Green Design | Inhabitots

Star Wars Fans Build a Cardboard Box Millenium Falcon for Toddler

by Julie Seguss, 05/01/12

From amazing costumes to fun puppet theaters, the possibilities for crafting with cardboard boxes are endless. We recently stumbled upon another brilliant display of box recycling – a Millenium Falcon replica complete with a cockpit sized perfectly for a toddler Han Solo. Die-hard Star Wars fans, the Karpiuks, parents of little Liam shown above, spent four months crafting this amazing cardboard box art. Keep reading to see how they did it.

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Pocket Carnival Organic Coin Purses and Pouches Are Perfectly Sized for Tots’ Treasures

by Michelle Lloyd, 04/30/12

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Spiral Bamboo Drawing Toy Brings Us Back to Our Spirograph Days

by Jennifer Chait, 04/29/12

When I was a kid I had one of those awesome Spirograph sets – but mine was totally made of plastic. Still, plastic or not, it was loads of fun. Today we’re luckier because kids have a cool Bamboo Spiral Toy available, courtesy of Rocking Frog. This sweet and crafty toy is the perfect way to expand your child’s creativity. The toy is versatile and easy for little hands to use, plus it’s small enough to tuck into a notebook with a few crayons, so you can take it anywhere. Plus, unlike the Spirographs of yesterday, this toy is made with zero plastic, and is instead crafted with smooth and natural bamboo. Your child can even decorate the spiral toy to make it his own – fun!

+ Spiral Bamboo Drawing Toy $29.00

+ Rocking Frog

This March of the Penguins Bowling Set is Ready to be Knocked Flat

by Jennifer Chait, 04/28/12

Eco-friendly bowling sets are one of the best ways to get even the youngest tots moving and active. There are a lot of adorable eco-minded kid bowling sets out there, from sweet kitties to plush organic friends, but this new creation from Smiling Tree Toys is extra cool – icy cool in fact. This new and darling set consists of natural wooden bowling pins with a fun penguin twist. Handcrafted from gorgeous maple hardwoods, this is the perfect wood toy bowling set for toddlers (great for hand-eye coordination) and is safe for all ages. In total, the set includes six cheerful penguin pins, one 2″ ball and a great USA-made drawstring bag for storage and travel. Bonus – this bowling set is affordable for any green family.

+ Earth-friendly Penguin Bowling Set $29.00

+ Smiling Tree Toys

Tegu Prism Pocket Pouch Equals Endless Possibilities for Designs On the Go

Just in time for summer road trips comes the Tegu Pocket Pouch Prism. While we adore the bigger Tegu magnetic block sets, we fully appreciate that this new, smaller Tegu block set is not just cute but ready to travel in its own adorable pouch. Plus, while still packed with fun, this smaller set comes with a lower price tag, making this the perfect time to kid-test Tegu. Keep reading to learn more about this great new Tegu set.

6 Mother’s Day Gifts That Give Back

This is the only flower you'll see in this Mother's Day guide. While flowers are great for celebrating Mom, this guide is focusing on gifts that pay it forwards. Among them, the companies donate proceeds to charities that benefit children, war refugees and poverty-stricken populations to name just a few. The products themselves are often organic, fairly-traded or upcycled. So when buying gifts for that special Mother (or, ahem, recommending gifts that others buy for you), think outside of the big box store: here are six Mother's Day gifts that you can give with the knowledge that you are helping many more people and causes beyond the moms in your life.

Alligator and Little Bird Peg Rack from Maple Shade Kids is a Cute Way to Organize

We’re already a huge fan of Maple Shade Kids’ wonderfully useful (and adorable) handcrafted peg racks, and to be honest, we were perfectly content with these peg racks in darling owl form. Still, all owls, all the time, while cute as cute can be, isn’t for every kid. If your child is a little more …

Miss Natalie Heirloom Growth Chart Tracks Kids’ Heights for Generations

Keep track of every inch your little bean sprout shoots up with Miss Natalie's Heirloom Growth Chart. Dreamed up by California-based designer Natalie Davis, this growth chart is made to last through many kids and even many generations. It's made from a 4-inch long jute cloth and comes with 20 tags ready to be filled out with your child's name, age and the date. Track multiple kids with different colored tags. They can be pinned to the chart at the appropriate height.

7 Earth Day Inspired Goodies from Etsy

Etsy is one of our favorite places ever because this online marketplace really shines when it comes to unique earth-friendly goods that rock the house for Earth Day or any day of the year. For example, the adorable Children Earth Day Eco Friendly Children Wooden Toy Blocks shown above, made by Tiny Giraffe Shop with 100% recycled paper and featuring eco-friendly images and messages that will inspire your youngest child to reduce, reuse and recycle. Keep reading to see more lovely and fun Etsy Earth Day minded goodies.

