Children & Babies

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The Best Eco-Books for Kids

August 27, 2009 in Books, Children & Babies by Jennifer | No comments

Books are a common part of most households. If you’ve got kiddos, they probably have their very own bookshelves too. If you’re looking to beef those bookshelves up with some smart, eco-friendly reads, visit Planetpals.

Planetpals is not just a book site but a full on kids activity site with a green slant. There are facts about the earth, craft projects, free e-cards, educational materials for parents or teachers and so much more, including the Best Ever Planetpals Earth book list. And trust me, this really is the best earth-friendly book list ever for kids. It’s jam packed top to bottom with all sorts of carefully selected eco-books.

You can browse the list then head to your library or buy special books that your kids would like to own and read again and again.

If you’re an adult looking for some great green books check out the following:

How to green your books

15 of the best green home books

How to make recycling easier for your kids

July 26, 2009 in Children & Babies, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle by Jennifer | No comments

Recycling should be a family affair but to kids, especially young ones, it can seem super complicated. Which recyclables go in which bin, which stuff is actually recyclable vs. trash, and which items can be reused or donated before you recycle.

How to help:

  • First crank up a dialogue with the kids – talk about recycling objectives for the home. They may not get all of it in one sitting, but eventually small conversations start to add up in their thirsty little brains.
  • Make a poster – set up a handy poster with visuals of typical items your home uses – i.e. cans, glass jars, paper, and so on. Have the kids help with this project. You can search old magazines for images to use on your poster.
  • Label your bins – once you have your home recycling center set up, make sure to label to bins with text for older kids and pictures for younger kids.
  • Make it meaningful – plan a trip to your local recycling plant so your kids can see their actions in well, action.
  • Make sure they understand reuse vs. recycling. For example, their old toys and book would go into a reuse/donate bin but an old used up piece of art paper should be recycled.

Are you involving your kids in the recycling process?

Getting your kids into organic gardening

May 19, 2009 in Children & Babies, Organic Gardening by Jennifer | No comments

Most kids will naturally take to gardening if you introduce them to the experience while they’re young. Even small toddlers can help in the garden. Organic gardening with your little ones won’t just yield a better harvest but will also teach your kids important lessons about ecology, green methods, organic cooking, composting, sustainable agriculture, creativity, and self-sufficiency. It’s also eco-friendly to garden with tots because you, the adult will be less likely to use chemicals in the garden if you know your kids will be around them.

Following are some tips that can help you help your kids make the most of their organic gardening experience:

Give them their own little plot. Help them out of course, but allowing them to have their own little space makes them feel independent and important.

Plan for easy and fast growing plants. Kids hate to wait. Make sure some of the plants you and your little choose will sprout and grow quickly. Carrots, marigolds, and many herbs are great choices.

Get them their own little gardening tools. Small tools made especially for kiddos make gardening tasks easier and more fun.

Plan for some fun themed gardens. You can grow a sunflower house, a pizza garden, or a cool moonlit garden. See more at: 10 Fun Organic Gardening Projects for Kids.

Go for annuals that come up again and again with less fuss.

If you don’t have garden space outside your kids can still have an organic gardening experience growing up. Look into a cute eco-friendly indoor garden, grow plants and smaller veggies in pots, or find a community garden to participate in.

Most of all have fun. Don’t pressure kids to participate. Some kids are slower to warm up to messy stuff like gardening. My son, for example hated getting his hands dirty as a toddler, but now is fine with it and loves to garden.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

If you need tips that can help you learn about organic gardening so you can pass it on to the kiddos, read the following:

Create A Green Baby Nursery

March 6, 2009 in Children & Babies by Jennifer | No comments

If your home includes a baby, or your home soon will have a baby, then it’s best to plan a green and healthy baby nursery. With just a few simple choices you can turn a typical baby nursery into a green oasis.

Are you having a baby soon? What green steps are you taking at home to get ready?

Breaking News – help save handmade toys in the USA – sign the online petition!

