Yuka Yoneda

ROCCO: A Rocking Horse That Harvests Kinetic Energy

by Yuka Yoneda, 02/05/10

Rocco Kinetic Energy Harvesting Rocking Horse, rocking horse, green design, sustainable design, eco design, kinetic energy, greener gadgets, green toys

Children seem to be filled with boundless amounts of energy (which can sometimes be a little tiring for us adults who have to look after them). Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn that natural effervescence into power for your home? That’s exactly what Rocco, one of our favorite entries into this year’s Greener Gadgets design competition, does. It’s a rocking horse that transforms the kinetic energy from your child’s play into electricity that lights up its ears. Then the ears can be removed to light up any room in your house!


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook 1

Mini Taj Mahal Kids’ Palaces Recycled from Old Water Tanks

by Yuka Yoneda, 01/22/10

kids palaces, recycled water tanks, recycled toys, recycled shelters, art d'eco, green playhouses, eco playhouses

If you’ve ever given a present to a little girl or boy only to have them ignore it and play for hours with the box it came in, you’ll understand why these fantastical kids palaces are the perfect plaything in the eyes of a child. They’re the brainchild of one very resourceful designer, Katell Gelebart, who realized that the water tanks discarded while constructing the Dune eco resort near Pondicherry, India were just the right size and shape for fun and fanciful dwellings for little guests. Painted with palm fronds and colorful flowers and topped with ornate mini-gazebos, it’s hard to believe that these beautiful little houses started out as boring old water tanks!


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook 0

Green Eyed Monster Turns Hand Me Down Sneakers into Works of Art

by Yuka Yoneda, 12/17/09

Green eyed monster kids sneakers,

Every parent knows that kids outgrow their sneakers so quickly! Sometimes it seems like they only wear them for a few months before they need a bigger size! Smart parents know that these short-lived shoes don’t have to go to the dump. The local thrift shop will be happy to take them, or, even better, a younger sibling may be able to slip into them. But since receiving a pair of obvious hand-me-downs can be less than thrilling to a kid, Green Eyed Monster offers parents a way to revamp secondhand sneakers so that younger siblings will be delighted to wear them! Just send in big bro or sis’s old sneaks, and comic artist Johnny Marra’s fun and colorful Real_Bot cartoon creatures will make them look so cool that your older kids will be begging to have them back!


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook 1

‘Tio’ Light Switch System Teaches Kids to Conserve Household Energy

by Yuka Yoneda, 11/10/09

energy ghost, tio, tim holley, green toy, energy saving toy, green educational gift, eco toy

Kids will be the world’s key decision-makers in the next 30 years, which is why it is crucial that we empower them now with the education and the tools to help reduce energy consumption. Designer Tim Holley’s Tio ghost is a wall-mounted light switch system which enables children to demonstrate their knowledge of energy conservation to their families, while encouraging their role as ‘energy champions’ of the home. Tio shows he is happy and green when household lights have only been on for a short period of time — but the longer the lights are left on, the angrier and redder he becomes — showing he is truly lighthearted and all business at the same time!

+ Tio by Tim Holley


email this email facebook this facebook 3

ANNOUNCING THE INHABITOTS GREEN HALLOWEEN CONTEST!

ANNOUNCING THE INHABITOTS GREEN HALLOWEEN CONTEST!

CALLING ALL GREEN BABY BOYS AND GHOULS!
This Halloween, instead of tricking yourself into thinking that a store-bought getup for your tot is the way to go, why not treat your little one to the fun and creativity that comes with making your very own costume together? Transforming old knick knacks that you have around your house into the perfect costume …

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Brian Dettmer’s Ghastly Recycled Cassette Tape Skulls & Skeletons

Brian Dettmer’s Ghastly Recycled Cassette Tape Skulls & Skeletons

Some people look at old cassette tapes and see lampshades – others, coin purses. But few see anything as frightfully fun as what Brian Dettmer sees — skulls! That’s right, the Atlanta-based artist recycles, melts, and melds the musical relics into eerily realistic “skullptures,” including a full human skeleton made of 180 tapes! Talk about being a bone-a-fide upcycler…


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Oeuf’s Bat Hats are Halloween’s Coziest Accessories

