Green Treehouse

Until recently when my child started attending birthday parties with VIP regularity, I didn’t realize how many parents have such strong feelings about birthday goodie (a.k.a. goody) bags. For many parents, it’s not the idea of giving kids goodie bags when they leave a birthday party that stirs the pot (although for some that is the issue). It’s what’s in those bags. Like ever popular small, choking-hazard, plastic, breakable, disposable trinkets.

If you’re planning a birthday party and looking for less contentious, eco-friendly alternatives to the traditional goodie bag, check out these cool picks.

Twig Pencils. Kids adore these pencils! Find them at Willow Tree Toys.

Chunky Sidewalk Chalk. Alex makes packages of four jumbo chalks with holders to keep little hands clean.

Mini Terracotta Pots & Seeds. Find mini pots at craft stores. Give seeds or a pre-potted small plant. As a party activity, kids will have a blast decorating the planter.

Have other ideas? Leave a comment and share your Eco-Friendly Goodie Bag Alternatives here!

Related Posts

The Low Down on the Plastic Safety Debate
Tea Time

Let’s make a project!  Without fail, that’s my preschooler’s predictable response to the question, ”so, what do you want to do today?”  Give her paper, scissors, glue, and crayons, and she’s one happy crafty camper.  She made the most adorable tissue art flower poster today, using green ric-rac for a flower stem, a button for the flower center, and scrunched up tissue paper for petals, thanks to ALEX art supplies.  If you aren’t familiar with ALEX products, you don’t know what you’re missing!  ALEX makes quality art supplies and kid pleasing games, like the cool and sturdy Jungle Bean Bag Toss.  I find it hard to resist buying ALEX.  I even gravitate to ALEX products when I need affordable, guaranteed to please gifts.

When it comes to art supplies for kids, safety is key, especially in this age of recalls.  Recently, I happened to stumble upon a blogger’s post about safe craft supplies for children.  Who knew that Wikki sticks are made in the U.S. and out of food grade wax?  Thanks for that tidbit Mamanista!

Knowing craft supplies are safe for my preschooler is important to me.  While I’m not so much worried about intentional consumption, like eating a crayon or licking glue, I am concerned about what she may touch and unintentionally ingest.  Remember the huge 2003 lead-laced sidewalk chalk recall, not to mention the wave of recent recalls? 

Children can ingest lead by coming into contact with products containing lead–i.e. touching the products.  The ingestion of lead is linked to behavioral problems, potentially dangerous blood levels, and learning disabilities, among other medical issues.  To learn more about product safety, check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website.

Obviously, the use of safe art supplies is crucial for making project time safe.  Good hand washing as part of clean-up time is also part of the equation, if anything, as a just-in-case precaution–but, then again, if you want to rid those sticky hands of glue, you’re probably planning to hit the sink anyway!

Do you have a tip to share for making project time safer?