26 Sep The Ultimate Green Kiddies Party Guide
Celebrating your little eco-warrior’s birthday is such a special time! And our green team is here to help moms and dads keep those special celebrations as green as possible. We’ve put together a collection of green-minded (and fun) decorations, gifts, games, toys and goodies to enjoy with your child and their guests. Enjoy!
DELISH DECOR
Skip the disposable streamers and balloons, and get creative with eco-friendly décor ideas. Your kids can get involved in making the party decorations too. Here are a few nifty ideas:
- Make paper chains from scrap paper, or patchwork bunting from fabric scraps
- Plant succulents & cacti in glass jars or bottles, decorated with pretty bows
- Pick bunches of fresh flowers straight from your garden
- Collect pinecones & pebbles on a nature walk; paint them with funky, colourful non-toxic paints
- Make your own clementine candles
FAB FUN & GAMES
You’ll have almost as much fun whipping up natural goodies like blowing bubbles and play-doh as your kids will have playing with them!
Make Your Own Bubble Mix
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups liquid castile soap
- 1/2 cup sugar or corn syrup
- 5 cups lukewarm water
METHOD
- Pour the castile soap & water into a reusable plastic container or mason jar.
- Add the sugar or corn syrup, which will act as a thickener.
- Put the lid on the container & shake until completely mixed.
- Make this mixture the night before the party & let it sit overnight; this will give you bigger, better bubbles.
- You can use ordinary bubble wands from your local toy shop, or make your own magic bubble wands easily with bamboo and string.
Make Your Own Edible Play-doh
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup gluten-free flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2Tbsp olive oil
- 1tsp aluminium-free baking powder
- 1 beetroot (red/ pink colouring)
- 2tsp turmeric (yellow colouring)
- Handful of spinach (green colouring)
- Handful of blueberries (blue colouring)
- Handful of raspberries (red/ purple colouring)
METHOD
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt & oil in a saucepan, then slowly add the water.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring until the dough becomes stiff. Put the dough onto a sheet of wax paper to cool.
- Knead the dough with your hands until it feels just right for playtime.
- To make the colouring, simply boil each fruit, vegetable or spice separately in 1 cup of water. Then sieve the coloured water several times.
- Divide the dough into balls & add a few drops of the juices to make your different colours.
SCRUMPTIOUS SNACKING
Tuck into some yummy birthday treats without the fear of a sugar-rush. There are so many ways to combine fun treats with healthy nutrition. Here are just a few examples from the treasure-trove available:
Cinnamon Cocoa Popcorn
A sweet gourmet popcorn with a hint of spice – kids will love it!
INGREDIENTS
- 4Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1tsp sea salt
- 3Tbsp coconut sugar
- 2tsp ground cinnamon
- 1tsp vanilla powder (optional)
- 2tsp cocoa powder
- ½cup organic popcorn kernels
- 4Tbsp coconut oil for cooking
METHOD
- Stir together the melted coconut oil, salt, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon & cocoa powder in a bowl. Set aside.
- Pop your popcorn on the stove, in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. (Tip: Shake the pot so the popcorn doesn’t stick or burn.)
- Once the popcorn is popped, pour it into the bowl with the cinnamon-cocoa mixture. Toss, serve & enjoy!
Fruit & Cheese Kebabs
INGREDIENTS
- 3oz. gouda and/ or cheddar cheese
- I cup fresh strawberries
- 1 cup grapes
- 2 pears, sliced
- Half an apple or melon
Materials
- Wooden kebab sticks
- Small cookie cutters
METHOD
- Slice the fruit into half-inch pieces. Place each fruit in a separate bowl.
- Cut the cheese into thick pieces. Use your cookie cutters to cut the pieces into cute, fun shapes – stars, hearts, flowers! Place the cheese shapes in another bowl.
- Carefully thread the fruit and cheese pieces onto each skewer. Older kids can assemble their own unique kebabs, but younger tots will need supervision. (Tip: To serve, cover the pointy end of each skewer with a piece of apple.)
Dairy Free Choc-Chip Cookie Dough Party Popsicles
Perfect for summer parties!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 can coconut milk
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- A generous pinch of salt
- ½ cup dairy-free carob chips
METHOD
- Heat the milks, coconut sugar & salt in a small saucepan; cook over a low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, leave to cool for a bit, then stir in the vanilla.
- Add a helping of carob chips to the bottom of each popsicle mould (use about half the chips). Fill the moulds with your “dough”, leaving a little space at the top of each one.
- Freeze the popsicles for 1-2 hours, until they’re partially frozen. Remove them from the freezer, then sprinkle more carob chips into the dough in each mould. Insert the popsicle sticks & freeze again until the popsicles are totally solid.
- Tip: To catch spills and drips, place a paper cupcake case onto each popsicle stick, just beneath the popsicle. Nifty huh?
Tangerine Snails
This is so simple and healthy but so cute.
- Take a bag of tangerines (or naartjies), place each one vertically and using a small knife, carefully remove the peel from the sides, leaving a strip across the middle.
- Using a small knife or scissors, remove a section of the peel around the middle of the fruit.
- Bend back each side of the remaining peel just a little bit, creating a “head” end and a “tail” end.
- Use scissors to trim the head end & give the snail a pair of antennae. Use a non-toxic magic marker to draw on a smiley face. Adorable!
More amazing party recipes – check out Raw Creation’s famous “Clever Mommy Sorbet”, and our Fruit Fondue with Raw Choc-Caramel Dip. Yum!
GROOVY GOODIE BAGS
Make sure your guests leave the party with a stash of healthy treats!
Here are our top take-home party pack picks:
- Ice Tea: Fresh and fruity, caffeine-free and made with real organic rooibos extract.
- Sparx Sugar-Free Berry Candies: These tasty colourful treats are sweetened with xylitol and enriched with calcium for healthy teeth.
- Nakd Berry Delight Bar: really yummy chewy cereal bar with a satisfying crunch.
- EarthJoy Organic Raw Chocolate Macaroons: These goodies are 100% raw, vegan and gluten-free – but deceptively delicious.
Pssstt… Instead of disposable plastic baggies, why not package your party pack in a hand-stamped brown paper bag; a hessian bag; a cardboard gift box OR even a reusable glass cookie jar? Get creative!
GORGEOUS GREEN GIFTS
Don’t forget to pamper the birthday king or queen with some beautiful eco-friendly gifts. Check out our beautiful range of wooden toys from Janod, plus our eco-friendly Growing Paper gift cards.
More Green Tips for Eco Alternatives
To keep things really green at your little one’s next party, here are a few key things you should skip:
- Balloons: Paper lanterns are a much more eco-friendly alternative, whether you buy or DIY.
- Plastic drinking straws: Choose biodegradable paper straws instead (or make your own!)
- Single-use plastic party bags: Decorate your own cute and creative paper bags.
- Single-use paper cups & plates: Check out our super-cute reusable natural tableware for kids.
- Wrapping paper: Instead of spending money on expensive single-use wrapping paper, make your own personalised gift-wrap, decorated specially for your little one. (Or buy eco-friendly wrapping paper online.)
Got any more ideas or tips? Share your green kiddies party secrets with us!
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