Together Celebrate.

Joyful, picture-perfect ideas for weddings and other celebratory events.

There are many ways to celebrate without balloon releases. Some of these ways include non-helium-filled balloons! Balloons can be fun as long as they are not released into the air to become litter.  

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Ideas to help celebrate without releasing balloons outdoors.

Raise the level of excitement with noise makers at parties, at outdoor sporting events and other competitions and at celebrations.

Credit: VA CZM, NOAA MD, CVW.

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See more joyful, uplifting ideas to celebrate at right and below.

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Throw colorful large or small beach balls into the air, or toss to one another. Add more fun by putting hints on them for others to guess who tossed the ball. Credit: VA CZM, NOAA MDP, CVW

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Ribbon wands, pom-poms (yarn or tissue-paper) – are a great way for guests to cheerfully wish a child, or an adult, a happy birthday, or a happy retirement! And they make for colorful and fun pictures. It’s easy to make your own.  Check out these step-by-step instructions – https://www.marthastewart.com/265163/pom-poms-and-luminarias-how-to Credit: VA CZM, NOAA MDP, CVW

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People of all ages love blowing bubbles. They are a lighthearted and uplifting activity for all celebrations! (And there are many bubble machines now on the market.) Credit: VA CZM, NOAA MDP, CVW

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Native seed packets distributed as a thank you at baby showers will grow like the baby to come!

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Let paper airplanes fly rather than balloons. Childern and adults alike enjoy making and sending off paper airplanes! These can also be a keepsake. Have guests write their well wishes on the airplane wings to save in your party scrap-book. Credit: Davidovich-Mikhail

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Plant a native tree to celebrate the birth of a child in your yard, a family member’s yard, or sponsor a tree at a restoration planting nearby. Take a picture of the child with the tree every year to show how they grow and reach new heights together. Credit: Virginia Witmer

Send children home with colorful jars filled with tea light candles rather then helium-filled balloons. Have the kids decorate small jars (like jelly or baby food jars), and provide a battery-powered tea light to put inside. Or make jar luminaries ahead of time. You can enlist the birthday child. You can buy these or collect or save fun-shaped jars before a planned event.

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For wedding send-offs, provide all guests with ribbon wands or bubbles for joyful send-offs.

Credit: VA CZM, NOAA MDP, CVW

Visit Joyful Send-off for more picture perfect send-off ideas for your wedding.

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Adopt an animal at a local nature center, zoo or aquarium and bring the party there! Visit the animal, or species, of animal, and take pictures with the birthday boy or girl. Learn about the animal and help keep the animal’s habitat litter-free.

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Instead of letting the wind take away balloons to become litter, pass around pinwheels for color swirls made by breezes! Credit: VA CZM, NOAA MDP, CVW

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A gift of a plant they started from seed is a great activity and take- home gift for children. Credit: VA CZM, NOAA MDP, CVW

Download Ideas Fact Sheet

Ideas for responsibly using balloons in your celebration.

Drop and pop non-helium filled balloons INSIDE a church, gym or ballroom. Having fun tossing them back into the air, and then pop and dispose of them correctly.

Use a non-helium filled balloon, or balloons, a pin and a marking pen to celebrate significant milestones or challenges that they or that their loved-one has overcome. Have everyone participating in the ceremony write on a balloon the number of years, for example, that the loved-one or they have been cancer-free. On the count of three — everyone bursts their balloons. Messages on small pieces of paper can be inserted into each balloon with an inspirational message. After the fun, dispose of the balloons correctly.

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DROP non-helium filled balloons from a ceiling. Watch people have fun kicking and playing with the balloons. Then, pop them and dispose of them correctly.
Credit: JoytoParty.com.

Pledge to Never Release Balloons.