Itty Bitty Greenie

eco-fabulous finds for kids

Archive for the ‘Eco-friendly toys’ Category

Sophie’s the #1 choice

For nearly 50 years Sophie the Giraffe has been loved by babies all around the world, and she has become an iconic toy that has been passed through generations, a favourite among celebrity mums, old-school mums and modern mums alike. But what makes me love this classic teething toy so much more, is the fact it is also eco-friendly, all natural and toxin-free.

For those who don’t know her heritage, Sophie was born in 1961 in Paris. She is made by the French company Vulli, located in the French Alps, from 100% natural rubber derived from the sap of the Hevea tree that grows in Malaysia. Every morning, before the daytime heat sets in, the milky liquid latex that oozes from beneath the bark of these trees is collected. Vulli then applies a traditional process of rotational moulding to shape the rubber into Sophie as we know her. Amazingly, each Sophie is still produced traditionally, involving 14 manual operations before completion. With more than 30 million Sophies sold around the world, that’s a lot of manual labour!

Even more amazing, Sophie’s popularity grew by simple word of mouth – mums obviously know a good toy when they find one – and there are plenty of reasons why. This toy is not only soothing for teething babies, it’s great for early learning because it stimulates all five senses:

SIGHT – the dark and contrasting spots of the giraffe provide visual stimulation for young babies

HEARING – the gentle squeak of Sophie stimulates hearing and keeps babies amused

TASTE – the natural rubber is soft on gums and the all-natural food paint is non-toxic and completely safe for babies

SMELL – the singular scent of natural rubber makes Sophie the Giraffe very special and easy for a child to identify among all their other toys

TOUCH – the shape of Sophie’s long neck and legs is easy for little hands to grip; she’s also very light and soft to touch

It’s no wonder this sweet little giraffe has become the star she is today.  Soft and soothing, the perfect size to hold and chew, Sophie comforts and pacifies babies like no other toy or dummy can.

Buy Sophie here and we’ll gift wrap her for free!

 

By Donna MacMullin

Creative Communications, Graphic Design, Communications, Blogging, Copywriting, Content Management

A healthy snack for your itty bitty bookworm

It’s never too early to plant the seeds of earth-friendly living, and since most kids love books, the Little Green Books series is a great way to start. Not only are these books printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper with vegetable inks, the stories are devoted to educating children (and parents) about the benefits of being green.

As a mum and booklover, I can say one of the things I like about this series is not only do these tales deliver a great message, they’re entertaining as well. In The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle for example, kids follow the journey of a plastic bottle from a blob of crude oil, to a plastic bottle, to being recycled into a fleece jumper. Told in diary form, this humorous tale is sure to give readers a laugh while stressing the significance of the recycling process.

In My First Garden, follow a mother and daughter as they dig up soil, plant a flower bed, and water the seeds to make their very first garden of colourful fruits and veggies. It’s a board book with a handle cut out of each page, so kids can take it with them wherever they go.

The books in the series cover a variety of subjects, teaching children about the dangers of global warming, the benefits of recycling, and what they can do to help endangered animals. There are also a couple of soft books in the series, which are perfect for babies. The covers of the Little Monkey and Little Panda books are Polartec® fleece, made from recycled clear plastic bottles. Super-soft and machine washable, they make a great gift.

The books also include a glossary of terms at the back so that parents and children can learn what “post-consumer” means or what “compost” is. And one of my favourites in the series is the It’s Easy to be Green book, loaded with easy activities you can do with your children to help them learn about the environment and living sustainably.

For more information and lots of green tips and games for kids, check out the Little Green Books website. And to purchase books from the Little Green Books series, please visit the “Greenie Books” section of the Itty Bitty Greenie retail site.

 

By Donna MacMullin

Creative Communications, Graphic Design, Communications, Blogging, Copywriting, Content Management