The holidays are lovely, joyous times and getting to re-experience the magic of this time of year through childs’ eyes with my own kids is nothing short of amazing. But it’s no secret that during the holidays in our culture we start to generate a lot more garbage. The gift wrap is enough by itself but then you have layers of plastic packaging from factory products, especially with kids toys. Whether or not you care about waste minimization, most parents can relate to this struggle every birthday and gift-giving holiday, when you are faced with the tasks of helping your kids de-package their new toys and cleaning up the aftermath. And as much as I love the convenience of online shopping, it only creates more packaging waste.
Like many parents this time of year, I try to reinforce to my kids who have so much to remember those who do not. We donated our old coats and cans of food to those in need and collected coins for charitable causes. We try to teach them that it’s more about giving than receiving. But honestly, this time of year the concept seems to go right over their heads since they are so wrapped up in their own festivities (pun intended). I try to instill this in them year round anyways.
Despite my feelings I’m definitely guilty of indulging my kids with brand new toys and plastic galore. But this year, I have taken a little extra joy in finding some things that help counteract all the consumerism. Here are my three favorite things for kids this holiday season:
- DIY Crayons. Kids like to color and they have crayons. But they color with them to a certain point and then don’t want to use them anymore. You’re left with A LOT of broken and dull crayons. What do you do? Melt them and make new crayons! It’s actually really easy and you can use molds of any shapes your kids like. It’s fun to mix the colors together to have crayons that change colors as you use them. They make great stocking stuffers. Just follow these easy instructions.
- Cuddle + Kind. This is my favorite find this year and I’ve been raving about it! This company makes absolutely beautiful, handmade dolls. For every doll purchased they provide 10 meals to help kids in need. Plus, this is a sustainable company that supports women artisans in Peru. The company is starting to get noticed and is winning awards for what they do. Watch the the video below and check them out here. The dolls really are as beautiful as they look and the company really is this ethical (I do my research). I can tell you that getting one of these dolls for Christmas will be a new annual tradition for my kids!
- Gifts of experience. This is definitely not a new concept, but particularly useful for kids. My kids have a lot of stuff. While there are always a few toys they really want to have each year, what they really do not need is an abundance of more stuff. For family members who need ideas of what to get for my kids, I am telling them we would really appreciate vouchers to experience places and activities like the movies, museums, ice skating, trampoline parks, etc. My kids love outings and having these ready to go will be much appreciated when they want to get out of the confines this winter! Check out our latest Go Green article for lots more ideas on alternative gift giving.
Written by Amy Kadrie, Sustainability Coordinator
Image Source: Flickr