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Green Party Ideas for Teens

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Green Party Ideas for Teens

Green Party Ideas for Teens

Older children are a lot easier to plan a party for because they are more independent and have more skills. They are also less likely to zoom around everywhere and better able to pay attention for longer periods of time and follow instructions.

Here are some eco-friendly party themes and activities for your tweens.

Themes

  • The theme can be based on the reason for the party. For example, if it is a birthday party, the birthday boy or girl can pick their favorite animal and base the entire party around it. If it is for a holiday like Halloween or Thanksgiving, you could base it around animals associated with that holiday. Vampire bats or other breeds, and black cats and spiders would be three options for Halloween. The turkey, or what the new arrivals to America might have discovered when they arrived, like moose and beavers, could be another.
  • You could also have a day at the zoo, or a farm with animals. Many zoos offer birthday party packages. Farms will often offer working visits and let you help with the chores and the animals. Be sure every child’s parent knows what to expect and signs a waiver if required. Bring a change of clothes and shoes and plenty of hand sanitizer.
  • They can also help plant seeds in the spring, or harvest crops in the fall. If you have a garden yourself, introduce them to herbs and spices, and/or flowers. Gift them seed balls or packets as party favors.

Activities

  • Have them help with the food by making their own personal pizzas and cupcake decorations, with the designs in an animal theme. Let them taste different fresh herbs, cheeses and other toppings. Take photos, and award prizes for the best designs. Give everyone a chance to win.
  • Have a “treasure hunt” in the garden with clues on how to find a particular “animal”, which can be a stuffed one or a figure. Let the first one to find it keep it, and then let the remaining children hunt until everyone has a prize to take home.
  • Let them pretend they are on photo safari on a certain continent, like Africa, or a country like Canada and have them take pictures of the wildlife, also stuffed animals. Big cats are perfect for Africa. Polar bear safaris are very popular in Canada, and on the coast there might also be a chance to see a seal, walrus or even a whale. Share the photos in an online album and number the animals with a sticky note on the bottom. The person who guesses the number wins the toy.

A Craft Table

  • Print out printables to color, and get stickers, coloring books and other items to keep them occupied, especially if the weather might not be great. Let them model with clay or pipe cleaners.
  • Try origami. This fun and interesting craft from Japan has a lot of animal figures in it. Get the right weight of paper in different colors, and be sure to practice a few of the patterns you find before the guests arrive so you can help and no one will get frustrated.

Animal Movies

  • Get DVDs or stream popular animal movies. Play charades to get them to guess the names of the movies.

Dessert

  • Last but not least, be sure you bake a cake and shape it or decorate it to match your theme.

Give the above ideas a try the next time planning a green teen party. Our planet will thank you!

Until next time!

 

Battery reconditioning helps save the planet. Click to learn more. here

Having a Great Green Party for Teens

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having a great green party for teens

Having a Great Green Party for Teens

Throwing an eco-friendly party for teens can be a lot of fun if they are interested in green issues and want to show their friends what it is all about.

Themes

Since teens are more mature, you don’t necessarily have to go the animal route and pick a favorite creature, or study various species from different parts of the world. Instead, you can focus on recycle, the danger plastic poses to the environment, solar power, reducing one’s carbon footprint, and more.

Activities

  • Recycling – You can have them help sort their trash at the party. You can discuss what items can and can’t be recycled from that trash. Your local sanitation department will usually provide cards with the rules, so you can copy them and post them near the bins you set out.
  • Cleaning up the park or trail – If you have a park or local beauty spot, give the teens some rubber gloves and bags and have them pick up bottles and cans to recycle. Give them the deposit money for each item they find, such as 5 cents a can. Give them prizes for the most collected, the one who has a green can, a Poland Spring water bottle, and so on.
  • You can also put little surprises in specially marked waxed paper goodie bags along the way, with spot prizes or coupons they can cash in for treats when they get back to your house.
  • A treasure hunt – If you have a lot of trees in your area, and they have greenery on them, teach them what the foliage looks like and have them hunt for each tree. At each tree, they will get a clue that will lead to the final prize or destination. If you have more than four teens, pair them up and color-code the clues so each one is on a different path. Be sure to have enough prizes for them to go around at the end.
  • Animal games – Charades is always fun. You can also play twenty questions about animals, vegetables or minerals.
  • Follow the trash trail – Discuss what happens to a plastic bag or straw in relation to the environment. Picture it in landfill, in the huge plastic floating island in the Pacific, how long it would take to break down if not recycled, and more. Look up these topics online.

