The problem in my opinion with green living when it comes to kids is that a lot of it is focused on safe BPA-free baby bottles, cloth diapers, non-toxic toys, and more. It can be very green gear related. However, while all that stuff does matter, what’s really super important is actually raising kids who like, maybe even love the planet. No matter how many green toys you buy your child, it’s nothing compared to the values your child gains from nature. A kid who is raised to love nature will be far more inclined to protect the planet when …read more

With all the talk about BPA in water bottles and baby bottles, it’s easy to forget that we also need to focus on other sorts of dishes. For example, plenty of baby food dishes and baby silverware contain BPA, which of course you don’t want your little one munching on. Following are some safe, BPA-free, healthier baby food dishes. Bonus – companies are making super cute dishes nowadays, so you’ve got lots of colorful and fun choices that any little tot will adore.

Skip Hop makes some of the most adorable BPA-free feeding gear in town. Their Palette Plate and Mate …read more

Last year ChicoBag and Green Halloween teamed up for an ultimate eco-friendly Trick-or-Treat Bag Design Contest and this year they’re doing it all over again in the ChicoBag & Green Halloween’s 2nd ANNUAL TRICK-OR-TREAT BAG DESIGN CONTEST with some fab new prizes.

The idea – Design a killer original design for a ChicoBag depicting the “spirit” of a Green Halloween. Children ages 1-13 can enter their original design up until October 24, 2009 by 5:00 PM Pacific Time.
The winner will have their design featured on ChicoBag sold through retailers nation-wide. (Last year’s bag was even featured on The Bonnie Hunt Show!). …read more

Bonnie Plant Farm has been offering goods for beginning and experienced gardeners since 1918, but in 2008 they went green in order to do their part to help conserve the environment. Bonnie Plant Farm’s CEO notes that their green effort includes an increased use of mainly biodegradable peat growing cups, a simple step that most plant companies should take, as millions of plastic potting cups hit the landfill annually.

Other green options that Bonnie Plant Farm uses currently are more organic fertilizers and pesticides, plus they’ve got a new recycling facility at their headquarters which reuses and recycles supplies, tags, pots, …read more

If you’re going green but have a household of kiddos (or maybe just one kiddo like me) you’re probably looking for ways that they can help with the going green process. Luckily there are plenty of eco-tasks even small kids can do. For example…

Put your kid in charge: When you give them responsibility in the form of “You’re in charge” kids tend to take on a task with gusto. My son, for example, at six and seven years was in charge of lights (keep them off), reusable bags (don’t forget to take them), and checking the thermostats. He did other …read more

An nice piece was recently posted at Sustainable Business; a Greenwashing on the Rise report. It’s pretty much a must read if you’re interested in how greenwashers are getting more creative with their lame greenwashing efforts. According to the piece, “Between 2007 and 2009, the in-store availability of so-called ‘green’ products has increased between 40% and 176%, with 98% of products surveyed still committing at least one Sin of Greenwashing.” Not cool right?!

Why greenwashing matters to you:
First of all for anyone trying to go green, greenwashing immediately becomes an issues. Green products are already tricky to navigate, and …read more

We all know that green spaces benefit the planet, but now new research shows that green spaces are also beneficial for kids health.

Canadian researchers recently found that girls who live near green spaces are twice as likely to walk to school as girls who don’t live near green spaces and living near a green space increases the likelihood that a young boy will walk for leisure by as much as 60%.
This study was interesting because most research like this focuses on simply having green spaces in the area. This study however, noted that the closer in proximity to green spaces …read more

You can go green yet still find great kid storage solutions. Such as…
Baby Bronti Small Shelf Unit – made with earth-easy birch panels and child safe powder coated panels. From Glosto.

There’s storage and fun with the ducduc – parker Playtable – Paper Roll – this cool art table with a removable rolling drawer for storage is 100% hardwood, and created with non-toxic lacquered paint. From 2modern.

Jax Organic Storage Tower: Orange from Nest comes in other colors, but my son likes orange so there you go. This is storage made with organic cotton and a sturdy frame so it’ll last for …read more

Of course you have cute kids – all kids are cute. Well, most kids. My son Cedar has this friend who always whines, “Wwwwwhhhhhhyyyyyyy????” no matter what I ask. That’s so not cute. But I digress.
My co-blogger Peggy over at Tree Hugging Family scored some awesome kid on-the-go storage. Take a look:

How cute are these! Plus they’re from Envirosax – a company who specializes in artistic, eco-chic shopping bags. These are green and adorable. Your kid can store everything on-the-go in them.
At Tree Hugging Family we’re giving away three bags to 3 adorable kiddos and one of them could be …read more