Four ways to outfit kids in summer green

Kids always seem to need new gear and if you can’t find said summer gear second hand (a very green choice) you can go green with your buying choices. Following are some cool summer picks for hot green kids…

Simple Shoes: Simple has a great line of eco-friendly kid shoes (and adults if you’re so inclined). They’ve got shoes made with recycled car tires, certified organic cotton, plastic bottles, recycled bike tires, and hemp, among other materials. They’ve even got baby eco shoes and vegan kid shoes to choose from. Simples are not only green but they last and last. I LOVE them. I’ve had one pair of Simples going on 7 years now, and they’re just now starting to be TOO old. They can handle what kids dish up.

ECOZOO animal bags: Perfect for lugging all sorts of summer gear around. Made with organically-grown cotton canvas, non-toxic dyes, recycled plastic components, sustainable wood accents. These bags also have padded shoulder straps and internal pockets. They come in four fun flavors and in case your kid has outgrown the “carry around an animal” stage, Ecogear also carries older kid eco bags too.

Natural & Organic Kids Sunscreen: All kids need sunscreen and Alba Kids Sunscreen 30+ is made with an infusion of certified organic lavender, aloe vera, chamomile, ginkgo biloba, and green tea. Another good one is Goddess Garden’s Kids Natural Sunscreen SPF 30, made with 70% organic ingredients.

An earth friendly kiddie pool: GOOD LUCK! It’s not likely you’ll easily find this item. So far there’s no non-PVC pools for kids readily available that I’ve heard of. You can actually get an earth-friendly (or at least more natural) home swimming pool or somehow locate a smaller used livestock water tank , BUT that seems like a lot of trouble. My advice – check into your local city pool.

Bonus: see some great green toys for summer fun!