VALLEY WEEKEND : KIDS : Put Earth-Friendly Gifts on Your Shopping List : The spirit of the season and the spirit of conservation can mesh with environmentally sound 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, assistant manager of The Nature Company at CityWalk in Universal City, 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 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’ ECO BLOCKS are nontoxic and they keep two 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.
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, shows 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 Nature Company at CityWalk in Universal City 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.
