1. Yamamotoyama Seaweed Snack Chips Teriyaki

We discovered these seaweed snacks at a health food store in Mt. Shasta, CA. My kids love to just snack on full sheets of nori, but these small snack size bites are perfect for munching in the car and packing in school lunches.

Nori has traditionally been eaten in Asian cultures.  It can be used for Sushi, rice balls, topping on noodles, salads, pasta, and rice dishes.  Nori is a valuable nutrition source filled with proteins, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, and zinc which are necessary components for maintaining good health.

These “chips” just kind of melt in your mouth, and the teriyaki flavoring is not too strong for my kids. 

Would I buy this product? Yes.  I wish I could find them in a local health food store, and I will be stocking up on our next ski trip to Shasta.

2. Pediped Originals Infant/ Toddler Ella Cork Sandal Ella

Pediped makes adorable shoes for little walkers. Considered “the next best thing to bare feet”, flexible soles and uppers are recommended by pediatricians.

COMFORT: pediped footwear are made with premium, non-toxic, ECO grade leather throughout. Foam insoles & cushions provide for a comfortable fit and the heels are padded to absorb shock. pediped simply offer the ultimate in comfort and protection……QUALITY : pediped footwear’s unsurpassed quality and craftsmanship have earned them a loyal following. Premium grade leather, distinctive styling and remarkable attention to detail have resulted in a truly exceptional shoe. pediped footwear have caught the attention of parents, grandparents and celebrities alike…. pediped footwear is recommended by podiatrists The American Podiatric Medical Association says, “Allowing the youngster to go barefoot or to wear just socks helps the foot to grow normally and to develop its musculature and strength as well as the grasping action of the toes” .

I don’t know what “ECO grade leather” is, and I could not find information on the company’s website. I do know these shoes smelled strongly when I took them out of the box, which I do find concerning.  They say they are nontoxic, but I am not sure what is outgassing.

Would I buy this product? Maybe. They cost $32, which I do not think is too much for toddler shoes that are good for little feet.  Toddlers don’t need many pairs of shoes. What does concern me is the odor…I would be sure to let these shoes sit in fresh air for quite sometime before putting on little feet.

3.  “Surf Ace of the Sun” iStoryTime by Joe Mohr

Joe Mohr’s Hank D and the Bee cartoons are a regular Thursday feature here on Eco Child’s Play. “Surf Ace of the Sun” features three original Joe Mohr cartoons with an environmental theme:  “Surf Ace of the Sun”, ‘The Newt on my Boot Asked Me not to Pollute”, and “Wouldn’t it be Nice?”  I don’t want to give away the stories, but you will enjoy their cadence, narration, and illustrations.  MusicBoatGuy’s review states:

I love the enviornmental [sic] message. My daughter loves it – and i love what it is teaching her. A steal at 0.99. great drawings, great narration. Perfect for the car. And it includes surfing to boot.

My daughter really liked these poems, and I think she felt a little inspired. I wonder if kids can create stories for iPhones?

Would I buy this product? Yes. This is a great deal at $0.99, and I am a big fan Joe Mohr!  Of course, there is some concern about cell phone radiation with children and iPhones; however, children don’t hold the gadget by their heads to view/listen/read the poems, and the phone is not transmitting as it would be when talking.  Viewing this app probably falls near the low end of radiation on an iPhone, and it doesn’t take that long to go through all of the poems.

4.  staSAFE All Natural Hand Sanitizer and Protector

The flu is rampant right now in our school because one irresponsible parent brought her sick child to school (101.2 fever) when she had to work. My son topped out at 102.8 today, and I have been accused of being a “germaphobe” this week.

