Published on June 29th, 2009
PeekaGreen.com sent me this box of awesome HappyMais for my kids to try out.
HappyMais building blocks are made by Ecotoys in Italy and sold through PeekaGreen.com. The building blocks are made from Mater-Bi, a GM-free certified cornstarch dyed with non-toxic food coloring.
Building blocks made from cornstarch, how cool is that? Read the rest of this entry »
Published on May 21st, 2009
A couple of weeks ago we took a hike in the mountains and collected lots of pine needles, sticks, twigs and a large collection of colorful leaves. I was racking my brain trying to think of something NEW to do with them. We decided to make art pieces out of them!
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Published on April 1st, 2009
Art supplies are wonderful and versatile. What other items offer fun play, creative expression, and learning all in one…for very inexpensive prices?
With art supplies children have the world at their fingertips. There is so much that can be done, be made, be transformed…but with toxic ingredients like lead showing up in kids’ products you want to be sure that the creative supplies are not only fun but safe for the little ones.
Stubby Pencil Studio offers the biggest selection around that I have found, of eco-friendly, non-toxic art supplies and old fashioned games and toys. Perfect items to stuff in Easter baskets.
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Published on March 31st, 2009
We are loving this album by Shana Barry. A Pink Whale and A Very Tall Tree is a lovely collection of folk music for children.
The songs are about the island of Fof and the Fofers who inhabit it… the lyrics talk about all the wonderful things found in nature.
“…I eat blueberries as soon as I pick them, then I head to the raspberry bramble, pick enough for a pie then lie back in the grass…”
Let’s talk sustainability. The album is available in MP3 for download or on CD which is printed in soy based ink, comes in recyclable paperboard cover WITHOUT plastic shrink wrap. Now, that’s responsible packaging. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 28th, 2009
As I was browsing one of my favorite craft sites (FamilyFun.com), I came across the perfect contest for our readers to participate in…
The Amazing Recycled Crafts Contest. I can hardly think of a better way to spend a rainy afternoon then cruising the recycling bin and helping the kids create fun projects. Even better, your craft could win an Energy Star approved Samsung 46″ HDTV or an Apple MacBook.
If you aren’t feeling the creative juices, check out all the great ideas on FamilyFun.com for making recycled crafts. In addition to craft ideas, visit the “Green A Little, Save A Lot” page for green tips, advice and information geared to adults.
Isn’t the bottle giraffe super cute? Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 26th, 2009
Here at Eco Child’s Play, we LOVE Stubby Pencil Studio when Kate Rosenthal, mama of twin girls started her quest for safe art supplies, she found a wonderful niche to fill. I had the opportunity to meet with Kate a while back and see her in action. We spoke about her quest for safe products, the new CPSC/lead regulations, and how one person’s vision has turned into a busy home business.
With Easter coming, we have baskets to fill and my first thought was of Kate and her wonderful shop. So hop on over to Stubby Pencil Studio and order up some of these fabulous eco friendly art supplies and toys (If you are in the Portland area, you can arrange pick up). You’ll feel good knowing that your children are getting safe, sustainable products and our Earth will breathe a bit easier as well.
Start with your choice of basket or packaging (Stubby Pencil offers two basket options this year and also carries Envirosax). If you already own baskets (or buckets, bins and bags) reuse those of course. If not, opt for a container that can get lots of reuse (and you know your world best, so pick: a galvanized metal bucket, a cloth shopping bag, a wicker basket, a hat turned upside down, a kid sized wheel barrow, etc…
Some of our favorite basket filers: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 25th, 2009
Ah, Easter memories. I remember those brightly colored plastic dye sets. You know the ones. All that packaging, plastic parts, and chemical dyes. The cute little bunny labels and little plastic egg dipping spoons.
They are still available, of course. And for busy working mother types, this is tempting. Especially for the craft and creatively impaired such as myself. But they are essentially the opposite of what I believe in: made from chemicals, created and shipped from China (can you say carbon footprint), and packaged in and made from gobs of plastic.
So I was happy when my mother in law passed along a clipping from none other than Ladies Home Journal. Not exactly the site I’d go to for green advice, but they had this short article about how to dye eggs naturally with ingredients found in your kitchen. How cool is that?
Here are the directions:
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Published on March 18th, 2009
My days of Strawberry Shortcake Shrinky-Dinks are long past (although my childhood Strawberry Shortcake doll is still a prized possession–our household rule is that we are allowed no commercial culture toys in the house, unless they’re “vintage”. Ahem), but wow, were they crazy fun or what?
At last year’s Strange Folk festival, some Girl Scouts taught me and my kiddos the joys of #6 plastic. The basic concept: It shrinks! Like Shriny-Dinks! Equally awesomely! And because you get to draw your own pictures, not fill in some pre-printed coloring sheet, AND you get to re-use before you recycle, it’s a great activity to do with our budding little environmentalists.
There are lots of tutorials on the web for shrinking #6 plastic, all a little different, but here’s how my family does ours: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 7th, 2009
My little girls recently took part in an Artist Trading Card swap for children. Not only did they have a blast, but among other equally valuable and equally unteachable lessons they learned that art is accessible, that art is fun, that art is a process (hello, experiential education!), and that they, just like the creators of the works they see on our every museum visit, are themselves artists.
This concept of themselves as artists and their creations as art is great for my girls, sure, but it’s also great for the world: empowering our children to create instead of consume, and teaching them that their creations are valid and satisfying and meaningful can help them place less emphasis on a mass media, consumer culture and more on a person-to-person, handmade, emotionally satisfying lifestyle.
Artist Trading Cards are the big thing now among artists and crafters, professional and casual, and this activity has recently become the easiest and most accessible it’s ever been, especially for kids. Here’s how to get started: Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 4th, 2009
Here you go, green families. We are all feeling the economic pain of this recession. What fuel for the creative mind! Here’s a way to put all your frugal greeness into the world, and possibly make a lump of cash doing so. JustDoOne.org, an online community for sustainable living, today issued a global call for personal green solutions. The Just Do One organization is collecting the best ideas for more sustainable living, summarized in three-minute YouTube-style videos, and sharing them free with the interested community worldwide. The best video entry, as judged by the JustDoOne.org community and an expert panel, wins a $5,000 cash prize.
Oh yes, get out your inner producer. Here is your opportunity to promote green choices for families in a fun, creative and informative way. If you have older children, they might be seriously motivated by using this technology, and the ching! involved. You can also submit animated clips. Over at JustDoOne.org, they have music, images and other tools you can use to create snazzy videos. Get inspired by watching this video.
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