Birthday Party Clutter

As parents of a young child, we go to a lot of birthday parties.  Between the 18 classmates in my daughter’s pre-school and our neighborhood friends, I think we go to at least one party per month.  We get invited to more than we can actually reasonably attend.  My main complaint is the proliferation of plastic junk as birthday party favors.  I know that these are easy to obtain and cheap, and I have to admit that I have used them in the past.  However, this stuff always ends up in the landfill.  At our house they land on the floor first.  After I have picked them up, stepped over them, or stepped on them one too many times, they end up in the trash.  My daughter hasn’t noticed that I’m throwing away her “treasures” yet which tells me that she didn’t think about them very long after we got home from the party.

In a rare departure, this weekend’s birthday party favor was a handmade Batman cape (in pink for the girls).  It was awesome because the kids ran around the party in their capes being kid superheros.  This is one favor that I know she will play with because what kid doesn’t like the put on a cape and pretend to be a superhero.  Even my girly girl can get into that.  It can be hung on a hook in her closet or put into the dress up box.  Best of all is the fact that it is not plastic.  I’ll grant you that not everyone has the time or ability to make a handmade favor.  I am certainly not a seamstress or even moderately crafty.  Not to mention that I’m pretty sure this mom spent many a late night working on 20 capes!  As I plan my daughter’s party in June, I’m choosing favors that are actual things that the kids can use rather than extruded plastic made in China (possibly with lead-based paint).  Will they still end up in the landfill?  Probably.  But maybe the kids will get some use out of it before it makes its way to the landfill.