We’ve reviewed a lot of natural hand sanitizers in the past, but staSAFE is the first all natural, alcohol free hand sanitizer advertising “ongoing” protection for hours.

staSAFE is made with Argenius,™ a unique formulation of natural ingredients proven to kill 99.9% of common germs.
Our formula requires no environmental or health warnings on the label. The ingredients in staSAFE are safe, long acting, non-toxic and moisturizing. Our products are never tested on animals and don’t contain parabens, phthalates, formaldehydes, or steroids.

staSafe works by using a silver-zinc complex to “coat” your hands. After rubbing in for 30 seconds, your hands smell good and feel soft.  My concern is with the silver. I could not find any info on if this was indeed silver nanoparticles as I suspect.

Would I buy this product? Maybe. I just don’t know about the silver, I don’t know the price, but I like that it offers lasting protection from bacteria.

5. New Jammies Fruits & Veggies Peas PJ’s

Organic jammies are the best!  My kids spend more time in their pajamas than any other item of clothing, so we try to buy organic whenever possible.

Imagine as a parent having the tools to make your child happy and healthy.  New Jammies provides these tools by making bed time fun, healthy, and educational.   Each time your child steps into a pair of New Jammies, the colorful patterns will teach your child about the things that are good for them such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

What could be sweeter for a bedtime snack than a delicious apple treat for the “apple of your eye”.  Your child will happily march off to bed with dreams of bananas, blueberries & peas in their head.   New Jammies are good for your child, made of 100% natural organic cotton, and hey they look darn cute in them too!!!

New Jammies make delightfully soft sleepwear, and our set came with a book.  Although I found the story annoying, as each fruit or vegetable in the story competes to the best, I do like the pretty peas please jammies.

Would I buy this product? Maybe.  I hate to say no, but I think they are overpriced at $30, but I love organic jammies.

Disclosure: The products described above were sent to us as free samples, unless noted differently in the review. Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given. No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews. The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.

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5 Green Products: Seaweed Snacks to Organic Literate Jammies is a post from: Eco Child's Play

Photo by eren | thisvintagechica

Scholastic book orders suck

I fondly remember Scholastic book orders from my childhood.  It was always so exciting to get that little newsprint catalog each month and browse the affordable books.  My children experience this same excitement, only problem is…their book orders suck!

What has happened to Scholastic’s quality?  Do they really think parents want to buy crappy cheap Chinese toys and video games instead of quality literature?

It’s been eight years since I taught elementary school full time, and even then I noticed the children were more attracted to the fuzzy diaries and the cheap horse necklaces than the actual books in book orders.  As a teacher, I liked being able to provide affordable books for families to purchase, as well as earn points redeemable for classroom books from our orders, but I hated sending home all that junk and poorly written books.

Scholastic has just continued to go further and further downhill since my teaching days. This week, my daughter brought home two book orders. The first one, called “Click” contains nothing but video games.  Sure there are some “educational” titles such as “Kid Pix” and “Learn Math“.  There’s even an “eco-friendly” game called “National Geographic: Plan It Green“, but the selections are mostly what I consider junk like “Chicken Shoot” and “World of Goo“.  Even the prices aren’t so good anymore, as most of these titles are available for less on Amazon.  It’s not that I am anti-video games, I just don’t think they belong in school book orders.

The second book order my eight-year-old daughter brought home from school is called “Lucky”, and guess what…they snuck a few “educational” computer games in there too.  Even the classic Guiness World Records book is the “Gamer’s Edition”.  Oh, there are other great gems, like the Purple Princess Wins The Prize that comes with a giant purple ring!  Why does Scholastic think that every crappy book needs a crappy toy to go with it?  Of course, it is not all bad.  I did find The Frog and Toad, books way below my daughter’s reading abilities, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a book we have already read several times.  In the end, I must confess, I allowed my daughter to order some crappy spy kit with some crappy toy, as long as she used her own money.  Her teacher will be getting a lot of pennies

Although I applaud Scholastic’s attempt (or was it greenwashing) to go green, until they remove cheap crappy toys from their book orders, I don’t care how much FSC-certified paper you use.  This is certainly not the first time that we have ranted about the lack of books in Scholastic book orders, and it will probably not be the last.

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Green Mama’s Rant: Scholastic Book Orders Suck! is a post from: Eco Child's Play

1. First Step Organic Cuddly Bear Kimono Bodysuit

Our goal is to provide you with the highest quality certified 100% organic cotton non-toxic apparel for your baby. Our hip and stylish organic baby basics collection includes short- and long-sleeve tees, snap-bottom bodysuits, wrap-around bodysuits and pants.

A cute little bear adorns the front above the words “natural life” on this soft, natural kimono style, long-sleeve onesie.  This adorable organic onesie is made with nickel-free snaps and 100% organic cotton that is GOTS certified.  Before reading this product’s description, I had never considered that the snaps in children’s clothing could contain heavy metals.

Would I buy this product? No. I know sustainability is expensive, but at $23 for something so little seems a little steep. Under The Nile organic long sleeve bodysuits are only $12, but they don’t have the cute little bear on them.

2. Green Toys Dump Truck

Green Toys is great company that makes recycled plastic toys in the USA. Although I prefer sustainable wooden toys, sometimes plastic is best.  For example, plastic trucks, such as this dump truck, are perfect for sand and gravel play.

Need help hauling a big load while helping save the planet? Then the Green Toy Dump Truck is ready to get working. Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers that save energy and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Toys Dump Truck is possibly the most energy efficient vehicle on this or any planet. The super cool eco-design has a workable dumper and no metal axles.

Green Toys also makes a super cool recycling truck.

Would I buy this product? Yes, I actually have.  My son has had a lot of medical interventions and fears doctors. I resorted to bribery positive reinforcement the last time we went to the dentist with a trip to the toy store to try and relieve his anxiety. This dump truck was the only eco-friendly toy we could find in the toy store.  $20 may seem like a lot for a plastic toy, but recycling isn’t cheap!

3.  EO Products Hair Care

EO Products is a company I have long trusted for beauty and personal care.  Their new hair care line lives up to the same standards of being “natural, gentle, effective and free from animal testing” you would expect from this great company.  The new hair care line includes:

• EO Restorative Shampoo for Dry Hair, Chamomile & Honey
• EO Conditioner Restorative for Dry Hair, Chamomile & Honey
• EO Everyday Shampoo for Normal Hair, French Lavender
• EO Everyday Conditioner for Normal Hair, French Lavender
• EO Sweet Orange Clarifying Shampoo
• EO Rose Geranium & Sweet Orange Conditioner
• EO Volumizing Shampoo for Fine Hair, Rosemary and Mint
• EO Light & Volumizing Conditioner for Fine/Oily Hair, Rosemary & Mint
• EO Protective Shampoo for Color Treated Hair, Rose & Chamomile
• EO Nourishing Conditioner, Dry or Treated Hair, Rose & Chamomile
• EO Repair Deep Conditioner Wild Lime & Ginger

Besides the natural unique ingredients, such as quinoa protein and carrot oil, I love how many EO products are available in bulk gallon jugs.  Plus, these hair care products are made in Marin County, California, which is closer to my home than where most beauty products originate.

Would I buy this product? Yes.  EO products are affordable, and I regularly buy them for my family. I feel safe using these products on my children.

4.  Degree 6 Clothing:  “Style for the conscious human”

Degree 6 (D6) Clothing is a line of organic, sustainable, eco-friendly fashion for the whole family. The children’s clothing is very cute, and I love how the label reads like a label found on food items. It contains information such as serving size, calories, fertilizers, toxic dyes, preservatives, etc. From t-shirts to jumpsuits, this clothing is made from organic cotton, bamboo, and/or recycled polyester. In fact, D6 chooses bamboo for its t-shirts because:

Manufacturing a single cotton t-shirt requires a whopping 700 gallons of water. This sobering statistic stands in stark relief when compared with bamboo. When it comes to water usage, bamboo is the clear winner; the same sized t-shirt made out of bamboo fabric requires 1/20 of the water that cotton does – or approximately 35 gallons.

Would I buy this product? Yes for sustainability, but I don’t know the price. Women’s t-shirts sell for $92, so I doubt these baby clothes would be within many people’s budgets.

5. The Itchy Kids Club: Silly Poems for Itchy Kids

Itchy Kids Club provides support for children with allergies.  From environmental allergies to food allergies, it can be hard to be an itchy kid. The silly poems in this book make it a little bit easier by letting kids know they are not alone.

Woe is Me

My toes are itchy from the grass

My belly hurts from all the gas

My skin is tender from the rash

My hives are lumpy and aghast

Allergies from grass and trees

Belly aches from milk and cheese

Eczema from head to knees

Breakouts from food allergies

I don’t like being such a pain

I don’t like having to complain

But you must know how I disdain

These allergies make me insane

Having food allergies can be especially difficult for young children. My neighbor’s grandson has many food allergies.  The other day, his sister and some friends were eating cheese. He took cheese out of the refrigerator and told his mother he just wanted to look at it.

Would I buy this product? I don’t know. It seems expensive at $20 for a softbound book, but if I had a child who was really suffering from allergies, this book could be helpful. It may even inspire your child to write their own itchy poems.

Disclosure:  The products described above were sent to us as free samples, with the exception of the dump truck which I personally purchased.  Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given.  No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews.  The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.

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5 Green Products: Organic Kimono Baby Clothing to Itchy Kids Silly Poems is a post from: Eco Child's Play

This post was originally posted on Eco-Libris blog on December 7, 2009.

Today we start a new holidays series – in the next two weeks, we will review here green books that not only are interesting and focusing on green issues, but can also be great gifts on for the holidays!

Each book will be dedicated to another group and we start today with a group I’m proud to be part of for the last 18 months – parents. And the green book we’re recommending to give to parents is:

The Looking Book

Author: P.K. Hallinan
P. K. Hallinan has been writing and illustrating books for children since his wife first asked him to create one for their boys more than 35 years ago. Today, P. K. writes inspirational stories about holidays, relationships, and life values. His book, Let’s Be Kind, was chosen by Focus on the Family as a top 10 family-friendly picture book. P. K. has over 100 titles to his credit, with more than eight million copies sold. In addition to his writing, P. K. is an ordained minister and a well-known school speaker.

Illustrator: Patrice Barton
Patrice Barton’s artistic talents were first discovered at age three, when she was found creating a mural on the dining room wall with a pastry brush and a can of Crisco. Her interest and passion in art grew as she did, and she earned a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas. She has been working as an illustrator ever since.

Publisher: Ideals Children’s Books

Published on: October 2009

What this book is about?
The Looking Book tells the story of Kenny and Mikey, two young boys each given a pair of “lookers” by their mom. “Lookers” are special glasses, she says, to help you see the world like never before. The ordinary transforms into the fantastical, as the boys see with greater clarity the wonders they overlook everyday.

As the boys discover the fun of the outdoors, Hallinan imparts a well-timed message to a generation of “digital natives.” Once outside, they are captivated by the trees, grass and even ants, seeing them like never before. Thy find a ladybug and butterfly with their “lookers” and think they are even cooler than the ones in cartoons. Eventually, the boys realize that they don’t even need their “lookers” to enjoy the world outside.

Why it’s a great holiday gift for parents?
I think there is almost no parent out there who doesn’t deal with the problem that kids nowadays prefer to stay at home, usually in front of the computer or the TV, instead of playing outside. Now, research suggests that playtime may be as important to a child’s academic experience as spelling tests or problem solving, but I also think there is an important “green” added value for this kind of experience. When nature is no stranger to a kid, then I believe she or he will grow up to be more sensitive and caring about nature and the environment.

When kids learn about it only through the virtual world, there’s a good chance they won’t be able to recognize all the richness and the beauty we have around us and hence won’t be that concerned about protecting and supporting mother earth.

The lively rhyming with the beautiful illustrations making this book both educational and fun and can actually help parents in what some may see as mission (almost) impossible – getting children to open the door, go outside, play and enjoy in the wonders of the world around them.

Price: $12.74

Disclosure: We received a copy of this book from the publicist.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!

We’re giving away our review copy of the book, courtesy of the publicist, and of course a tree will be planted for the copy!

How you can win? Please add a comment below and share with us your experience on what’s the best way to get children to play outside. Submissions are accepted until Friday, December 18, 12PM EST. The winner will be announced the following day.

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Green Book Review for the Holidays: The Book You Should Bring to Parents is a post from: Eco Child's Play

Looking for great eco-friendly gifts that won’t bust your budget? Then check out some of these great kids’ gifts- all for under $30 a piece.

Little ones on your list are sure to love Maggie’s Organics adorable sock monkeys. They are the cutest, organic sock monkeys that I’ve seen. They are a must have for any kids on your list. My little guy received over a year ago and it is still his favorite toy. It is made from organic materials and filled with recycled poly fill so it is green and safe for your little ones.

Maggie’s Organics now has other sock creatures as well.

Sock monkeys retail for $20. Maggie’s Organics organic Penguins are $20 and Maggie’s barnyard animals are $15

Ditch the plastic bottles and opt for CGKidz stainless steel water bottles by CynerGreen. They are stainless steel and fabulously reusable, a great way to carry around water or juice. Better than BPA filled plastic bottles that are neither safe nor eco.

All of the stainless steel bottles made by CynerGreen are under $25

Ecousable also has a nice selection of stainless steel, BPA free bottles including cute 10 ounce bottles with kid friendly designs and filter bottles that have their own built in filter to help get rid of what could be lurking in your tap water.

10 ounce kid size bottles are $12.49 and prices go up from there the filtered bottles are just over our $30 budget at $34.99 for an 18 ounce and $39.99 for a 25 ounce
A really green toy making company is Plan Toys. They offer quality wood toys made with environmentally friendly, kiln dried, chemical free, rubberwood. Their toys are also made with E-Zero glue, water based non-toxic colors, and recycled and recyclable materials. Plan Toys does everything with “green” in mind. Rosie Hippo shares the “green” passion of Plan Toys and sells only ethical, quality, eco-friendly toys for children. Rosie Hippo offers many Plan Toys like the wood and metal cookware set which is realistic yet small, the perfect size for little hands. The matching tableware set is a playful work of art with cute little plates, bowls, forks and knives all made of wood.

The cookware set retails for $20 at Rosie Hippo while the wood tableware set is $25. Rosie Hippo carries a wide variety of other eco and ethical toys in addition to those by Plan Toys

Stubby Pencil Studio, they have eco-art supplies for your little ones that are perfect for holiday stocking stuffers. Eco-friendly pencils, soy crayons, smencils, Forest Stewardship Council approved colored pencils, banana paper notebooks, washable markers, recycled paper sketchbooks and journals.

Almost everything at Stubby Pencil Studio is under $25

Another company that offers wonderfully “green” art supplies for kids is Clementine Art . They make safe markers, natural glue, natural soy crayon rocks, soy crayons shaped for little hands to hold, safe finger paints, and natural modeling dough- all which will make fabulous stocking stuffers for the budding artist on your shopping list.

Plan to add some of Clementine’s art supplies to your cart when you’re at a Whole Foods Market because right now that’s where they can exclusively be found. Hopefully soon they will have an online store or be offered at online retailers.
Eco-Artware is one of my favorite eco shopping destinations Eco-Artware has gifts for everyone including several toys for little ones like adorable stuffed animals made from recycled sweaters. My daughter has been eying the penguin for ages. She may just get it this Christmas.

Most of the sweater critters are $26 each. Some are cheaper, at $20 while a few are more expensive
Do you have budding builders and architects on your shopping list? Then check out CitiBlocs the newest building blocks for kids. Made from renewable New Zealand forests of Radiata Pine, CitiBlocs are unique because every single block is the same shape and size, precisely cut and shaped to make sure they offer stable, quality pieces that can be stacked and balanced. No glue, snaps, or connectors needed -just a bit of imagination which children are often full of-especially when they have the right inspiration in front of them.

A natural set with 52 pieces is $15
If you have a little princess then check out Rebekah Green’s line of children’s earrings. They are so cute and come in child friendly designs: turtles, bears, ladybugs, flowers, snowflakes, cherries, butterflies, bees, spiders, angels, and plain studs that are all sustainably made. The children’s designs are made especially with little ears in mind. They feature small, fun creations set in white, yellow and rose golds with safety backings.

Rebekah Green’s earrings are all made exclusively from 100% recycled 14K and 18K gold, fair trade gemstones, and cubic zirconia (to avoid any association with conflict diamonds and to keep pricing reasonable). The earrings are manufactured in the USA and 5% of net profits are donated to charities.

These earrings are reasonably priced. The turtle earrings are just $30. That’s a great price for ethical, sustainable, eco-friendly, real gold jewelry. Most all of the children’s earrings are under $40

HappyMais building blocks are made by Ecotoys in Italy and sold through PeekaGreen.com. The building blocks are made from cornstarch dyed with non-toxic food coloring. A basic kit comes with over 700 pieces, a sponge, a special mater-bi knife to safely cut the pieces, and a sheet of cardboard cutouts to attach to the cornstarch pieces to make creative creatures and designs.
With Happy Mais you don’t need any glue, paint or other messy stuff. Everything you need, except the water, comes right in the box. Kids get the pieces slightly wet and stick them together to make fun things. Slightly moistened pieces can be molded and shaped-just don’t get them too wet or they will disintegrate into nothing.

A box of Happy Mais is $29
Bluedominoes safe activity dough is an all natural, safe, organic, gluten free, lead free dough that kids can play with for hours of doughy fun. Even the packaging is “green”.

A five pack of different colored activity dough is only $14.99
Hape Toys has some really wonderful eco and ethical toys including wood toys by Woody Clik and some very cute bamboo cars called ERacers.

ERacers are $19.95
For the little reader on your list consider the picture story book Miracle in Sumatra: The Story of Gutsy Gus by Jeanne McNaney the author of The Legend of Honey Hollow. Where Honey Hollow featured bears, Miracle in Sumatra “chronicles Gus, a young orangutan who fights to save his parents from greedy trappers”. This wonderfully illustrated book will help children learn about standing up for what they love, compassion, and how to be an environmental advocate. It’s a book with a green message all children should learn about at an early age.

Retail price for Miracle in Sumatra is $16.95

For older children, mainly in the 7-11 age group, The Fairy Houses Series by Tracey Kane is a great series of books that combines magic and nature in a way children love. The newest book in the series is Forest Secrets. In Forest Secrets a little girl discovers her home is on the border of an enchanted forest where she finds a new friend and a mysterious fairy house in the trunk of a tree. They soon learn the woods are in danger but they are determined to save them, but how?

Forest Secrets retails for $14.95
[This post was written by Wenona Napolitano.]

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Green Kids’ Gifts on a Budget: Eco-Friendly Presents and Stocking Stuffers for Under $30 is a post from: Eco Child's Play

Here’s a fun book you may enjoy. It could inspire you with new ways to teach your child about living green. Or it may make a great gift for another parent that you know who could use some help in the eco-department.

Grow Your Own Tree Hugger: 101 activities to teach your child how to live green by Wendy Rosenoff is full of activities, crafts and recipes that can easily teach children about the environment and about being green without being preachy.

Some of the activities sound like so much fun your kids won’t even know they’re learning.

A few of the activities in Grow Your Own Tree Hugger: 101 activities to teach your child how to live green are: basket weaving from twigs found in the yard, gift wrap made from maps and sheets of music, craft stamps made from wine corks, memory jars, and an old favorite tie dying old clothes into something fun and new.

There’s also some yummy recipes: King Cake Surprise, edible dominoes, fruit salad in a watermelon, moon phase sugar cookies and sunflower gelato cake.

I’ve read a lot of ”green your kid” books and this one has to be one of the best- it makes everything fun. Which is great because when it comes to kids serious doom and gloom isn’t going to win you any points.

[This post was written by Wenona Napolitano.]

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Grow Your Own Tree Hugger: 101 Activities to Teach Your Child How to Live Green is a post from: Eco Child's Play

Editor’s Note:  This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a  a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

Let Me Out! How to enjoy the school run by Ann Kenrick is a book about sustainable school travel.  Any parent, no matter the size of their child’s school, has witnessed the traffic jam and exhaust fumes associated with the start and end of the school day, but it wasn’t always so.  According to Kenrick, if you picked a random group of 40-year-old and asked them how they traveled to school, over “90% will say they walked” to school.  Let Me Out! How to enjoy the school run contemplates why school transportation trends have changed in such a short time and suggest methods to “reverse the trend.”

Why should we care how school children are transported to school in Europe and North America?  Of course, greenhouse gas emissions are a concern of any form of gas-fueled transportation; however, there are economic and health concerns as well.  Childhood obesity is on the rise, and the world is facing high unemployment rates and economic recession.

Kenrick offers practical advice for making changes within your own school district. She suggests parents form an action group and start by focusing on travel to school, since after school programs create a variable of times for afternoon transportation. Kenrick answers many possible objections from car loving parents, such as:

OBJECTION:  The traffic is too dangerous for my child to walk.

RESPONSE:  There are many dangers associated with being in a car as well…

If in a car – twice as likely to be in an accident than if on foot.

Kenrick goes on to explain how your parent action committee can create a School Travel Plan providing many examples from successful schools, as well as ideas for support and funding.

Let Me Out! How to enjoy the school run is published by Lollypop Publishing.  This green publisher uses 20% post consumer waste, acid-free paper that is certified by SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative), and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes). Furthermore, the company uses a unique printing method:

At Lollypop we use the LSI solution of “one–off” printing as we view it as one of the most environmentally friendly print options available to the book industry today. Considering the elimination of wasted inventory, the elimination energy needed to recycle wasted inventory, and the elimination of fuel burned to ship large volumes of books around to multiple stops in the value chain. We feel that the environmental impact is significant.

There is a considerable reduction in the number of miles our books are transported. Directly from the printer to the point of sale vastly reduces the effects of unnecessary transport has on our natural environment. Usually unsold books and are destroyed after being shipped and handled many times. The production methods we employ stop that.

Disclosure: I was given a review copy of this book in order to participate in the Green Books Campaign.

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Green Books Campaign: Let Me Out! How to enjoy the school run is a post from: Eco Child's Play

Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making by Micaela Preston is exactly what it says, a practical guide to going green.

This is one of the best green books I have read, probably because it isn’t all preachy and because I am a big DIY girl I just love the 30+ DIY projects included in this book.

If you are a regular reader of green parenting blogs then the Mindful Momma is probably on your to-read list. That’s new author Micaela Preston.

She has offered up insightful and fun green tips, musings and how to’s for awhile now and now in practically Green you get the best of them in a book you can have within arms reach at all times.

Not only are there DIY projects there are also yummy recipes, easy to understand charts, and copy and clip green shopping guides. This book takes the guesswork out of going green.

Each chapter is broken down into “Buy It” and “Do It” sections and yes while I realize buying stuff isn’t the greenest answer when you do need to purchase something at least make the green choice and that’s where so many people get confused. They wonder “what’s green”, “what’s the greenest of the green”, “if there’s not a green option is there a better option at least”. This books helps with that.