Oeuf’s Bat Hats are Halloween’s Coziest Accessories

From sweet winged baby angel slippers to warm and fuzzy mittens and sweaters, green kids furniture and clothing maker Oeuf (which means “egg” in French) is always coming up with unique products that show us how fun being eco-friendly can be! Their cozy new Bat Boy and Bat Girl hats are no exception. Perfect for Halloween shenanigans, this knit beanie comes in both “bat eyes” and “mask” styles and can be worn atop your little Trick or Treater’s head or over their eyes, Hamburgler style. In fact, you could easily build costumes right around the Bat Hat, and since your child will continue wearing it throughout the winter, it’s a great alternative to a cheap polyester throwaway costume from a big box retailer.


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

The Baby Show NYC – Our Favorite Green Finds for Eco Babies!

The Baby Show NYC – Our Favorite Green Finds for Eco Babies!

This past weekend, Inhabitots was on the scene at NYC’s first ever Baby Show, a fun event gathering all the best baby toys, clothes, services and gear together under one roof for new parents and parents-to-be! Several green baby brands showcased sustainable goods at the show, and we’re super excited to share our favorites finds with you. Here are our top green finds from The Baby Show NYC!


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF OUR BABY SHOW CONTEST!

ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF OUR BABY SHOW CONTEST!

At the beginning of the week, we ran a contest to decide who the lucky winner of 2 FREE tickets to The Baby Show, a super-fun two day event in New York City this coming weekend showcasing a wonderful array of the coolest baby toys and gear, would be. We received a lot of great comments and tips but there could only be one winner. So without further ado, the tickets go to…

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Win FREE Tickets to Meet Inhabitots at the Baby Show!

Win FREE Tickets to Meet Inhabitots at the Baby Show!

Calling all green mommies and eco-daddies in NYC!
We’re giving away two free tickets to The Baby Show, a super-fun two day showcase in New York City this coming weekend bringing parents an exciting assortment of the best in infant care, toys and gear. If you win, you’ll get to see everything that the show has to offer as well as a special seminar that …

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 12

REMINDER! The Baby Show is Coming to NYC October 3rd and 4th!

REMINDER! The Baby Show is Coming to NYC October 3rd and 4th!

Attention all green mommies and daddies in New York!

The Baby Show NYC is coming to NYC next weekend! This two day event showcases the best in baby care, toys and gear for new parents. Jill and Jasmin, the editors of Inhabitots, are going to be at The Baby Show NYC next weekend to share our favorite eco baby tips in an exciting seminar called Green Babies 101!! If you’re in the area, come see us, try out and play with a vibrant assortment of the latest clothing, accessories, and toys for baby and kids, and join in on the conversation.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Bamboo Soil Clock is Powered by DIRT!

Bamboo Soil Clock is Powered by DIRT!

Sending the kids back to school can be a happy time for parents who are eager to get their youngsters out of the house after a looooong summer! But kids may want to stay home well past the 8am school bell! If you’re looking for an inspiring way to help your child get to school on time in the mornings, get him or her this awesome Bamboo Soil Clock powered by — dirt!


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 1

Rewritable Chalkboard Lamps by Designer John Beck

Rewritable Chalkboard Lamps by Designer John Beck

Today is the first day back to school, and now you can get your kid thinking ’school’ even when he’s at home with these fun chalkboard lamps. We love that fact that youngsters can rewrite their decor whenever they want to and add variety to their surroundings on a whim without having to purchase multiple versions of the same thing. …

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

SIGG Scandal: Sigg ‘Eco’ Water Bottles Contain BPA!

SIGG Scandal: Sigg ‘Eco’ Water Bottles Contain BPA!

SIGG water bottles, which have long been perceived to be the eco-friendly alternative to plastic water bottles, has just confessed something that has sent huge ripples through the media – all of their bottles manufactured before August of last year actually DO contain BPA – according to a press statement made by Sigg CEO Steve Wasik. In case you aren’t familiar with the notorious chemical, Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor. Part of what made SIGG so popular in the first place was when SIGG marketing tactics involved pointing fingers at polycarbonate water bottle manufacturers – claiming that these types of bottles leached BPA. Not surprisingly, parents and eco-conscious consumers everywhere turned to SIGG bottles as a safe way to tote water on the go without being exposed to the dangerous effects of bisphenol-A, but there is a daunting sense of mistrust now that we learn we’ve been duped. Read on to see how SIGG was able to mislead us.


