In line with Earth Hour tonight I thought I’d come up with a list of  the Top 10 Eco tips for parents.

We all have a different awareness and concern for the environment but I believe this list I have created is a good start for any new parent.

1. Teach children about recycling by getting them to help you put rubbish in the right bin. Children learn through imitation and role play, so what better way to start teaching them about how to care for our planet than by doing it yourself?

2. Turn the tap off when brushing their teeth. Children can be taught to value, respect and not waste our valuable water by not letting the water run.

3. Use cloth or biodegradable nappies and wipes. More and more mums are using modern cloth nappies these days and that’s because they are easy to use, look stylish and are better for your baby’s skin and the environment. If you can’t be bothered with the washing then ensure you use an eco-friendly disposable  nappy option.

4. Don’t use a dryer for clothes, instead hang out clothes on the line! The sun does wonders for your clothes and my three-year-old daughter loves to help me by passing me the pegs.

5. Buy your food from your local farmers market or green grocer. Farmers markets are everywhere and if you haven’t been to one yet then you should check them out. Filled with fresh, locally produced fruit, veggies, bread, jams, chutneys and much more they are a great way to spend a Sunday morning. Your children will enjoy them too! Checkout this link to find your closest farmers market http://www.farmersmarkets.org.au/

6. Walk to places more often instead of driving; it’s good for you, your baby and the environment.

7. Use natural and organic cleaning and bath products instead of toxic, chemical cleaners that pollute our waterways.

8. Go to op shops. You can find some amazingly gorgeous and unique baby clothes at op shops and they are a great money saver, particularly considering baby only wears them for such a short time.

9. Breastfeed and you never have to worry about bottles, sterilising and formula. Again, it’s the best thing you could do for your baby and you save yourself a lot of hassle!

10.  Don’t waste the earth’s resources on mass-produced, plastic toys that contribute to landfill. Try to buy natural and eco friendly toys, join a toy library or buy toys from op shops.

Eco Toys will be exhibiting at the upcoming Melbourne Baby Show 5 - 7 March 2010.

Our aim is to educate parents about the benefits of natural and sustainable toys and give them the opportunity to see and feel our lovely toys.

We have been very busy preparing and organising for the event and have some fantastic offers and give-aways on the day.

One lucky winner will walk away with this gorgeous organic baby hamper valued at $240! 

The hamper includes a Rainstick Tower, Organic Cozy Lime Doll, Cherry Wood Toddler Zoom, Pintoy Twist Rattle, Peter Rabbit Organic Cotton Book, Organic Green Bean, Hexi Twist, Honey Sticks Beeswax Crayons, Stylish Organic Cotton Kimono Outfit (pic below) and a Luxurious MiniLaLa Dandelion Fields Designer Cloth Nappy, courtesy  of Alipants. 

Plus if you visit the Essential Baby Cafe you can enter to WIN one of our stunning new Baby Gyms and a Wooden  Highchair!!

We will be also offering 15% off our Wooden Highchairs and will have a unique range of handmade soft toys & bird mobiles, made using reclaimed woollen jumpers. All these soft toys are one of a kind and are simply gorgeous! Thanks Renee for all your hard work over the past few weeks.

I want to also thank MoederKip for designing and making us a beautiful baby bunting for our stand (which they sell on their store) and for Natural Family Photography for the amazing photos they have taken of children playing with our eco toys.

Eco Toys is giving away complimentry passes to the Baby Show. To receive your free pass simply sign up to our e-newsletter or join our facebook fan page and post on our wall “I would love to come to the baby Show”.

I look forward to seeing you there and doing what I love the most; sharing my passion to make this world a better place for our children and our planet!

My daughter loves the beach, playing in the sand, collecting sea shells and dipping her toes in the water.  I was fortunate to recently have the opportunity to share this joy with her during our Christmas holiday at the beach.

Sometimes it’s easily forget how important it is for our children to connect to mother nature. 

My daughter reminded me that day . . .

That play can come be created from simple things, like the sticks and shells she found at the beach.

Her creation was magnificent and reminded me to stop and admire the beauty, breathe in the sea air and take pleasure in the simple things in life.

Sometimes it’s our children that teach us life’s most important lessons.

Sustainable House Day

Around 170 homes will open their doors to the public for this year’s Sustainable House Day as millions of Australians continue to embrace renewable energy, recycling and other practices designed to lessen our impact on the environment.

