Now that you have some idea of how to throw an eco birthday party (see
HERE for a check list) you might need some inspiration on how to do it in the winter months.
If your child has a birthday in the middle of the year then the outdoor party options are usually limited because you don't want to risk bad weather ruining the day. If you cannot find an appropriate venue with good indoor and outdoor facilities in case of a cold and rainy day then you are most likely going to keep the party inside where it is warm and dry.
The eco options for invitations, presents, party bags and birthday candles never have to vary for the seasons but for an event held in winter you may wish to adapt the party food, party games, party decorations, party theme and the venue to suit the weather.
To make your winter party memorable the focus is likely to be on the theme, so that even in lousy weather the children can still have fun. It doesn't have to reflect everything eco but the more you are able to re-use and recycle the better for the environment it will be.
1)
An indoor Beach Party: Give the house a beach theme. Make paper cut-outs of clouds for the walls, use cardboard for the waves by cutting them individually to give a layered feel. Use cardboard to make fake surfboards which you can lean against the walls and leave some beach balls lying around for the guests to kick around. Lay beach towels around the floor for guests to relax on. Bring the sand pit inside by placing the sand on a tarpaulin or make fake sand by tearing up strips of yellow paper. To add to the mood you can make a fake bonfire by twisting up red and yellow biodegradable crepe paper and cellophane and placing it on a pile of sticks on the floor.
Food: Use an Esky filled with ice to serve all the bottled drinks into a biodegradable cup. Use cardboard and paint to make the table look like the front of a beach kiosk and give out all your party food from there.
Games: If you've made an ocean with cardboard so that waves rise up at the top then make small cut-outs of small surfers and tape then to the back of the waves. Give guests biodegradable balloons, fill them with water and see who can knock the surfers down.
2)
A Bad Taste Party (for the Adults) This is all about looking as bad as possible and is great if you want to reuse and recycle old clothing. Its also one everyone is sure to remember.
The more your friends cringe, the better. While Norman Gunston, the guys from Dumb and Dumber and Les Patterson are the perfect example of a how to dress and behave in bad taste, really anything which was fashionable in the 60s, 70s and 80s would likely be appropriate. Look through your parents old photo albums to get some inspiration. ;) Sleazy suits, comb-overs, far too much make-up, messy faces, gold chains and hairy chests are all suitable.
Decorations: Decorate the house in the tackiest style you can. Hang toilet paper from wall to wall instead of streamers, use garbage bags instead of balloons to decorate the room (for eco friendly ones use Biobags). An easy way to decorate is to hang tacky framed pictures and old album covers on the walls. The local Op Shop is likely to have all this.
Food: Try serving food that might taste great but look unappealing. Sandwiches can be touched up with a bit of green organic food dye for fake mould. You can also offer really standard food like mashed potatoes, peas and brussell sprouts. For bowls of nuts buy a cat litter tray, fill it with crushed peanuts and pine nuts for fake litter. Scatter chocolates across the tray.
Party Games: Offer a prize for the most poorly dressed guest. You can also challenge the guests to eat disgusting food or you could even hold a messy race to see who can eat the fastest.
3)
A Colour Party: You can hold a colour party for your child's favourite colour and ask everyone to dress in that colour or you can ask guests to dress from head to toe in their favourite colour.
Decorations: Biodegradable Balloons and biodegradable, cotton or felt bunting is a must for a Colour Party! Try to get as many eco decorations for the day as you can. Felt party hats and crowns in different colours also great. Bold and bright colours are best.
Food: Serve natural and organic food that’s as colourful as you can find/make. To colour the food buy some organic food dye or you can make it yourself using the differently coloured vegetables. This is ideal if you’ve chosen a specific colour for the day. Fruit is perfect if arranged in bowls of each colour - grapes, bananas, strawberries, oranges, blue berries and apples can be used to arrange a picture upon the table.
Games and Activities: Organic face paints are a fun way to add to the colourful mood. (Learn how to make your own
HERE) Be sure to have enough to go around so no one is left out.
Colour Wheel: Before the party make a colour wheel by cutting out a large circle of cardboard and painting it with each colour in sections. Make a hole in the centre and fix it to another piece of cardboard by using a golf tee. A second golf tee can be fixed at the top to be used as a marker. On the day, draw fun tasks from a hat or bag and give the wheel a spin. Anyone wearing the colour that the wheel stops on has to perform the task. The sillier the tasks the better the game will be!
What does each colour mean?: If everyone dresses in their favourite colour share some information about why they chose it.
Red is Beautiful, Powerful, Strong, Pioneering, Friendly, Warm, Initiating, Persistent, Patient, Attractive, Originating, and Passionate;
Orange is Spontaneous, Bold, Daring, Inspirational, Outrageous, Robust, Funny, Fearless, Adventuresome, Building, and Buoyant;
Yellow is Happy, Cheerful, Astringent, Intelligent, Shining, Highly Communicative, Expressive, Logical, Purifying, Orderly, and Forgiving;
Green is Secure, Safe, Expansive, Sharing, Open, Flexible, Connecting, Free, Just, Balanced, Harmonious, and Efficient; Turquoise is Clear, Fresh, Focused, Youthful, Imaginative, Transformational, Clean, Sensitive, Changing, Rarefied, New, and Victorious;
Blue is Tranquil, Calm, Peaceful, Honest, Trusting, Creative, Open, Deep, Faithful, Reliable, and Accepting;
Purple is Regal, Respected, Admired, Humble, Intuitive, Knowing, Together, Dignified, Valuable, Tolerant, and Connecting;
Pink is Abundant, Genuine, Responsible, Compassionate, Loving, Mature, Great, The Colour of Relationships, Considerate, Adept, Natural.
Source is
HERE. For a far deeper look into this visit: www.crystalinks.com/colors.html
If going to such lengths are too elaborate for your winter party here are a few extra ideas to make the party fun and eco friendly if inside.
Decorations: For centrepieces use 100% beeswax candles. See our range
HERE:
Use cellophane or crepe paper (both biodegradable) to bring colour into the home.
Hang eco friendly bunting in the rooms (you can make it yourself from old material).
Food: Make a hearty vegetable stew from organic veggies in your garden or local farmer's market. Use organic food.
Party Games:
Dog and the Bone
The children sit in a circle.
One child is the "dog" and sits in the middle with his eyes shut and a bone behind him.
A person in charge points to one of the children in the circle.
That child has to creep in and get the bone and put it behind his back.
All children put there hands behind their back and say Doggie, doggie, who s got the bone?
The dog then opens his eyes and has to try to choose who has his bone. He has two guesses.
If he guesses correctly he has another turn. If he doesn’t the child with the bone is the new dog.
The game then starts again.
Who Am I?
The children all sit in a circle.
One child is chosen to put his head down and close his eyes.
The leader then points to one of the children in the circle who says "Who am I?"
The child with his eyes closed has to open them and try to guess who it was.
If he guesses correctly he has another turn. If he is incorrect it is the child who spoke's turn.
Sleeping Lions
When the leader calls out Sleeping Lions each child has to drop to the floor and lie as still as possible with eyes shut.
Anyone that moves is out.
Balloons Up
The object of this game is to keep the balloon in the air the longest and win.
Game is played best with two people at a time so that you can have a play off at the end.
Each person bounces their balloon on their heads to keep it in the air - no hands, feet or other objects to help.
Make sure the area is large enough and clear of objects to avoid tripping over.
See our other blog posts:
Eco Party Ideas
Eco Friendly Easter Ideas