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 25

Panasonic Sets World Record with Adorable Evoia Robot!

Panasonic Sets World Record with Adorable Evoia Robot!

Move over Energizer Bunny! There’s a new, super-enduring battery mascot in town… and his name is Evoia. Panasonic recently drove the extremely adorable Evoia for 24 hours straight to set a new world record with an incredible distance of 23.726 km!


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 3

Personalized Name Hangers for Children’s Clothing

Personalized Name Hangers for Children’s Clothing

Kids love to read their own names, and what easier way to teach them than by spelling out the letters on everyday items in your home? That’s why we are totally enamored with these clever personalized hangers, handmade by LilaFrances at Etsy, and customized with your little one’s name! And they are kid-sized to keep all of your tot’s outfits neatly organized in the closet.


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

iSpy Gameboy Bags – An Entertaining Handheld Scavenger Hunt!

iSpy Gameboy Bags – An Entertaining Handheld Scavenger Hunt!

Remember all the fun you had playing Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, Pac-Man, and Tetris? iSpy Gameboy bags contain all of the colorful, graphic iconography that kids and adults love about the infamous handheld Gameboy, and they get kids to think, move around and play the old-fashioned way! Each Gameboy-shaped beanbag is filled with classic video game charms, and comes with an accompanying list which tells players which trinkets to find inside. iSpy Gameboy bags are a great way to keep curious minds occupied, scavenger hunt style! And the best part is, you can play with iSpy Gameboy bags anywhere, anytime!


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Join Us at The Baby Show NYC in October!

Join Us at The Baby Show NYC in October!

Calling all NY mommies, daddies and green baby companies!
We’re excited to announce that Inhabitots is partnering with The Baby Show NYC to bring forward-thinking families a chance to learn about, try out and play with a vibrant assortment of the latest clothing, accessories, and toys for baby and kids. The show will be taking place on October 3rd and 4th, so if you’re in the area, come join us for some shopping and fun! The show is still accepting vendors, so if you are a green baby company and are interested in showcasing your products to thousands of parents at this high-energy event, read on for details.

READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

Uroko House Book Igloo is a Book Lover’s Dream Bed

Uroko House Book Igloo is a Book Lover’s Dream Bed

If you’re a bibliophile like me, you may have fallen asleep amidst a pile of your favorite books as a youngster too. I would have loved nestling into the Uroko House book igloo with all of my treasured fairy tales. Dreamed up by Point Architects, the cozy enclosure that surrounds a child’s bed is also a storage-filled bookshelf. Now your little ones can nod off to dreamland surrounded by their beloved bedtime stories.


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 2

BarbieFoot Barbie Foosball Table!

BarbieFoot Barbie Foosball Table!

Bend it like Barbie?If you’ve been wondering what to do with that pile of Barbies and defunct foosball table lying in your basement, here is some very bizarre inspiration – the BarbieFoot Barbie Foosball Table! The super strange game table is the brainchild of french designer Chloe Ruchon and was presented at the DMY Youngsters Exhibition in Berlin as a toy that reinterprets a traditionally masculine game in a rather feminine way. The result is a plaything that allows children to think outside of gender barriers and simply focus on having fun.


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 1

Offi Paket Table Transforms For Simple Storage

Offi Paket Table Transforms For Simple Storage

For busy families living in close quarters, smart design can make all the difference in the world. Case in point: the Offi Paket Table that transforms from a colorful cube into a full table and chairs set with the flick of a wrist. This simple solution makes turning an adult living space into an accommodating kid-friendly area a breeze… and clean-up is just as easy.


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 0

PARO: Therapeutic Baby Seal Robot!

PARO: Therapeutic Baby Seal Robot!

Bet you’ve never seen a baby seal sucking on a pacifier before! What you are looking at above is PARO – an adorable fuzzy robotic seal pup designed to help sick and elderly people relax and heal through Animal-Assisted therapy. We spotted Paro at the ICFF, (not really sure why it was there, since a robo-seal isn’t exactly furniture) and instantly fell in love.


READ MORE >

email this email facebook this facebook this 4

LOTS MORE GREAT GREEN DESIGN STORIES HERE... KEEP READING!