2011 September | Inhabitots

100% Lambswool Pencil Scarf Points the Way to Back to School Style

by Beth Shea, 09/07/11

Let’s get to the point. When it starts to get cooler outside, it can be nearly impossible to get your tykes to agree to donning a sweater or a coat before heading out into brisk weather. But an adorable pencil scarf? We’re certain even the most discerning kid will happily wrap this cuddly version of the schoolroom staple around her neck to stave off chills and to look effortlessly chic. Hand-knit using 100% lambswool, it will be easy to look ‘sharp’ in the bold red, blue or green variations of this festive accessory.

+ 100% Lambswool Pencil Scarf $42

+ Sara Carr

Stuff Your Doodles Turns Your Tot’s Drawing into an Eco-Friendly Stuffed Figure

by Beth Shea, 09/07/11

When your tot draws a picture that makes your heart skip a beat, don’t you wish there was a better way to pay tribute to the masterpiece than by sticking it to the fridge next to a takeout menu? Stuff Your Doodles elevates and immortalizes your crafty little one’s artwork by turning it into a handmade “bespoke soft figure.” Based in Scotland, textile designer Lucy Moose came up with this transformative idea when her own three year-old created a quirky character on paper, and Moose fashioned a cloth version of it to cuddle.

READ MORE >

Grow Books Compostable Children’s Books and Toys Make Recycling Easier

by Helen Morgan, 09/07/11

Children grow and change so quickly that it’s seemingly impossible to provide stimulating material that doesn’t soon end up in a landfill. But Grow Books provides an eco-friendly alternative to child stimulation by producing compostable books and toys that focus on teaching kids about current social issues. Established earlier this year, the young press offers great material for curious children while maintaining a strong
commitment to the environment. Read on to learn about the toys and books this company dreamed up.

READ MORE >

Birch Walking Blocks Are Natural, Old-Fashioned Fun

by Marni Fogelson-Teel, 09/06/11

Got an aspiring Cirque du Soleil performer in your house? We’ve got a new toy for you. Vermont Branch Company’s Birch Walking Blocks are a fun, natural way for kids to practice their balance and agility skills (plus, they look like a lot of fun). Handmade from carefully selected birch branches from the company’s backyard homestead, the blocks come with attached cotton ropes for easy grasping. The design may be simple, but we are convinced these walking blocks will keep kids ages 3 to 6 entertained for hours. Let the circus

+ Natural Birch Walking Blocks $16.00

+ Vermont Branch Company

Wean Cubes Glass Storage Containers Now Available in Snack & Sandwich Sizes

You’ve bagged the “baggie” and the “brown bag” for the sake of the environment, and we’ve found the ideal containers for packing your hungry monkey’s reusable lunch bag: Wean Cubes! When Wean Cubes first debuted on the scene, they came in small sizes designed to store perfect portions of baby food. Now Wean Green has expanded their collection to include tempered glass storage in larger snack and sandwich sizes for big kids! They’re ideal for keeping sandwiches from squishing, fruit from smashing and crackers from cracking!

7 Vegetarian School Lunch Box Ideas for Kids

School cafeteria lunches are often unhealthy and less than tasty, and for vegetarian kiddos, the options might be limited to french fries and cookies. But bringing lunch from home doesn't mean your child needs to be stuck with a PB & J sandwich everyday. If you have a few spare minutes, you can prepare some simple and satisfying vegetarian lunch options that will surprise and delight your tot when he opens his lunch box. Read on for healthy, homemade lunches so delicious, your kids won't even be tempted to make a lunch hour trade.

5 Ways to Savor the Last Days of Summer

Labor Day is here marking the unofficial end of summer. But even if your kids are headed back to school later this week (or have gone back already!) you should still have a few warm, sunny days ahead. Enjoy these last sweet summer days with your family enjoying all that nature has to offer. Feel like you've already exhausted all of your summer activity ideas? Here are a few of our favorite ideas that you may have missed from earlier this year. Enjoy -- and happy Labor Day from the Inhabitots team!