Food

  • You can keep it simple, or make it more educational. For example, you could take them shopping for what they want, and educate them about smart choices, such as buying one large bag of cookies or chips instead of snack packs. You could do the shopping and then show them when you got home just how much trash and recycling are generated with the food packaging, and come up with different ways to cut down on trash.
  • You can teach them how to pop corn, and decorate their own personal pizzas or cupcakes. You can teach them how to make their own granola bars to have as a snack and to take home with them. Award prizes for the best students and creations.
  • Decorate the cake with an eco-friendly theme. Have them make a rainbow of fruits and vegetables to eat. If you are vegetarian or vegan, teach them the basic principles and how good it is for the environment compared with eating meat. See if a local farmer hosts working visits and take everyone along to help on the farm or with the animals.

It may not be a traditional party, but it is sure to be one that most teens will never forget. Teach them how to go green so this planet is clean for generations to come!

Until next time!

 

Battery reconditioning helps to save the planet. Click to learn more here

Do’s and Don’ts for Kids’ Green Parties

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do's and don'ts for kid's green parties

Do’s and Don’ts for Kids’ Green Parties

Do’s and Don’ts

Now that people are more conscious about the impact on the environment of plastic and other non-biodegradable items, they are becoming more alert as to what they can do to help the environment. Parties can be a time of over-consumption and great waste. Reusing, recycling and repurposing can all help cut down on the carbon footprint of each child’s party you host.

  • Think paper, not plastic straws – Tens of thousands of plastic straws are used every day and litter the environment. Use paper instead. Other options include bamboo or stainless steel.
  • Think biodegradable balloons – Most balloons are made of rubber, which does not break down even after years in a landfill. Make mock balloons out of construction paper, or use biodegradable ones.
  • Think children’s china sets, not disposable – Buy cheap but durable china and glasses instead of spending a fortune on disposable. You may have to wash between courses but that is a small price to pay for avoiding a mountain of waste. Corelleware is a good option for shatterproof, lightweight plates in pretty designs.
  • Use stainless steel cutlery, not plastic – Stainless steel is durable and will hold up to the dishwasher as well as handwashing.
  • Use shatter-proof glasses or mugs, not plastic cups or Styrofoam – Arcoroc makes an affordable line of break-resistant glasses. Corelleware usually comes with cups or mugs. You can also reuse jam jars or Mason jars.
  • Use cloth napkins, not paper – Just throw in the wash when you are done. Try a dark color so it will show fewer stains.
  • Use dishcloths, not paper towels – There is always plenty to mop up at a party. Use the cloths for your cleaning needs and throw in the wash.
  • Skip the soda bottles – Serve juice that has been reconstituted from frozen. If you can’t live without soda, invest in a SodaStream to cut down on bottles used.
  • Skip the plastic favor bags – Use brown paper sandwich bags, or waxed ones if you want a favor bag that is greaseproof.
  • Skip the useless favors, think useful – Buy items to place in a brown paper party favor bag your kids can decorate. Think of the kinds of things kids love, like stickers, pencils, puzzle or coloring books, and so on.
  • Buy large bags of snacks, not individual ones – Use clear, waxed paper sandwich bags so kids can enjoy a treat without you having to worry about dirty hands in a communal bowl. Also make your own popcorn at home in an air popper. Snack-pack wrappers are not biodegradable, whereas waxed paper is.

Eco-Friendly Party Tips

It all comes back to keeping it simple. These tips might turn the conventional birthday party upside down, but they’ll set you free along the way. Here’s how to host an eco-friendly birthday party everyone will enjoy.

  • Rent party items, don’t by disposable – Eco-friendly party supply stores will actually rent you all you need for your party, including cloth banners, tablecloths and more.
  • Plan green activities – This could be a trip to the local park or a nature walk. If the children are old enough, bring rubber gloves and recycling bags and get them to pick up plastic bottles and cans. Give them the money for the return and make a contest out of it, such as the top three who collected the most, those who found a green can, and so on. Prizes can be gently used items you found at a thrift store. You can also make it into an “Easter egg” type of hunt, with wrapped gifts amid the garbage that will get even the most hesitant child going for gold!
  • Skip the wrapping paper – Use brown paper the kids have colored, magazine pages, or reusable gift bags and gift boxes instead.

There are numerous ways we can all contribute to sustainability. Hope you will give the a few of the above listed suggestions a try.

Until next time!

 

Battery reconditioning helps save the planet. Click to learn more here