Here's our tip sheet on how to make kids' birthday parties a little greener. Thanks in particular to Laurel, who contributed lots of good ideas. A bonus of this list is that using it should also save you money.

--Green invitations. On her blog, Heather of EnviroMom suggests using Evite or recycling old art projects to make invitations.

--Greener gift wrap. Use recyclable plain paper to wrap gifts and have your children decorate them. Or, steal this great idea from Parent Hacks: Conceal your gift in a reusable shopping bag (which becomes part of the gift -- a double "green" effect when the recipient uses it at the store). Or give reusable shopping bags as parting gifts (see below).

--Or, skip the gifts, as Marc Nelson Jr. suggests. One way to keep people from bringing them anyway -- as I've seen happen -- is to ask for gifts of food for the hungry, or of puzzles or games to be donated to children who don't have any. (You'll want to make sure your birthday child is in step with this plan ahead of time, of course.)

--Reuse party ware. If your kids are small and/or you have more than one, you have lots of parties ahead of you. Do as Laurel suggests and buy washable plastic cups and plates and commercial-grade silverware you can use each time. Use your own tablecloths, or pick up used cloths at a thrift store if you're worried about stains.

--Imaginative decorations. As Laurel suggests, instead of buying pricey decorations, you can probably use some of your kids' own toys.

--Greener activities. You can make your own play dough for younger kids to use at the party and/or take home; here are a couple of recipes. Older kids might arrange to clean up a playground or school grounds, or do a project as a nature preserve, as part of the party. Or, have a scavenger hunt for items found in nature.

--Greener parting gifts. Instead of goodie bags, have the guests make their own thank-you gifts as a party activity. Or, as one of my friends did recently, collect gently used children's books from your household (or visit a source like The Book Thing) and tell the kids to choose one as they leave. For spring parties, consider giving each child a flower pot, some soil and seeds, and having them plant their gift at the party to take home.

Sources for some eco-friendly party supplies, and a few other ideas, can be found at the Nature Moms Blog.

Do you have other ideas to share? I'd love to know what you've done at your own parties.