Nothing beats an old fashioned birthday party with cake, ice cream, gifts, and a day spent with childhood friends. You don’t need to go all out and spend a lot of money on birthday favors, nor do you have to succumb to the dollar store junk. Here are some simple and eco-friendly ways to say “thank you” to your guests.

• Make homemade play dough. You can either make it before the guests arrive or make it a fun activity for the children to do (depending on their age). It is fairly easy to make your own play dough and the colors are so soft yet vibrant. You can also add pleasing essentials oils to lightly scent the dough. I have been using this recipe for years with my children. Gather one cup of flour, one cup of water, ½ cup of salt, one tablespoon of vegetable oil, and about one teaspoon of cream of tartar. Mix all ingredients together and put over low heat on your stove. It doesn’t take long for the dough to form. Keep a close eye on it. You may add color before heating or after. Enclose in an airtight container and the kids will have a fun memory of the birthday party.
• An earth friendly way to celebrate a birthday party is to plant seeds. Again, you can do this before guests arrive or you can make this a fun activity for the kids to do. Gather seeds, dirt, jars of any/all sizes, water, and popsicle sticks. Create an assembly line of seed planting. Have each child pick a jar, fill it with dirt, poke a hole for the seed, stick the seed in, cover the seed with dirt, give the seed a bit of water, and create a label for the seed with a popsicle stick. The children will be able to watch the growth of the seed and then eventually plant it in their garden.
• Make a homemade piñata. Before the party, have your child help you find a box and some decorative stickers, construction paper, and crepe paper. Buy some organic chocolates and candies. Fill the box with the candy. Seal the box. Now, have your child decorate the box in a festive way. At the party, let each child have a turn hitting the piñata. Once the piñata has broken have each child gather candy and place in decorated brown paper bags. Also, this is something you could do beforehand or with the children.

Let your imagination soar when you think of ways to celebrate your child’s birthday in a simple yet earth friendly way. The skies the limit and your imagination is endless.