Birthday Parties That Give Back

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* Hold your party at a local organic farm, nature center or a city park to help children learn about caring for the natural environment. Get kids up and moving with an activity such as planting a tree (check your parks department to see if they have a plant-a-tree program) or apple picking. A home-baked, low-sugar apple pie makes a great summer alternative to a thickly frosted birthday cake. For farms near you, see www.localharvest.org.

* For your little ones, ages 1 to 2, suggest that guests bring a gently used toy from home instead of buying a new one. Many parents will welcome the opportunity!

* Ditch the traditional "goody bag" full of candy and throw-away plastic toys for an item that the kids make themselves, such as a puppet or princess hat, and then take home with them. (For safest materials, see "Better Art Supplies for Budding Artists" from GG #116.)

You may be the first on the block to try it, but green birthdays are catching on. "My friends have all since started doing this and the creativity is wonderful," says Errico.

Resources

Other themes for parties: Contact local zoos and aquariums to find out about sponsor-an-animal programs. One option: adopt tigers, pandas, elephants and sea turtles at www.worldwildlife.org ($25).

Or, find a number of gift ideas for people throughout the world at: Alternative Gifts International (www.altgifts.org). For example, $5 saves one acre of rainforest in Panama or Nicaragua.

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