VENTURA COUNTY WEEKEND : KIDS : ‘Green’ Gifts Make Sense on Holiday Shopping List : The spirit of the season and the spirit of conservation can mesh with Earth-friendly presents.
The holiday season is sometimes an occasion for excess, when parents may inadvertently set a bad example for kids. On the other hand, the season can provide an opportunity to combine celebration with positive messages--such as how to shop smart, do a lot with a little, and even be friendly to the planet while being friendly to your friends.
Whether parents and kids take their shopping tips from Ruben Prieto, an assistant manager in one of the environmentally friendly chain of stores called The Nature Company, or from the most careful shopping tipster of them all, Ralph Nader, the message is the same: It’s possible to combine the spirit of conservation with the spirit of the holidays.
For instance, this year’s cleverest gift idea for tots who are just beginning to be interested in saving their planet is a set of building blocks made from recycled plastic. A $12 set is available from The Nature Company, which has outlets in the San Fernando Valley and one in Santa Barbara, as well as by calling that company’s mail-order number (800) 227-1114 or The Green Toy Store at (800) 532-0420.
“Dr. Bob Hertz’s ECO BLOCKS are nontoxic and they keep 2 pounds of milk and water jugs from ending up in the landfill,” Prieto cheerfully points out. He further recommends folks look at the newly arrived sweatshirts and jackets at his store, which are woven from recycled soda bottles.
Also offered by The Nature Company and several mail-order sources are paper-making kits--for about $20--which, as Prieto put it, “allow kids to make paper in about 20 minutes using ordinary junk mail, gift wrap or even the box the kit came in.” What a way to deal a blow to excesses such as the over-packaging of holiday gifts. Another kit, this one designed by master papermaker Arnold Grummer, can be ordered by calling (800) 453-1485. And still another, this one by Creativity for Kids and costing $30, can be found locally at the Natural Wonders store at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, 494-5095.
Such do-it-yourself recycling takes the idea of conservation of resources to the max, and is something to warm the heart of the likes of Ralph Nader. As he put it in a recent interview, recycling and the buying of recycled goods show kids “their power to effect change.”
Another idea that would get the Nader seal of approval--because it’s nontoxic--as well as being a rather sweet gift idea, is a 100% cotton--organically grown and chemical-free--baby blanket. One brand, made by a San Fernando Valley company, Grandma’s Blankets of Woodland Hills, is sold at Valley stores such as Tender Treasures, Juvenile Shop, Rebelette, Maternity Express and Creative Cottons.
Terry Leiberstein, a Reseda-based environmental educator who also owns a mail-order company specializing in “green” educational toys, encourages parents to call her for suggestions--even if the item’s not in her catalog. A provider of programs and educational supplies to the National Wildlife Federation, she is happy to share her knowledge of planet-friendly activities, and games and kits. Call (800) 228-5816.
DETAILS
* FYI: Holiday shopping tips about resource-thrifty, or “green,” products that appeal to kids are available from Nature Watch in Reseda, (800) 228-5816. Other sources are the Natural Wonders store in The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, 494-5095; The Nature Company at the Paseo Nuevo mall in Santa Barbara, 564-1918, and its mail-order operation, (800) 227-1114; The Green Toy Store, (800) 532-0420; Real Goods, (800) 762-7325; and The National Green Pages, (800) 584-7336.
