We have had the Child’s Cleaning Set in my preschool classroom for four years now, and it continues to be one of the most popular play items. Children often use the mop for fighting fires (perhaps they have heard the term “mop up” after local forest fires), and they use the broom to clean up sand from the sand table. Cleaning up your own messes is a natural consequence for spills, and the most effective way for children to learn responsibility. Learning life skills, such as cleaning, is also part the Montessori philosophy for early childhood education. According to Michael Olaf, an amazing source for Montessori materials,

I have heard parents exclaim in dismay that their child is “wasting time cleaning in her new Montessori school when she should be doing math!” However, math and all other intellectual work requires the ability to move carefully, to focus, to complete sequential steps, to concentrate, to make intelligent choices and to persevere in one’s work. This is exactly what is learned during practical life work. As a result of periods of time spent concentrating on such a task a child becomes calm and satisfied and, because of this inner peace, full of love for others.

Perhaps an even more important result of this work is that the child sees himself already as an important and contributing member of the group, and as an intimate friend, when he is welcome to participate in the work of the adult.

Magic Cabin’s Child’s Cleaning Set is made in the Netherlands, so no need to worry about Chinese manufactured goods with this purchase. The optional tool stand is made in the USA. With the holidays approaching, the Child’s Cleaning Set would make a great, practical gift.

With the explosion of toy recalls lately and information regarding the dangers of plastic toys, families are searching out safe, green toy alternatives. Previously, I wrote about Plan Toys rubber wood toys, which provide children with sustainably harvested toys; however, children need soft, cuddly play items, too. Silk scarves and dress-up clothes provide children with safe, natural toys that expand their imagination.

Preschool teachers and parents often complain that dress-up clothes are disorganized and difficult for children wear; however, all these dress-up clothes are not necessary. At a performing arts conference for teachers I attended, Play Silks were recommended as the only costume prop needed in the classroom or home. Children can make any costume using their imagination with Play Silks. Like blocks, they are truly open-ended, versatile, and limitless for play. In addition, silk is durable, soft, and aesthetically pleasing.

Play Silks are expensive, but you and your child get a lot for the money. At about $11 piece (you do get a discount for buying a set), their cost kept me from buying them for many years. I wanted to make my own set, but time slipped away, and I realized I never would get around to actually doing it (I still haven’t finished knitting the sweater I started for my daughter five years ago!). You can select plain silk scarves from Dharma Trading Company for anywhere between $1.00 and $4.00 and naturally dye them yourself to save money. Since purchasing a set of Play Silks, I am very pleased with how they have contributed to my daughter’s dramatic play. Our Play Silks are over a year old, and they show no signs of wear and tear.

Halloween is around the corner, and there are many great costumes made from natural silk. Magic Cabin offers many silk costumes for children, and these costumes are breathable and comfortable, unlike the vinyl costumes of my youth. Natural fabrics inspire children to explore life through their play, and a silk costume will long out live the Halloween holiday and be incorporated in your child’s ongoing dramatic play.

Toys made from natural fibers, such as silk, encourage meaningful play. Not only are these toys safe, but also they inspire children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Silk toys may be more expensive than their plastic, vinyl, or polyester counterparts, but parents can feel good about providing their children with natural toys that leave less of an impact on our environment and are safer for our children.

Only 3 days left to leave a comment and enter our monthly drawing for a hemp Eco Child’s Play bag. This will be our last monthly drawing for a hemp bag. Don’t miss your chance!

As I mentioned before, our cabin is small, and outdoor toys are very appealing. I believe children should spend as much time outside as possible, so the tetherball game offered my children another opportunity to play in the shade. When our tetherball game first arrived, only one part of the pole was in the box. I called Magic Cabin, and they were very kind and quickly remedied the problem. When we installed the tetherball game. which does involve a little concrete, the fun began. The pole is very tall and a little wobbly, but it works. My daughter loves to play the tetherball game, and she has taught her little brother to hit the ball too.

The tetherball game is not very natural. The pole is made of galvanized steel, the rope is nylon, and there is no guarantee the ball is fair trade manufactured. I am also not sure what the country of origin is either,but overall, we are very happy with this toy. Tetherball can be a competitive sport, so it is important to downplay this aspect with your children.