“Almost 10% of Austarlia’s greenhouse gas emissions come from households. But every Australian can make a big difference to the environment and their wallets through simple, cost-effective, everyday actions. Visit an open home on Sustainable House Day and go to www.livinggreener.gov.au to find out the practical and often easy steps you can take to reduce your impact on the environment as well as your energy and water bills”.

Eco Kids Festival

This Sunday 13th September at Sydney’s Luna Park will be the first ever Eco Kids Festival! This is  your day to be inspired with music,  magic, dancing, singing, face painting,
show bags, video games, solar gadgets, worms and spiders, possums and pythons,
yummy organic food, arts and crafts, clowns, workshops, tree planting, puppetry,
eco-jesters   and  some  of  Australias  best  childrens  entertainment  including
everybody’s favourite - Dorothy the Dinosaur.

Good morning & welcome to the first day of Spring! There’s nothing more satisfying than growing your own veggie garden with your kids. Why not head into the garden today and let them get back to nature?

I remember the sheer delight on Safari’s face the first time she ever saw a worm . . .

Or when she sat in the garden and picked the cherry tomatoes straight from the plant and ate them until she was full.

I remember the feeling of freedom as I watched her playing in the sunshine without a nappy

Or when she got her first gardening set and happily spent all day digging in the dirt.

There are so many benefits to growing your own veggie garden, kids spend so much time in front of the TV or playing computer games that they loose sense of their real world so let them get dirty and enjoy the first day of spring today!

Check out this great link for some organic gardening tips.

I love giraffes! Ever since I first went to Africa and saw these beautiful elegant creatures roaming the African plains I’ve had a thing about giraffe spots.

So I got very excited when I found this gorgeous recycled giraffe sock puppet. It’s definitely on my to do list for my next craft project with my daughter. How cute it he?

Check out this fantastic craft blog for information on how to make this sock and please send in your photos if you make one or share your recycled craft projects with us.

Have you ever noticed when you come home from shopping how much packaging you have? Cut down on packaging by buying fresh fruit & veggies (or better still grow your own!). Eating fresh & raw food is much healthier for you. No need to put them in plastic bags either, you can just put them straight into your green shopping bag.

My poor girl has a cold again so we have been home these past few days and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to make some toys out of recyled materials. She put on her beautiful art smock she got for her birthday and with a big gorgeous smile we started on our craft project!

I grabbed some toilet rolls, wool, carboard from old boxes, a pair of scissors and some glue and we made some farm animals.

A woolly sheep . .

and a horse . . .

happily playing together!

Kids really don’t need big fancy battery operated toys! They leave no room for imagination, Safari has been playing with her farm animals all morning. They went for a picnic, did some cooking and then settled into their house and she put them to sleep.

We would love to hear about your eco projects so if you have a recycled craft activity that you would like to share with us, then please send your photos and story to info@ecotoys.com.au

Play is central to every facet of a child’s development, yet it is often overlooked and regarded by many as unimportant. In today’s fast paced world we seem to value tests scores and academic success at a younger and younger age loosing site of the foundation upon which all learning is built - play.

The benefits of play encompass all areas of a child’s development and carry over into all areas of adult life.

Young children learn best when allowed to play freely at activities of their own choosing. When a child is allowed time to explore, create and experiment freely with adult support (rather than adult direction) they develop the skills needed to succeed in life.

Through play, children learn complex social skills, such as sharing, taking turns, and making friends. They develop confidence, are able to process and express their feelings, and work through difficult situations in a safe way. Play encourages problem solving, creative thinking, versatility, imagination and inventiveness - all  traits that are valued in the adult workforce. Play builds the cognitive skills needed to learn later academic skills such as reading, writing, numeracy, science and more. Play encourages language, communication skills and creativity. Play allows a child to blossom and grow into an active learner.

We all want our children to be successful and competent in our complex, fast paced world, and one of the best ways to prepare a child for this world is by simply letting them play…. or better yet, follow their lead, join in and play with them!

Article kindly written by Kate Fairlie, photos courtesy of Barefoot magazine.

I had a delivery over the weekend of the winter issue of Barefoot magazine & I couldn’t wait to curl up on my cosy lounge and have a read.

I must say as soon as I opened it and read the editor’s welcome my heart was warmed. Finally a parenting magazine that honours and acknowledges the important role of fathers in our society. This issue of Barefoot a must read so be sure to get your copy available from Eco Toys.

Barefoot magazine is designed and produced in Australia and printed using the most environmentally responsible printing methods available. The paper is made from 100% pre-used waste paper and is not chlorine bleached. Vegetable inks and benign press chemicals are used - preserving forests and water.