Eco Child’s Play

A few months ago, Eco Dad bought this humongous truck against my advice to wait for more fuel efficient models or for Toyota’s plug-in hybrids to be released. He needs a full size pick up for work, so this was the answer. My point was that now is not the time to buy a vehicle. I predict in the next 5 to 10 years, something has to change in the car industry. But then, Eco Dad proved me wrong and started running biodiesel in the big rig! We are lucky to live in an area where there are two local gas stations selling 99% pure biodiesel. The price for biodiesel has fluctuated from costing a little more than regular diesel to costing a little less. I won’t pretend to be an expert on peak oil issues, but I think that using biodiesel is something that we can do right now while we wait and wait for our government to do something. Biodiesel is not the answer to all our problems, as land is converted to grow crops for fuel rather than food. Reports of deforestation to grow biofuels are surfacings, as well as Fidel Castro has come out against its use. If you own a diesel vehicle, you can switch to biodiesel without doing anything to your car/truck, as long as you buy it from a gas station. No longer is it necessary to make your own by collecting oil from restaurants. The original diesel engine was designed to run on soybean oil, then oil was discovered in North America. The rest is history…..Even Willie Nelson has gotten into the biodiesel action with BioWillie (which is only 20% biofuel based). You can even rent biodiesel cars in LA and Hawaii from Bio-Beetle. For more information about biodiesel, click here. You can also read more about biofuels and deforestation here.

One of the things we have lost in our modern culture is the teaching of fiber arts to our children (unless you adhere to Waldorf philosophy). Traditionally, mothers and grandmothers taught children to weave, sew, and knit. I had to go to college to learn how to weave! I was so excited when my sister bought this Leave It To Weaver Kit from Land of Nod. A similar loom is available through Amazon. This frame loom is of high quality and works well, unlike many other looms I have seen designed for children that are frustrating to use. The right tool is important for good results! The only draw back to this loom is the yarn it comes with is acrylic; however, it is very nice yarn and future projects can be made with natural fiber yarn. The loom is rated for ages 7 and up, but my 5.5 year old daughter has no problem weaving on the wooden loom. Weaving, as well as finger knitting, is a great activities for fine motor development.

Magic Cabin’s Doorway Puppet Theater
is affordable and attractive. I absolutely love the fabric! You can hang the all cotton theater anywhere in your home, and it comes with curtains and pockets for the puppets. It also rolls up neatly into a storage bag. We have had our Doorway Puppet Theater
for over a year, and it shows no signs of wear and tear. Symbolic, pretend play is important for facilitating the development of a child’s cognitive skills (Cook, 2004). Puppets allow children to develop such dramatic play as their stories take on literal elements. My daughter’s first puppet show was about the hiccuping princess who could not find a prince, because she could not stop hiccuping. Characters, the setting, the problem, and the resolution were all present in her story. Somehow, a puppet theater brings the storytelling to a new level, rather than simply playing with puppets alone. It formalizes the experience.

Buying natural toys does give a parent some peace of mind; however, sometimes even natural toys are recalled. The Peek-A-Boo Ball is one such natural toy, and the ecochildsplay family has it! We purchased our Peek-A-Boo Ball through Ecobaby, not Hearthsong. This fun wooden toy was recalled, because the wood can crack, allowing the small wooden people to fall out and pose a choking hazard. 22,500 Peek-A-Boo Balls were sold between 2001-2004, so we can’t be the only family affected. I plan to keep our Peek-A-Boo Ball, but I will inspect it often for cracks. My son is not very oral anymore, so I feel we can keep this great toy.

Hearthsong
and Magic Cabin both provide recall information on their websites. Both companies offer refunds and discounts towards the next purchase for recalled toys.
Click here to view Hearthsong recalls.
Click here to view Magic Cabin recalls.

Yesterday, I attended a presentation by a commercial publisher for a preK curriculum. It was the sort of “cookie cutter” package that takes the creativity out of teaching and assumes anyone can be a teacher by following the script. The presenter held up a card of a child in a park throwing away trash in a receptacle. The card had printed questions on the back for the teacher to ask the children. I asked the presenter, “Where is the recycling bin?”. Her response, “That is more of an advanced skill.” The teachers shook their heads in disbelief. In my opinion, recycling should be taught from the start.

My children, including my two year old son, know the difference between trash, recycling, and compost, as this is been part of our daily routines. In addition, my children make weekly trips to the recycling center with me. I have yet to include them in putting the items in the bins at the recycling center. I have been hesitant, because our recycling is not always the cleanest and occasionally there are broken bottles or sharp tin can lids. However, I look forward to their help when they are older. Recycling is the least we can do to minimize the impact of our trash on the earth, and I want my children to be lifelong recyclers. In fact, my daughter once asked me why her grandmother didn’t recycle. Good question……care to respond Grandma?

If you are looking for local resources on recycling, visit Earth 911. Just type in your zip code, and you will find the location of recycling centers, community activities, and games for children.