Only 4 days left to leave a comment and enter our monthly drawing for a hemp Eco Child’s Play bag.

Climbing on a Rope Ladder is more challenging than climbing a stationary ladder, thus it helps continue the gross motor development of older children. A Rope Ladder swings as a child climbs making the task more challenging. A Rope Ladder could be hung indoors, as well, but we are always looking for outdoor toys that don’t crowd our small cabin.

My son received the Pirate Ship for Easter two years ago. This natural toy is still a favorite and great for the imagination. Our Pirate Ship did not come with the bottom of the treasure chest (just the lid), and the mast is broken. The mast can be repaired by purchasing a new dowel and attaching the sail and crow’s nest, but even without the mast, my children enjoy playing with the Pirate Ship

Magic Cabin offers an affordable, Small Waldorf Mermaid by Kathe Kruse. This doll is made of all natural cotton, wool, and mohair. The tail is removable, allowing the doll to live on land, as well as the sea of your child’s imagination. The detailing on the doll includes beading and shimmering threads. My daughter adores her Small Waldorf Mermaid, which makes the perfect travel companion due to her small size. Kathe Kruse makes natural toys you can feel good about!

Making your own doll takes between 6 to 12 hours, depending on your skills and your child’s involvement. Our doll took about 7 hours to make, including the dress. My six-year old daughter’s participation was limited to stuffing the wool into the body and winding the hair around a book, but she was attentive and watched me sew (and bounced around in excitement) during the whole process. Going to the fabric store to pick out the dress was also a fun experience for us.

The directions included in the Magic Cabin Doll Kit are very clear. I was never confused, although I do have lots of quilting and sewing experience, I have never made a doll. The most difficult part was feeding the elastic through the casing on the dress collar, but other than that, I was surprised at how smoothly the process was for our doll. The Magic Cabin Doll Kit does come with patterns to make five different articles of clothing.

Waldorf dolls typically are very simple, allowing your child’s imagination to fill in the details. The natural materials and soft wool stuffing, make this doll far superior to plastic ones. My daughter really appreciates this doll, and it has become her favorite one, replacing other Waldorf dolls we have purchased. She is old enough to appreciate the doll is handmade with love, and she showered me with compliments when I was sewing. She was amazed her mommy could create such a lovable toy, thanks to theMagic Cabin Doll Kit.

1. Use digital invites: By creating your own digital invitations, you can email them to your friends and family and reduce the amount of paper involved in the celebration. You may need to print a few invitations to mail for those families not connected to the web, but this will still lighten the impact. A homemade invite also becomes a keepsake to document the day, and you won’t be supporting the corporate characters targeted at children. You will also save time and money by creating your own digital birthday invitations.

2. Pick a natural location for the party: By hosting your party in a natural location, such as a beach or park, you will be combating nature deficit disorder and eliminating the need for jumping rooms, extravagant decorations, etc. Every year, we have our party on a neighbor’s beach. The river provides the entertainment and increases our attendance of distant friends who look forward to a day of river fun in the mountain sun! Also, if the party is located away from your home, you are less likely to go overboard with party favors, decorations, etc., as you will have to pack it in and pack it out of the location.

3. Use reusable plates, napkins, utensils, cups, etc.: I am always amazed at how much garbage is created from even a small birthday party. By using reusable plates, utensils, etc., you are lightening your party’s impact greatly, as well as teaching your children an important lesson about disposables. The clean up after the party will be greater if you use reusables; however, the benefits to the planet certainly outweigh a little of your time. If you must use disposable products, look for paper products that are made with recycled, post-consumer materials and corn plastic utensils that are compostable.

4. Provide natural, eco-friendly party favors: One of the things I dread about my daughter attending her friends’ birthday parties is dollar store, plastic junk and candy she receives as party favors. If you feel compelled to give out party favors, look for items that will not be easily tossed into the landfill and won’t break within a day. Crystals, polished rocks, geodes, etc. make wonderful party favors children’s cherish, and these natural items will contribute to children dramatic play at home. Several natural toy stores also carry party favors. These toys may be more expensive, but when placed in the larger picture of sustainability and climate change, the cost is irrelevant. Better yet, forego the party favors all together.

5. Serve a vegan, chocolate cake: Whether you make your own cake or buy one, think about the ingredients used in the cake and how you could improve this aspect of the birthday tradition. We are lucky to live near a bakery that makes the best vegan, chocolate cake filled with raspberry sauce. They will even make the cake with our own garden grown, organic raspberries. There are many great recipes available online for vegan cakes.

6. Make gifts optional: If your kids are like mine, they already have too many toys! The birthday party can be another contributor to this problem, and if you are like me and detest plastic toys, your child will inevitably receive annoying toys that you do not like. By making gifts optional, you will prevent families frohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifm feeling compelled to buy anything just to attend the party, and your child will not receive a gross amount of junk. Children already receive many gifts from their families, so eliminating a few toys from their friends will not impact the joy of their birthday. You could also request used toys and books or no gifts at all.

There are many ways you can lighten the impact of your child’s birthday, as well as teach them a valuable lesson in sustainability, conservation, etc. You can still have themed birthday parties without all of the commercial products associated with them, by asking families to wear homemade costumes, make your own decorations, etc. Keep it simple, and everyone will enjoy the celebration more, while doing a little bit to save the Earth from climate change.

This post originally appeared on GNM Parents.

80% of tires are now recycled (not as tire swings!), compared to only 17% in 1990. At extremely high temperatures, tires off gas toxic benzene and toluene; however, older tires are not likely to off gas at cooler temperatures. Tires can also be breeding grounds for mosquitoes if water pools in them. The Green Guide offers the following tips for recycled tire swing safety:
*Light truck tires work well, but bigger, heavy truck tires used on semis can cause harm. Avoid steel-belted radials, which can pose cutting hazards.

*Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the tire.

*Use a rot-proof nylon rope to hang the tire from a sturdy limb on a hardwood tree such as oak or ash rather than a softer-limbed evergreen. Or, in a playground, check that the tire swing is hung from chains securely bolted to an overhead support with no obstacles within swinging distance.

*Pad the ground beneath the swing with wood chips, bark or recycled-tire rubber tiles (see below).

*For elaborate and amusing handcrafted tire swings in a variety of shapes including airplanes and kangaroos, see Abundant Earth .

*To ensure safety, inspect swing sets regularly and always supervise children on playground equipment.

We previously featured a recycled horse tire swing from Magic Cabin, although you don’t need to buy an expensive tire swing to provide your child with outdoor fun. If you feel adventurous, Dave’s Garden offers a pattern to make your own recycled pony tire swing from a recycled tire.

If you are interested in reading an interview with a friend of mine, who dropped out of the corporate world to start his own green company, please visit Green Options Interview: Steve Elfrink, Founder of OmTerra.

Play Silks are expensive, but you and your child get a lot for the money. At about $11 piece (you do get a discount for buying a set), the cost of Play Silks kept me from buying them for many years. I wanted to make my own set, but time slipped away, and I realized I never would get around to actually doing it (I still haven’t finished knitting the sweater I started for my daughter five years ago!). Since purchasing a set of Play Silks, I am very pleased with how they have contributed to my daughter’s dramatic play. Just think, if you buy a set of Play Silks, you will not need to buy any dress up clothes from major corporations! Our Play Silks are a year old, and they show no signs of wear and tear.

Don’t forget, only four more days left to leave a comment and enter to win an Eco Child’s Play hemp bag!

Don’t forget to visit Green Options to read Green Family Values: Natural Baby Beauty Products. Thank you to Erin for alerting me to the problems with sodium laureth sulfate, so I could amend my recommendations.

A Hopi friend of mine feels it is inappropriate for children to play in teepees, as they promote stereotypes about Native Americans. Obviously, not all tribes live/lived in teepees; however, they have become a symbolic representation of all native people in America. For my daughter, we never associated the teepee with any culture and simply enjoyed the unique structure for play. We did not pretend to be cowboys or Indians. If she would have been older, I would have been sure to teach her about all of the various housing structures utilized by tribes across this vast continent.

Don’t forget to read Green Family Values this week!