Happy Belated Earth Day!

        Ok, so I meant to post this on Earth Day.  But,since I already gave the world an amazing earth day gift on the twentieth anniversary of the first Earth Day, I was babysitting so the gift could go out for her birthday. (I gave you Hippie Pants.  She is very green and wants to save allllll of you.  You're welcome!)  And, since both Dinky Pants and Mellow Pants are both under two, they spent the evening taking turns shrieking and throwing up and/or spreading mucus everywhere, so I got nothing written  We were busy being very earthy here. 

        Oh well.  It really doesn't make a huge difference as I am always at least a day late and a dollar short.  Everyday should be earth day, anyways. We should already be reducing, reusing, and recycling.  It's not just better for the earth.  It's also better (and cheaper!) for us. So with that thought in mind, here are a few upcycled and green toy ideas.  They are easy, fab, and definitely green.  (Bonus, doing this with your kid counts as good parenting.  You're welcome again.)

 

1) This my favorite- got a big cardboard box?  Got crayons and/or markers?  Got a kid?  Put the kid in the box with the crayons.   Tidy house or surf net or sip lattes while he is busy. Admire artistic endeavors afterwards.

 

2) This is a great link to a slideshow of easy diy toys made from cardboard  boxes and tubes from the DIY network.  There are a few really clever playhouse ideas if you have a BIG box.

 DIY Network Fun with cardboard

3) Water painting- great for little ones and very zen.  All you need is a container of water (a sand pail or bowl) and a brush.  Some colored paper if you want to be all fancy.  Just let the kid take his "paint" and brush outside and go to town.  Best of all  -no clean up. If your kid is really clever, you could teach him the idea of "art as an exploration of impermanence", because if they don't learn pretentious nonsense at home they will only pick it up in the streets and then where will they end up?

 

4)Diy Cd hovercraft- this one is a great for older kids to make. Everyone will have fun playing with it.  You will need the flip top from a dish soap bottle, a cd, a balloon, and a glue gun.  Instructions are here from the Chocolate Muffin tree.

CD Hovercraft

  

           So there ya go.  Hope you have fun.  And please, do reduce, reuse, and recycle.  There is only one Earth and we do have to share it.