KidStyleFile

The Green Guide is brought to you during the first week of each month by expert in the field Raquel, from Growing Up Green (affectionately dubbed ‘GUG’), the Australian authority on modern eco, green, environmentally friendly and fair trade options for kids.

Read previous ‘The Green Guide’ posts here.

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1 – Every home should have a fun watering hole for the resident cubs to roll around in, and of course – for authenticity – every watering hole should have a few African animals gathering around like Tito the Tiger here. An organically comforting hooded towel from 3 Sprouts, Tito’s a delightfully snuggly way to end bath time activities, especially if you happen to have a tot who’s reluctant to get out! Tito is joined by a menagerie of friendly faces, such as Hazel the Hippo and Milo the Monkey, and at 31” by 31” the towels are perfect for newborn to three years olds.

2 - The ultra stylish kids wear from LA label The Young 1s is just as spunky and fun as a certain 80s UK show of the same name, fortunately that’s where the resemblance ends. Created by a husband and wife team, the organic clothing grabs our attention with brilliant colours then holds it with a eclectic mix of graphics and thought provoking quotes.

3 - Swim bag, library bag, overnight bag… there’s no end to the many uses your children have for a  kiddy cool carrier, fortunately local knitwear label Grasshoppers has a couple just as cute as the kids themselves. The designs have an adorable koala, hippo or elephant motif and have been hand crocheted by rural women in Zimbabwe who, under the Knit For Life initiative, are able to earn an income while still caring for their children. The Fair Trade registered label also has a lovely selection of classically styled hand knitwear for babies and children.

4 - Tired of picking up the kids belongings off the floor? Then you’re going to love this wonderful Fruut Tree from Live Play Create. Nope, it doesn’t grow lemons but it does do a dandy job of keeping all the kid’s gear in order and looks mighty majestic doing it! The functional wooden sculpture, cum jacket and bag organiser, has another advantage over other storage stands: the playfulness of the design may just encourage kids to pick up their stuff, a sanity saving return most parents would be more than happy to invest in.

5 - Glass bottles aren’t going away, they’re just getting much better looking. A stylish mile from the bottles of old, Beaba’s newest release is tempting parents away from plastic with a  glassy combination of function and chic. Decorated in the colours of a spring garden, the 110ml and 250mL bottles are dishwasher, steriliser and bottle warmer safe and of course the big plus: no BPAs! Team it with Beaba’s silicon covers and you’ll wonder how we ever bothered with plastic.

6 - Hopscotch Kids’ wonderfully funky range of chemical-free nail colours is a neat idea for little girls who like to mimic mum. Colourful proof there’s plenty of safe ways to dress up and play, their candy coloured range of watercolour polishes allow kids to have fun painting up their tiny toes without exposure to any dangerous chemicals.

7 - There are plenty of novel ways to preserve and display kid’s art but this one is particularly impressive. Let me lay it out for you, or rather let Carpetzz lay it out for you in custom hand tufted New Zealand wool! A small company based in Bayern, Germany, Carpetzz will happily create a bespoke woollen carpet based on a child’s drawing, immortalising their creativity and providing parents with a brilliantly individual rug like no other. The rugs can be  made to any shape and size desired - admittedly at 150 Euro per square metre you may not want to go grand scale - but one thing is certain, the one person who’ll be more delighted than you with the result is the little artist behind the design!

8 - It may be a tad early to tell if your wee cup cake has any ballet aspirations but that doesn’t mean to say you can’t indulge in a bit of dance fashion in the mean time. LaLa Monde’s super sweet baby ballet shoes are handmade from 100% linen in gorgeously girly shades of candy floss pink, sorbet orange and pistachio green. Once you’ve dressed her up in the shoes you may want to grab a cute pic of her wearing them – matching tutu optional - least she grows up to be more tom boy than the ballerina you imagined!

9 - While it’s minus the bells and whistles of flashier play mats, Honeydumplings’ baby mat has a few neat tricks the others don’t and it’s all thanks to the Canadian grown organic buckwheat hulls contained within. Tucked away behind the vanilla facade of the  gorgeously pure bamboo cover lies a uniquely quilted mat which can be folded, shaped and molded to babies body. Ergo, it’s a playmat, headrest, back support, sleep support roll, pretty much anything you need it to be! And when you roll it out flat, it simply becomes a wonderfully soft cloud of organic goodness to rest and play upon.

10 - Ever wondered what happens to all those paper bags the kids get their tuckshop orders in? You guessed it – landfill! Fortunately not only did the creators of Stickybeaks think about it, they came up with a fabulous green and practical replacement. Their reusable Lunch Wallet has lot’s of clever detail, from a zipper pocket to hold lunch money to a transparent pocket that displays the child’s name and class, this generously sized wipeable bag will quickly become your preferred choice. Larger than its paper counterpart, it neatly folds down into a small wallet the kids can tuck away in their school bags, plus it won’t fall apart when its wet and a flat base makes it easy to stack and pack!

Discover more green finds at Growing Up Green the Australian authority on modern eco options for kids.

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