December 10, 2008 in Children & Babies by Jennifer | No comments

Please head over to Tree Hugging Family today, to learn about the new Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) laws on toy making. These new laws will make it nearly impossible for parents and children to have access to green and handmade toys.

If you want green or handmade toy options available for your children you need to get involved.

CedarWorks: Custom, Eco-Friendly Swingsets

October 27, 2008 in Children & Babies, Outdoor Living by Jennifer | No comments

I know you may not be thinking about swingsets right now; heck, summer is over. However, a custom swingset would make a great holiday gift for a lucky kid, and frankly, I like these swingsets too much to wait for summer to blog them.

CedarWorks creates beautiful quality swingsets that don’t take the aesthetics away from your yard. These aren’t typical plastic or metal swingsets, these are lovely, 100% Northern White Cedar sets.

CedarWorks has some stellar eco-goals as a company as well; which you won’t see with the typical kiddie playsets from Toys R Us. Eco-values include…
Read the rest of this entry »

Get Your Kids Involved With Greening the House

August 11, 2008 in Children & Babies, Organic Gardening by Jennifer | 1 comment

tree hugger

Kids can be a valuable asset when it comes to going green. Where your home is concerned, kids can be really helpful because teaching them green steps early on means they’ll be more vigilant than you even.

My son always reminds me to turn off lights, and asks about recycling, so I know first hand that teaching your kids to be eco-friendly at home works.

Here are some easy green steps your kids can take at home:

Gardening: There’s no better way to learn about conserving than actually working with resources related to gardening. Your kids can learn about growth, organics, solar topics, seed saving (instead of buying new), composting, water use and conservation, and more. If you don’t have the yard space for a garden plot, these topics can easily be taught with a container garden.

Bathroom use: Lots of green opportunities occur in the bathroom. Even little kids can learn about turning the water off while brushing their teeth, not flushing everything yellow, and reusing a towel before washing.

Recycling: Get the kids involved in your home recycling. Kids can tell the difference between the recycling bins and the garbage can. Allow them to sort recycling and if they’re confused about bins, try this trick.

Clutter: Clutter and cleaning up said clutter is actually a cool way to teach eco-friendly objectives at home. Kids can learn that broken toys can be fixed, used toys and clothing can be given away vs. tossed, and more. As you clean the house make a point of talking to kids about these landfill reducing topics.

How do you get your kids involved with greening the house?

10 Tips for Greening Your Nursery

August 6, 2008 in Children & Babies, Decor, Furniture & Appliances, Green Cleaning, Organics, Save Energy by Jennifer | No comments

This week we’re going room by room, looking at how we can green up all the spaces of your home. It’s really important to keep your little one’s sleeping space free from chemicals, toxins, and other icky things. Babies, with their smaller bodies and immune systems are more sensitive to everything. Following are ten tips that can help you green your nursery.

organic baby nursery

  1. Get rid of smelly baby odors (think diaper pail) with natural methods.
  2. Install energy saving lights and light bulbs. You can also set up lighting on a timer or sensor – for example, a night light on a sensor can save a ton of energy.
  3. Use non toxic paints and finishes on the walls and furniture.
  4. look for refurbished or recycled furniture. If you refinish it yourself, remember to use healthy non lead, non-toxic laminate or paint. Avoid materials like plywood and particleboard, because it usually contains formaldehyde.
  5. Be sure to buy a  safer, greener, baby mattresses. These used to be spendy, but you can find great deals on green mattresses and it’s worth it. While you’re at it, make sure to invest in organic baby bedding as well.
  6. Look for flame-retardant and sustainable floor coverings and rugs.
  7. Invest in toys made from sustainable wood, non-toxic materials, and made with Fair Trade practices. These type of toys cost more, but it’s better to buy fewer toys that are safe than a bunch of plastic toys chock full of chemicals. You can even consider what you have around the house as toys. Babies still love to bang on pots, play with cups, and dance with you – try to have fun with fewer toys overall.
  8. Invest in greener diaper choices.
  9. Keep your baby clean with natural soap and care options.
  10. Stock up your baby’s closets with natural and organic clothing finds. For some ideas visit the following stores: