Earthlust Birds & Bees Baby Bottles

We’ve loved the pretty designs featured on Earthlust reusable water bottles for a long time. And now they’re catering to the very youngest tree huggers in the family, with the launch of their delightful Birds & Bees Baby Bottles. Like all Earthlust water bottles, these new baby bottles are made with …

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Go Back to School in Polarn O. Pyret’s Eco-Friendly Clothing

We’ve loved Polarn O. Pyret‘s soft, simple 100 percent organic cotton basics for awhile. Now the Swedish children’s brand is expanding it’s ECO collection into recycled fleece for fall. The warm tops and bottoms are made from PET bottles — 25 plastic bottles are used to make one Wind Fleece Jacket for example. In the ECO collection, you’ll find vivid stripes and solids, as well as eye-catching images of nature — all pieces that can be mixed and matched or layered with stuff that’s already in your kid’s closet.

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Eco-Friendly Instinctive Bags for Green Kids and Parents

From diaper bags to toddler backpacks, Instinctive‘s new line of recycled bags delivers on design, price and functionality. The eco-friendly bags are made from 100% recycled polyester, hardware and webbing, saving many plastic bottles from landfills. For parents, we love the Diaper Backpack. It comes with a padded changing mat, and it’s equipped with insulated bottle holders and a rubberized non-toxic waterproof coating to protect the bag from spills.

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Canada to List BPA as a Toxic Substance

It’s a good day to be Canadian. Canada will classify bisphenol-A (BPA) as toxic, making history as the first country to take such a definitive stance on the endocrine disrupting chemical. Environment Canada has now confirmed that the country is in the process of adding BPA to it’s list of toxic substances. BPA has been banned in baby bottles since 2008 in Canada and even though a “toxic” label was proposed at the time, the issue has been heavily debated (widely by the American Chemistry Council) until now. Coincidentally, statistics were released just last week showing that 91 percent of Canadians had BPA in their urine and the highest concentrations were in children. The Environmental Working Group says the chemical contaminates nearly 93 percent of the US population.

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PREVIEW: Topozoo Playsets Will Spark Imaginations

When we discovered Topozoo, Geared for Imagination‘s latest toy incarnation, at this year’s New York International Gift Fair, we instantly knew it would be one of the top green gifts for kids this holiday. Each playset comes with 15 pieces that fit together to form three creatures in category of either safari animals, dinosaurs or monsters. But even though kids can make a giraffe or a T-rex, they can also let their imaginations run wild creating unique mash-ups.

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Inhabitots Interview in 5: gDiapers Co-Founder, Kim Graham Nye

Nearly two years ago, we posted an informative and rave review of gDiapers, the planet’s first flushable diaper; and they received Inhabitots Founder Jill Fehrenbacher’s highest recommendation for a green hybrid diapering option. As the gDiaper collection has expanded, we’ve brought you all of their latest news, from gCloth washable diaper inserts, fashionable new gPant styles, and the latest addition to the line, biodegradable gWipes baby wipes. We were delighted to have the opportunity to present the five questions we ask all of our favorite green designers and eco companies, to Kim Graham Nye, co-founder of gDiapers. Read on for the scoop on how gDiapers got its start, and to learn about the character traits already prevalent in her toddler years that enabled Kim to spearhead this start-up company that is helping to save the planet one tush at a time!

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Don’t Forget to Enter Our Green Back-to-School Giveaway!

Our deadline is quickly approaching for our back-to-school giveaway. We’re giving one lucky Inhabitots reader a recycled Trunk Pack from Instinctive along with a $100 shopping spree from Stubby Pencil Studio to fill the bag with plenty of eco-friendly school supplies such as FSC certified wood colored pencils, soy crayons and banana paper notebooks. Don’t miss out on your chance to win — enter now by following the directions after the jump….