Finn + Emma Wooden Teething Ring Rattles Are a Natural Option for Green Babies

Given the amount of toxic teethers out there, we were ready for some eco options that also incorporate aesthetics. Finn+Emma’s teething rings are made from untreated sheesham wood and include achingly cute attached rattle toys. Currently, they offer a cat, a …

Growing Up Wild’s Organic Gift Set is Perfect for Little Locavores

Looking for a sweet, eco-friendly baby gift? Growing Up Wild’s Little Locavore organic baby gift set will get any green baby off to a great start. The hand-screen printed organic cotton one-piece will let everyone know he’s eating local, and the organic cotton cruiser bike shoes help him show off his favorite mode of transportation — riding along on Mom or Dad’s two wheeler of course. Available in short and long sleeve, and sizes newborn to 18 months….

Sweet Spud Spreads the Word With GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Kids Clothing

Sweet Spud creates eco-friendly children's apparel that's not just green, but helps spreads messages of love, peace and enlightenment. Made for babies and toddlers, the Sweet Spud line includes onesies, knot caps, yoga pants and tees featuring adorable pastel designs. The tees and onesies include sweet, child-friendly quotes such as "Where there is love, there is life" (Gandhi) and "You already possess everything necessary to become great" (Native America). Soft and comfy, each piece of Sweet Spud clothing is tagless and shipped "gift ready" in cute, eco-friendly packaging, making these pieces perfect for a baby shower or birthday.

Skip Hop Dunck Stacking Bath Toys in Fresh New Colors

Dunck Stacking Bath Toys are fun for kids to fill, pour and stack. This toy is also useful for parents who want a less scary way to rinse suds off little heads. Each adorable set of three colorful ducks float on the water, just like real ducks, and offers endless bath-time fun. Plus, when bath-time is over these little ducks stack neatly away. This toy is BPA-free, phthalate-free and PVC-free, plus dishwasher safe. When Skip Hop first introduced their fun Dunck Stacking Bath …

GREEN REVIEW: Artterro Eco-Friendly Arts & Crafts Kits for Creative Kids

If you're looking for a perfectly wonderful eco-friendly gift for your child, Artterro Arts & Crafts Kits can't be beat. The best thing about Artterro art kits is that they offer open-ended craft play that allows your child to use his imagination versus simply following art kit directions. Additionally, every single Artterro art kit is sustainable, fairly made and seriously affordable. My kids were lucky enough to get to test out three amazing Artterro Arts & Crafts Kits. Keep reading to see what we thought of these all-in-one craft kits and to learn more about the eco-perks of both the kits and the company who makes them.

Green on the Go: Little Sapling Toys’ Nesting Car and Truck Combo

Little Sapling Toys are great for kids that love things that go and for parents who want to go green with their child's toys. This car and truck combo includes two nesting bridges and is great for teaching kids about going over, under, and around. The family-owned company uses FSC-certified woods, such as maple and walnut, and plants a tree through Trees for the Future with every toy purchase.

Current Chameleon: A Real-Time Monitoring Device for Energy-Friendly Kids

Tired of telling your kids to turn the TV off when they leave the room? Now kids can have their own energy-monitoring device specially designed to visualize their own appliance usage within the home, which rewards them with earning points. Designed by fresh college grad Elle Tweedy, Current Chameleon is a house-shaped device that quantifies a youngster’s current consumption by tracking, analyzing and making sense of the data. Tweedy designed the eco gadget because she believes that making people understand how and how much they consume, is the first step to empowering them to reduce their energy usage at home and beyond.

Mindfulness for Parents and Kids: Easy Ways to Appreciate the Moment

A few weeks ago our refrigerator went temporarily and inexplicably on the brink, upending our afternoon plans as we made a mad dash to cook or save all the goods in our fridge. The next day, with the fridge fixed, my son and I gathered our reusable grocery bags and headed out to the car for our twice monthly trip to Whole Foods to pick up essentials like his favorite hemp milk and cereal. Elijah was chattering away in the backseat when I realized, heart sinking, that the car’s battery was dead. For Elijah, this disruption was akin to learning someone was going to take away his favorite toy, and a meltdown turned him from a happy little guy into a tear-streaked mess who refused to get out of his car seat, despite the summer heat. Less than an hour later, after having had the car jumped, we were in Whole Foods, giggling and chomping away on summer’s sweet blueberries. This crazy swing of events got me thinking: When was the last time I appreciated the fact that my car generally started and ran? Or was thankful that I had a refrigerator so that I could have cold water on one of these increasingly frequent sweltering summer days? It seems like it’s only when something goes wrong that I appreciate that it ever went right. This, of course, got me thinking more: How can I teach my child to appreciate things as they happen and to show them they can learn from both the good and the bad?