Coming up with a party idea for a teenager is difficult. If I can come up with a party theme, I find it usually helps. A friend of mine decided that her son's passion for the environment would make a great theme for his 14th birthday party. This teenager is all about being eco-minded and recycling. So going "green" for his party was a natural choice.
She bought recycled birthday party invitations, paper plates and napkins. They held the party at one of our local parks. For entertainment, the kids participated in a trash scavenger hunt. Of course, she pre-arranged this activity with the park rangers. Yep, my friend had a good idea, one that provided entertainment for the kids and a community service for the park.
Each scavenger (kid) was given a list (on recylced-paper) of trash items: soda bottles, water bottles, papers, etc. The first to bring back all the trash on the list won a prize. In my friend's case, she went with a green prize (as in cash). It wasn't much money, but, the teens sure enjoyed the hunt for trash.
As party favors, she gave each guest a pair of cotton gloves (used during the scavenger hunt), a few packets of seeds, and peat pots filled soil. Her bakery made a recycle birthday cake that was unique. No, it wasn't previously used. It was in the shape of a recycling container including a recycling symbol with a number 14. Although decorations were kept minimal, she was able to find recycled products including napkins and plates at her local party store.
All of this she did for her son, the eco-friendly kid. This party was a hit with his friends and one that he whole-heartily enjoyed. I heard him tell her "it was the best party ever, it was fun and not wasteful".
Side note: they recycled everything they used that day and collected.
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