Hybrids are for Kids Too
Date: November 13, 2008 | Category: Kids, Toys
Your mother always told you to play fair. Good advice, but what about playing green?
That task just got easier thanks to green toy maker, Sprig Toys. Named for Sprigwood, a bio-composite material made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic (yes monstrous hybrid, but so much better than the alternative), Sprig Toys promises lively, child-safe products that are good for kids and better for the environment - than the other behemoths out there at least. Geared toward preschool-aged children, the Sprig Adventure Series vehicles are chunky, brightly colored, and come in a fun assortment of characters. Better yet, none of the toys require a battery, just the power of your child’s imagination.
I like the company’s Sprig Adventure Series, a collection that uses the kinetic energy created through push-and pump-action to power flashing lights and create sounds so zany they might make you wish your child had a little bit less of an imagination.
Fair Play
Date: November 4, 2008 | Category: Lifestyle, Toys, Travel, ecoMan
The concept of playing fair has just gone far beyond the court. With the Respect basketball you can smoke the competition and look out for the welfare of workers and the world we all live in.
With an eco-certified rubber exterior and interior, this basketball from Fair Trade Sports is the only enviro-ball capable of increasing your street cred. The all-weather, high-grip surface, which retails for $19.99, allows for year-round fair play. Check out the full line of equipment on their site that at times feels like a mystery game. With a small amount of effort you will dribble away with the prize.
Green Art, the Easel Way
Date: October 29, 2008 | Category: Furniture, Kids, Toys
Got a budding artist living in the house, one who will draw or paint on any surface within her reach? There are really only two choices as we see it: repaint your pad when your kid turns 18, or inspire your tiny Twombly to create in the right place.
As a mom of mini Dalis, I love this EcoTots Art Time Easel ($150) by InModern designs. It assembles and disassembles quickly without tools, and the easel (like all of the company’s furniture) is made from 100 percent renewable FSC Certified Smart Wood and boasts a non-toxic water-based finish. To make the easel even more thoughtful, it is shipped flat to conserve packaging and reduce waste. Maybe I’ll even re-learn to express my artful side…
Calling all Half Caesars and Cleopatras
Date: October 15, 2008 | Category: Featured, Kids, Toys
Safe, sustainable baby toys can be difficult to track down, but the plethora of organic playthings on Under the Nile’s website will help get you out of the creek, paddle and all.
Under the Nile offers an excellent alternative to conventional cotton toys and apparel for infants and children. All of the company’s products are made from 100% hand-picked organic cotton, grown in Egypt without the use of pesticides. The products are soft as a baby’s bottom and durable enough to stand up to those sharp little baby teeth.
The toys are colored using metal-free vegetable dyes and any toys that come with accoutrements - like buttons or zippers - are made from sustainable elements such as wood, shells or nickel-free metals.
With prices ranging from $6-$10, the playthings are adorable, affordable, chew-safe and destined for a nice long crib (or chariot) cuddle.
These Crayons Rock
Date: September 10, 2008 | Category: Featured, Kids, Toys
We love these Crayon Rocks, not only as an alternative to conventional color sticks made from non-renewable resources, but also because the unique shape is both creative and designed to strengthen young kids’ grip muscles in preparation for learning to write. Occupational therapists frequently use these colorful pebbles to help young ones develop fine motor skills.
In truth, they’re just downright fun (and fabulous) to draw with for people of all ages. Made of a soft soy wax (grown in the USA) and tinted with natural mineral powders, Crayon Rocks make vibrant colors and beautiful textures (like pastels) while remaining completely non-toxic. Small things create beautiful, refrigerator-worthy masterpieces. But if the result isn’t all that, the vibrant stones are so appealing, they could create an art installation of their own!
Block Party!
Date: August 20, 2008 | Category: Kids, Toys
These handsome, hand-crafted, vintage-inspired wooden blocks from Bok Toys offer a challenging, non-toxic 3-D puzzle for enterprising preschoolers. The 12-block set is made from a variety of untreated reclaimed wood, including maple, oak, walnut, cherry and poplar. (more…)
Green Tea Time for Toddlers
Date: August 13, 2008 | Category: Kids, Toys
If you’ve been biting your lip each time your princess puts her toy cups and saucers in her mouth, we have wonderful news! The old-fashioned children’s tea party is finally civilized, thanks to Green Toys.
Game On!
Date: July 30, 2008 | Category: Kids, Toys
For decades Monopoly has been teaching our kids how to be good little capitalists: to exploit opponents in times of financial duress, to maximize mortgage-debt ratios beyond reasonable risk and to gamble on windfalls when all else fails. With all due regard for the fruits of free trade, we think it’s high time we teach our children a different game.
Enter Earthopoly, an educational board game where players compete to earn carbon credits -i.e., clean air-for their properties!
From Roasted Duck to Wooden Duck
Date: July 23, 2008 | Category: Kids, Toys
With their growing line of organic clothing, Whole Foods might just become a one-stop shop…eventually. Boasting an eclectic selection of healthy gourmet food, vitamin supplements and beauty supplies, they’re now introducing a line of eco-friendly toys from ImagiPLAY.
The classic collection will be available at Whole Foods nationwide, with 20 t0 40 additional region-specific items to choose from. From wooden animals and nature-themed puzzles to playsets and adventure kits, all of these lovable objects are crafted from sustainably harvested wood or recycled materials. Looks like the kids won’t be fighting the grocery visits any longer. Maybe that is why they ask children to keep their hands inside the carts?
Green Stuff(ing)
Date: May 22, 2008 | Category: Kids, Toys
While plush products didn’t face the wrath of recent recalls for lead, magnets, and ingredients that came scarily close to date rape drugs, choosing earth friendly stuffed animals for your children is still important. Pear Tree Studio, a shared artists’ workshop in New Hampshire, creates cheerful pigs, ducks, penguins, and elephants out of recycled wool sweaters. The stuffed animals are filled with shredded recycled polyester and can be hand washed. By tucking one of Pear Tree Studio’s animals into bed next to your little one, you’re doing your child and the Earth a favor.
