A COLOURING BOOK
For a gift that will keep the kids busy for days, why not include a colouring book in your children’s birthday party goodie bags? But not just any colouring bag…now, you can find children’s colouring books that are not only made from recycled paper, but they also come with crayons and pencils that are also made from recycled materials (often waste paper or old newspapers rather than the standard virgin wood).
When combined with images of wildlife, landscapes and scenes of the natural world, this makes for a wonderfully inspiring keepsake.
ORIGAMI KIT
An eco-friendly and biodegradable party bag filler if ever there was one! Kids love origami and there’s real magic in the idea of turning a flat piece of (recycled) paper into a 3D creature; what better gift, then, to add to your eco-friendly goodie bag than an origami kit?
According to Psychology Today, “Origami has been studied as a tool for children to develop spatial and perception skills, learn mathematics, refine dexterity and hand-eye coordination, as well as improve concentration. Origami has been shown to improve spatial visualization and mathematics skills in middle school students.’’
Available from an origami website or specialist origami paper retailer, as a goodie bag gift, origami is a no brainer. Or rather, it’s rather a lot of brainer.
DON’T GIVE A PARTY BAG AT ALL
If you really want to be eco-friendly (but a little bit of a party pooper, let’s be honest), then consider not giving a goodie bag at all. That said, for the little ones, it’s pretty exciting having something to look forward to when the party fun wraps up…you decide.
THE BOTTOM LINE
As Sandra Adar, director of eco-friendly party supplies company Little Cherry, told the Evening Standard “One really lovely item in a party bag is far better than several cheap throwaway ones’’, and we think that’s a message and ethos worth following up on.
Whilst loads of little goodies might seem more generous and fun, they more than often end up as a contributor to landfill. Instead, something homemade, recycled or edible is a far more eco-conscious choice. The little ones will thank you when they’re older for caring about their future world!