Kids’ parties don’t have to be elaborate, expensive or wasteful in order to be really, really fun. Keep these green ideas in mind as you plan your next birthday bash or family celebration.

Party Supplies
Check the cupboards before heading to the store. Do you already have colorful plastic plates and cups? Remember children are looking at the cake on the plate—not the plate itself. If you do need to purchase supplies, try to buy something reusable. Leah Ingram, who blogs at SuddenlyFrugal.wordpress.com, says her daughter wanted cafeteria-style trays for her backyard barbeque birthday party. “We spied cherry red trays at Target and snapped up 20,” she wrote, adding, “So much of what we got for the party is reusable. I don’t have to worry about anything dropping and breaking... Plus, everything is dishwasher safe.”

Cloth vs. Disposable
No, we’re not talking diapers. We’re talking table coverings. At $2.99, a huge plastic tablecloth is cheap enough, but if it ends up in the trash, is it really? Washable tablecloths and oilcloth coverings are a low-maintenance, reusable alternative, and the plastic-coated kind in colorful vintage prints are back in style. Just throw them in the wash or wipe ‘em clean, and use them again and again. Not only does the oilcloth retain its color, but when it is pulled out of the linen closet, you know it’s time to party! This brings me to an important part of family celebrations…

Sustainable Traditions
For years when I was little, my mother baked my favorite angel food cake and frosted it with the prettiest, stickiest pink frosting ever. She popped in plastic roses, ballerina candle holders, and was done. I loved it! When I was in college I asked Mom to recreate that birthday cake for me, and she did! She held onto those ballerinas all that time.

If you haven’t yet started any birthday traditions, let this be the year. Special plates that say, "You are special today!" repeated around the edge are a great way to recognize the birthday boy or girl. These plates can also be brought out to celebrate everyday feats, like losing a tooth, potty-training triumphs, playing nicely or learning to cartwheel. Other traditions include an annual birthday activity, like visiting a favorite place or getting to pick what’s for dinner. Speaking of which…

Treats
If you’re serving food, vegetarian options really help reduce greenhouse gasses and other forms of pollution. This can be as easy as heating up a few frozen organic cheese pizzas, instead of ordering meat-lover varieties to be delivered. (Picky eaters, rejoice!) Setting out an assortment of locally-grown veggies with dip is another green and easy party pleaser.

And then, of course, there is the whole reason we go to birthday parties: the cake! Back in my pink angel food days, organic options were tougher to find, but modern moms have way more choices when it comes to picking out a mix in the supermarket or ordering from a nearby bakery. Ditto for organic ice cream.

Wrapping Paper and Cards
It’s all in the presentation – or is it? We’ve all witnessed the lightening-fast opening of the gifts and the immediate trashing of the trash. Why spend a lot of money on wrapping paper, bows and greeting cards? I bought a one-pound bag of scrap card stock ($4) a few years ago, several decorative edge scissors, and a hole punch. I haven’t needed to buy cards or gift tags since. Plus I love the handmade look. My four-year-old son also enjoys making cards for special occasions, and I notice it adds to his excitement for the upcoming event.

Cloth gift bags are also gaining popularity. They’re a super-smart buy – easy to wrap and easy to reuse. Sunday comics make great wrapping paper, too, as do brown paper bags. Just cut the bag, wrap the present (plain-side-out, of course), then decorate with crayons, markers and the gazillion stickers you’ve received in goodie bags at kids’ parties past, which brings us to…

Favors
Or, in my case, no favors. Please, no more favors! My son is super-happy just to have eaten cake and played with other kids. He would never notice not receiving a goodie bag, but—for whatever reason—parents feel obliged. If you feel bad sending guests home empty-handed, find meaningful alternatives to a plastic bag filled with dollar-store trinkets that will only hold their attention for the time it takes to drive home.

For the same low cost, you can give something that fits your party theme and will give kids something to do later. For example, a backyard party lends itself to natural wood bird houses that can be painted at home. (CraftKitsAndSupplies.com offers birdhouses and butterfly house kits from $2.99, with price breaks for quantities of three, six and ten.) Even less expensive is a small bag of birdseed tied with yarn that kids can feed birds with later in the day. Or let a craft activity at the party double as the favor.

When you plan your next party, keep in mind that greener options leave a lighter carbon footprint yet create more lasting memories.