Children’s music can be appealing to parents and children, and Jack Johnson’s Curious George Soundtrackfits this description. Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George features Jack with many other great artists of our time. My personal favorite tracks are the “The Sharing Song” and Ben Harper’s “With My Own Two Hands”. Also, the version of an earlier Jack tune “Three is the Magic Number” about of a mother, father, and child is transformed to the “3 R’s”,where Jack tells us, “You got to reduce, reuse, recyle.” Jack got his start creating music for surf films, and he transitions to animation beautifully. If you like Jack, www.archive.org has 199 live Jack shows you can download or stream for free. I personally recommend any show that has his rendition of “How a Pirate Looks at Forty”. I want to thank ecochildsplay reader Molly for suggesting we review the Curious George Soundtrack.
Download your favorite music from iTunes

Many parents do not feel comfortable giving their older infants glass bottles, but there is a BPA-free plastic alternative. Born Free makes BPA-free plastic baby bottles, training cups, and sippy cups. I have not tried out these products, but it is nice to know there is an alternative for parents who feel plastic is the best option for their child. According to Greenfeet, “It doesn’t take much. As little as one to three servings of food with unsafe BPA levels may expose pregnant women and infants to harmful levels of the toxin.” Born Free baby bottles have an inner valve and air vent system that help prevent ear infections and gastro problems. In addition, Born Free products are made in Switzerland. As I’ve stated before, breast is best for babies and toddlers; however, some families use bottles for breastmilk and water. My daughter never used a bottle, but my son used one while he was in the hospital for heart surgery. Pumping round the clock isn’t fun, but the benefits of breastmilk outweigh any mother’s discomfort.

We live in a small cabin, so when grandparents want to buy the children something big, outdoor toys are great. The Austrian Sand Box, available through Magic Cabin, is one such gift we have thoroughly enjoyed. Children love to play in sand, and such sensory experiences are good for their development. They can explore all kinds of physical concepts while playing in the sand. The Austrian Sand Box is made of spruce and comes with a vinyl cover. The cover can be cranked up to provide shade for children and protection from the sun or light rain. When the cover is lowered, the sand inside the box is protected from wandering animals that may want to use if for a litter box. The sand box is large enough that four children can comfortably play inside it.

Putting together the sand box is a challenge, and it took me several hours to figure it out. My friend Laura had a similar experience with their Austrian Sand Box. In addition, the stitching on our vinyl cover has come undone, but I can’t really blame the manufacturing of the product on this repair. Our 125 pound “puppies” use to run across the closed sand box lid for fun. It was an easy repair with a staple gun. In addition, over the course of two years, the uprights that support the cover have become wobbly. My friend had a similar experience with hers, and she took it apart and retightened the connections. Our hot, dry summers probably cause the wood to dry out and shrink, so adjustments are needed. It takes approximately five 50 pound bags of sand to fill the Austrian Sand Box. Be sure to buy safe “play” sand, as contractor grade sand contains fine carcinogenic dust.

Our sand box has been a godsend for entertaining the kids while I work in the garden, mow the lawn, prune fruit trees, etc. Z Recommends suggests parents get second hand plastic play structures for the garden. Personally, I find these toys an eyesore and do not mind the spruce Austrian Sand Box in my yard, as it is aesthetically pleasing.

Update: Magic Cabin no longer offers this product, but you can purchase the Austrian Sandbox from Amazon. Amazon describes the sandbox’s construction as, “The sandbox is made from Austrian Pine and Spruce that was taken from sustainable forestry and is certified by the Pan-European Forest Certification. The wood is treated with a water-based, ecologically sound preservative, and all the corners have been softened to help prevent injury. “

The green world is a buzz with news that the final Harry Potter book will be printed on recycled paper! According to the Daily Grist, “Is Draco Malfoy green with envy, or is it just the paper he’s printed on? With only 121 days until the last Harry Potter book hits the shelves (not that we’re counting), U.S. publisher Scholastic has partnered with the Rainforest Alliance to green up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The 784-page book will have a first printing of 12 million copies in the U.S., and nearly two-thirds of the 16,700 tons of paper used will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as coming from sustainable timber. It’s the largest-ever purchase of FSC-certified paper to be used in a single book printing, and the whomping willows are certainly thankful. In addition, the books will contain at least 30 percent recycled fiber, while the deluxe edition — with a first printing of a mere 100,000 copies — will be printed on 100 percent recycled paper in a renewable-energy-powered factory. Muggle-rific!” Previous Harry Potter books have been printed on recycled paper in Canada and Europe, now green Americans can also enjoy reading Harry Potter without guilt.

We began reading Harry Potter aloud to our five year old daughter a few months ago. She loves the books and never wants me to stop reading them. She is always begging, “two more pages”. We are on the fourth book, and her interest has not waned. We also spend a lot of time talking about the story lines and characters during our long car rides to and from school. J.K. Rawling has done so much to promote reading in the modern youth!
For more information, click here or here.

Thermos has joined the stainless steel sippy cup revolution with Foogo. Foogo products have vacuum insulation to insure your child’s beverage stay fresh (cold drinks only). Foogo is the first stainless steel sippy to have handles for little hands, and it is recommended for children as young as 6 months old. Thermos is also releasing other Foogo products, including a straw bottle and a food jar. I emailed Thermos to find out if the plastic spout and other parts are made with bpa plastic. John Golden
Consumer Service/Quality Assurance Manager quickly responded to my inquiry with, “The Foogo Sippy Cup liner is made of SUS304 Stainless Steel, which is the stainless that Thermos LLC uses on all of their products. The plastic used for the lid is polypropylene, recycle symbol 5, which is BPA free.” Foogo products are not available yet. The sippy cup is suppose to be on the market at the end of March (isn’t that now?), and the full line will be out in July. It appears the sippy cup will retail for $15. We’ll keep you posted. For more information, click here. You can also read about it on nursery.apartmenttherapy.com.