And it’s all packed into one cute little green book printed on recycled paper )of course).

So if you’re looking for the latest in green reads check out this handy little book for moms and anyone else who is thinking about being green.

Some of the DIY projects I really lover are the  crayon cupcakes- this is a great way to make use of leftover broken crayon pieces and the felted bunny is too cute…and the cloth napkins well that’s just something we should all have more of and now I have directions on how to make my very own. Cool.

Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making will make a great stocking stuffer too if you know someone who needs a little green nudge.

[This post was written by Wenona Napolitano.]

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Practically Green by Micaela Preston is a post from: Eco Child's Play

When you have your first child, you don’t usually have someone always hanging out that you have to explain this natural process to. Sure, there are the gawkers at public breastfeeding. And the occasional MIL or distant relative who doesn’t think you should because they didn’t.

But by the time that second (or third or fourth) comes into the picture, you have an older sibling who just might not understand, “Why in the world is mama feeding baby under her shirt?”

If you’re not looking to pick up a breastfeeding doll, halter top and all, you’re probably looking for an engaging way to discuss breastfeeding with your tot.

That is where the book “Mommy Breastfeeds My Baby Brother” was born. Want a chance to win it?

In this children’s story, big sister Jenna meets her baby brother and is immediately confused.

Daddy, what is Mommy doing?

Mommy is feeding the baby.

With her booby?

This innocent exchange begins one of many questions Jenna has about breastfeeding. And the roots of her questions are deeper than, “What’s up with that?!”

Will Jenna lose her place with Mommy with this baby boy latched on to her? Where does she belong in this growing family?

This book seems very organic. Emotions are displayed in vibrant colors for the characters. It is a visually and intellectually stimulating way to address the questions about breastfeeding.

“Mommy Breastfeeds” was born out of the Repkin’s own family dynamic: their daughter navigating her own questions about breastfeeding.

As for my family, my 4-year-old son loved the book, giving me play-by-play on the story as he first checked it out.

Now your family can have one, too. Here is your chance to win!

How to? Simply comment here: how can we teach children about breastfeeding?

Hurry! Contest ends at midnight (EST) on Sunday, September 13.

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“Mommy Breastfeeds” Book Review and Giveaway is a post from: Eco Child's Play

Sneaky Green Uses for Everyday Things: How to Craft Eco-Garments and Sneaky Snack Kits, Create Green Cleaners, Remake Paper into Flying Toys, Assemble … a Robot Recycle Bin with Everyday Things is a fun and fabulous book for people that love to create their own gadgets.

This book is almost like a science project book. Both my older kids are checking it deciding which fun gadgets and experiments they want to try.

If you do homeschooling this might be a great book for you to get since it is full of green projects, experiments and even some crafty fun.

Not only are their gadgets and gizmos to create, there is some great information in this book like explaining the basics of energy, gas saving tips, plastic recycling, and energy conservation tips.

Some of the really cool projects in the book are: a solar powered motor, a solar cooker, a nuclear energy simulator, an ethanol demonstration, an oil refinery demonstration, an easy electric motor, a hydrogen power demonstration, a solar power generator and so much more.

I know some of these projects sound daunting but most of them use things you have lying around the home like: batteries, paper clips, tape, wire, water, pots and pans, and cardboard. Super great science experiments for the kids. My daughter is getting ideas for her next science fair, perhaps creating an exhibit showcasing alternative energy sources like solar, ethanol and electric using these simple experiments.

For the less scientific crowd there are simple projects made from cardboard boxes, paper and a few other items like the recycle bin sorter, a fun robot recycle bin (great way to make recycling fun for the kids), a flying disk, a mini boomerang, a mouth flapper, a book safe and other easy and fun projects. 

I love that this book isn’t just green and fun, it is also very educational.

[This post was written by Wenona Napolitano.]

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A Review of Sneaky Green Uses for Everyday Things by Cy Tymony is a post from: Eco Child's Play