Create Personalized Eco Decor With Paper Culture’s Bamboo Wall Art

Paper Culture has designed the ultimate eco wall art that's perfect for any room including your baby's nursery or child's playroom. The heavyweight design is made out of tri-layered eco-friendly bamboo with a pre-drilled hole in the back for easy hanging. Every design can be personalized and the result is nothing short of high-quality. Paper Culture has 48 different wall art designs in 4 different sizes ranging from $39.99-$199.99. Keep reading to learn more about this eco wall art and see some of our favorites ranging from sweet photos of your newborn to awesome mod designs featuring your child's name,

Eco-Friendly Apple Park Crawling Critter Teething Toys Buzz and Bounce

Meet the Apple Park Crawling Critter Teething Toys – they’re part teething toy, part plushie and boast a whole lot of buzzing fun. Baby can gnaw on the natural rubberwood ring while he tugs on the 100% organic cotton plush toy, which is stuffed with corn fiber. The caterpillar, birdie, ladybug and bee (all as cute as the members of the Apple Park Picnic Pals!) are connected to a stretchy silk cord that it “climbs” up when pulled on. Your …

Best Non-Toxic Organic Crib Mattresses for Your Green Baby Nursery

Sleeping Newborn - Image from Shutterstock

Babies sleep 10 to 14 hours a day, so naturally, you'll want to choose a safe and non-toxic spot for them to catch all those Z's. Traditional mattresses are layered with a variety of chemicals including PVC, polyurethane foam and toxic flame-retardants. If you go shopping for an organic crib mattress you'll find lots of options at a variety of price points from a variety of brands. But before you snatch up any organic crib mattress deal, you should know that they aren't all created equal. Even though a mattress may be labeled as organic, natural or eco-friendly, it may still include a vinyl covering or be coated in dangerous flame-retardants because there is little control over what those labels mean. So how can you be sure you're getting a non-toxic crib mattress for your baby? We narrowed down the field to bring you our seven favorite organic crib mattresses that meet fire safety standards naturally. There's one for every budget ranging in price from $595 to $259. Note: If you're worried about possible wool or latex allergies, you may want to opt for one of our crib mattress picks made from other materials. Once you pick your mattress be sure to check out our favorite eco-friendly modern cribs.

daswood Recycled Plastic Baby Mobiles Bring Modern Design to the Nursery

Our eyes were immediately drawn to Daswood's mobiles and we're pretty sure they'll have the same affect on your baby. The modern, graphic mobiles are made from laser cut lo-impact Eco Resin, a made-in-the-USA plastic made from 40 percent recycled content. From happy kitties to a DJ turntable and CDs, Daswood has a range of mobiles to fit your nursery theme. Keep reading to see more.

MUJI and LEGO Collaborate with Playing with LEGO Bricks and Paper Sets

Preempt weekend boredom with a new art project: encourage your kid’s inner multimedia artist with help from LEGO and MUJI, the hip minimalist design store. Their clever Playing with LEGO Bricks and Paper sets allow kids to use their LEGOs to make their art 3-dimensional. Read on to learn more about their playful sets, which let your tot's imagination run wild.

Ontwerpduo Rockid Resting Space Lets Parents and Baby Rock Together

Here’s a clever idea we wish was available on a mass market scale – a dreamy and restful rocking chair and cradle all in one. Baby sleeps while mama reads and rests, both rocking together. This adorable cradle + rocking chair pair, Rockid, was dreamed up by the savvy design team Ontwerpduo, made with coated birch ply wood. The cradle softly swings along …

Miniature Milk Baby Clothing is Made from a Cow’s Milk Fiber and Organic Cotton

Yes, milk does a body good, but did you know it makes a good bodysuit too? Miniature Milk has created a range of baby clothing made from a unique blend of organic cotton and milk protein that's naturally anti-bacterial. The adorable layette features oneises, hats, bibs, blankets and more for boys and girls featuring cute cow prints, solids and stripes. Keep reading to learn more about this innovative fiber.

Alyson Beaton’s Lille Huset Dollhouses Inspire Little Architects – Support the Line on Kickstarter!

Alyson Beaton, a designer mom, was looking for a dollhouse for her daughter's 7th birthday. After she had a hard time choosing between wooden and plastic houses for little children and the usually pricey "grown up" style houses that seemed to be more for show, she decided to design an eco dollhouse herself. Now that vision has expanded and Alyson needs help with her to get her business off the ground. What's in it for you? You'll get awesome Lille Huset dollhouse goodies for your donation!

miYim Organic Cotton Jungle Play Mat Offers a Soft Spot for Tummy Time

Looking for a soft and eco-friendly place for your baby to practice tummy time play? Giggle’s Jungle Play Mat from MiYim is the perfect spot. Like all of our favorite goodies from MiYim, this play mat is made from super-soft 100% certified organic cotton and colored with safe, plant-based dyes. Baby will love grabbing at the cute hippo and elephant, gazing at herself in the mirror and exploring the crinkles and squeakers. Want to fit in some tummy …