Author Archive

Jennifer Lance

Jennifer lives on 160 acres off-the-grid in a home built with her own two hands (and several more skilled pairs of hands) from forest fire salvaged timber. Her home is powered by a micro-hydro turbine, and she has been a vegetarian for 21 years.

Jennifer graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in art education and has been teaching art to children for over 16 years. She also spent five years teaching in a one-room schoolhouse before becoming the mother of two beautiful children. Jennifer has a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education and is currently teaching preschool, as well as k-8 art. She enjoys writing, gardening, hiking, practicing yoga, and raising four akitas. Jennifer is the founder and editor of Eco Child's Play (http://ecochildsplay.com)

"I’ve always been concerned about the earth and our impact upon it. Now that I have children, I feel compelled to raise them with green values. From organic gardening to alternative energy, my family tries to leave a small carbon footprint."

Please visit my other blog:
http://reallynatural.com

Eco-Friendly, Natural Tree Branch Blocks and Felting Kit by Natural Pod

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  Natural Pod is one of my favorite natural toy vendors!  Natural Pod gets it, they really get it.  Only the highest quality, sustainable products are featured, and you can shop freely without having to scrutinize each product for greenwashing.  Recently, my children and I had the pleasure of playing with two Natural Pod products:  Tree Branch Blocks and Felting Kit.

Green Books Campaign: Let Me Out! How to enjoy the school run

Editor’s Note:  This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a  a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

Let Me Out! How to enjoy the school run by Ann Kenrick is a book about sustainable school travel.  Any parent, no matter the size of their child’s school, has witnessed the traffic jam and exhaust fumes associated with the start and end of the school day, but it wasn’t always so.  According to Kenrick, if you picked a random group of 40-year-old and asked them how they traveled to school, over “90% will say they walked” to school.  Let Me Out! How to enjoy the school run contemplates why school transportation trends have changed in such a short time and suggest methods to “reverse the trend.”

Open Ended Play Lets Kids’ Imaginations Set Sail!

Editor’s note: The following piece is guest post by Dalit Holzman from Natural Pod, one of our favorite eco-friendly toy companies.  Dalit is part of the Natural Pod team (www.naturalpod.com) and raises her two daughters as open-endedly as possible…with the help of some boxes.

We’ve all heard it. In fact we’ve all said it: “the best toy in the house is the cardboard box!” As parents we are constantly reminded that the active imaginations of children really don’t need much stimulation to get going…and going, and going, and going!

Just the other day my very own living room was transformed from, well, a living room into a series of caves and burrows, an enclave for ambushing mini- pirates!

Kids constantly mimic and replay the world around them, and though I am no pirate (lol), my daughters do seem to have many of my mannerisms and modes of communication down to a science (arrr me hearties!) They listen to learn to repeat.

Green Toys: Recycled Cardboard Paintable Schoolhouse Promotes Creativity

Any parent knows that children love cardboard boxes.  Often, the box a present comes in encourages more creative play than the toy it once contained.  Imagination Box Co. was born out of this cardboard creativity.

After raising three kids and seeing how much waste there was in the toy industry, we said, “NO MORE,” and began making many of our children’s toys. An old box became a way to stimulate their creativity and recycle at the same time. They loved them and so did the neighborhood kids. It took about 17 years, but…voila…Imagination Box Co was born!

Made in the USA, Imagination Box Co. toys are completely recyclable and made from 45% post consumer materials.  Each set comes with watercolors, so that your child may decorate and assemble their own toy. For my eight-year-old daughter, it has provided hours of entertainment and excitement.

Disney Admits Baby Einstein Does NOT Increase Intelligence

For parents who were suckered into Disney’s Baby Einstein concept, the company has announced they will give full refunds on up to four videos.  The basis of the refund is to compensate parents who actually believed the videos would make their children smarter.  UPI reports:

The move comes after Disney’s Baby Einstein Co. last month announced “enhanced consumer satisfaction guarantees” after lawyers had threatened a class-action suit for false advertising. “The Walt Disney Company’s entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development,” a letter from the lawyers reportedly said.

Wear Your Baby in Organic Style: Babybjörn Original Organic Baby Carrier

I miss my baby wearing days, especially now that an organic version of my favorite carrier is available!  Babybjörn Original Organic Baby Carrier is essential for any new green mommy or daddy, in my opinion.  A worn baby is a happy baby because:

Babies feel closely snuggled to the parent
Babies are kept within their short range of vision, unlike riding in a stroller
Babies can feel your heart rhythm and breath reminding them of the womb
Babies and parents bonding is promoted through baby wearing

A babywearing parent is a happy parent because their baby fusses less, and grown-up arms are free for doing chores, shopping, etc..

Green Lunch Giveaway Winner!

Thank you Citizenpup for sponsoring our Green Lunch Giveway, and congratulations to Sonya of Sanity is for Those Without Children (love the name!) for winning.  Sonya wrote, “My kids love edamame and lots of veggies!”  My kids love edamame too, and I promise to grow the beans in my garden next year. If you do buy edamame, shop carefully to avoid beans [...]

Dr. Sears’ Happy Baby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months

Every parent wishes for a happy baby…did you know an organic baby is also a happy baby?  That’s the premise behind Dr. Sears’ new book HappyBaby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months. Dr. Robert W. Sears, MD is best known for the Vaccine Book and being the son of Martha and William Sears, MD.

iPhone Apps for Kids: iPlay n’ Learn From Parents Magazine

I am not a fan of electronic gizmos for kids, but I am a Mac fan.  When offered an opportunity to review a new app for iPhones and iPod touch by Parents Magazine, I decided to approach it with an open mind.  Previously, I’d bashed such applications, but this one is different.

My own personal experience involves my five-year-old son, who has verbal apraxia.  The tracing activities are wonderful in providing him with a unique way to practice fine motor skills while engaging with letters, shapes, and numbers.  I am also thrilled to have him using the iPod touch, as soon he will be using it as an AAC device to help him communicate.

The green factor in this app may be a stretch, and for that dear reader, I apologize; however, if your are looking for an app to entertain your child on the car, airplane, waiting room, iPlay n’ Learn may be for you. Heck, you can’t beat the price.

Green Lunch Giveaway: Square Meal Kit by Citizenpip

The kind folks at Citizenpip have offered to give a Square Meal Kit to one lucky Eco Child’s Play reader!  The Square Meal Kit features:

• 1 insulated lunch bag with nametag and carabiner that easily attaches to a backpack
• 1 stainless steel water bottle
• 4 BPA-free airtight food containers
• 5 100% cotton napkins

“Citizenpip is muck-free: no lead, BPA, PVC, or phthalates.”

To enter, simply leave [...]

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