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‘Little People’ – A Tiny Street Art Project by Slinkachu

Quirky art installations that inspire adults and kids alike are some of our favorite news items here at Inhabitots. Remember that gigantic pink hand-knit bunny awaiting visitors in the Italian Alps? And the wonderful “Small World” photography of Matthew Carden? ‘Little People,’ A Tiny Street Art Project by the artist Slinkachu that began in 2006, has also captured our attention and tickled our collective funny bone by showcasing “tiny little people left in the city to defend themselves.” The artist establishes humorous, poignant and thought-provoking shots, using miniature model train set characters poised against backdrops which incorporate street litter, historical landmarks and even insects and vermin. Slinkachu’s work has sprouted up in the UK, Italy, Greece and Norway, but these minuscule masterpieces most likely don’t even register on the radar of passerby.

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Bebeloosh Mini Reusable Organic Snack and Sandwich Bags

In the quest to reduce or eliminate plastic from your life, plastic sandwich bags must go! Our latest find to replace them? The beautifully natural collection of organic sandwich and snack bags from Bebeloosh Mini, which are great for packing lunch bags for school or taking snacks on the go. Designer Elena Berlo creates each bag from a blend of 55 percent recycled hemp and 45 percent unbleached organic cotton, making them durable enough to withstand …

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Our Favorite Kids Finds at New York Gift Fair

 

 

Last week Inhabitots scoured the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) for the coolest new green design goodies for kids. We were at the show, alongside oodles of buyers, hunting down the biggest trends of the season and searching for this year's must-have holiday gifts to sell in their stores. Hundreds of companies, big and small, showed off their stuff, and we found plenty of eye-catching and drool-worthy items for kids and design-minded parents. Check out our pics of the best eco-friendly kid stuff we saw at Gift Fair.

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‘House Blanket’ by Donna Wilson

When chilly weather descends this fall, kids can literally wrap themselves in the comforts of home with designer Donna Wilson’s ‘house blanket.’ This cozy abode is knitted from 100% lambswool and may be fashioned into an instant-playhouse when kids drape it over chairs or various stationary objects. With a generous ‘living space’ of five by seven feet, several family members may also opt to cuddle together on the couch under this coverall, which would make a thematic refuge …

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HOW TO: Make Ice Cube Tray Sushi

Since watching the End of the Line you may have sworn to stave your family off of fish. But with a little ingenuity (making a salmon/sweet potato substitution for example) and help from your sweetheart sushi chefs, this DIY recipe for Ice Cube Tray Sushi by former Cookie magazine editors, Pilar Guzmán, Jenny Rosentrach, and Alanna Stang from their new book Time For Dinner is sure to please tiny pallets.

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DIY Natural Dyes for Homemade Modeling Dough

Oak tree bark, rose petals, turmeric, beetroot, raspberries and blueberries all make wonderful natural dyes for homemade modeling dough — and using these ingredients for color is a fantastic way of introducing kids to the natural world around them (and a great excuse to get out into the fresh air to collect them). Try the natural dye recipes at Mini Eco. You’ll use each of these backyard ingredients to create colored water. Then the water is combined with flour, salt, cream of tartare …

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Mr. Moustache Mobile by Jäll & Tofta

Fitting right in with our affinity for unconventional mobiles — see the Recycled Typography Mobile and the DIY Icosahedron Mobile made out of colored pencils — the Mr. Moustache Mobile by Jäll & Tofta is a cheeky, hair-raising homage to various types of ‘staches. Constructed from 100% recycled paper and nut veneer, this aerial art proves there’s no need to keep a stiff upper lip when it comes to embracing an eco modern aesthetic with your nursery …

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Link Love: DIY Clock Pillows and Summer Party Ideas

Is your toddler ready to learn to tell time? Ohdeedoh suggests creating a clock pillow (shown above) to make it a tactile teaching experience.

Throwing an end of summer family party? Get inspired by The City Cradle‘s vintage ice cream party shared by Lushlee.

The Family Kitchen offers up a recipe for homemade ketchup that’s sure to make your veggie …

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Espace Loggia Creates “Stackable” Rooms For Space-Constrained Kids

We frequently extoll the green virtues of small-space living over at Inhabitat, but figuring out how to make limited real estate work for a family can be challenging. EspaceLoggia, a French company founded in the 1970s by actress Brigitte Bardot’s sister, makes modest dwellings work by maximizing the use of vertical space. The modular nature of the company’s furnishing systems also means that they can be adapted over time to respond to changing needs—evolving as your own child grows.

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