From the category archives:

Grow Green Kids

Green Review: Artterro Art Journal Kits

January 27, 2012

We’re in the middle of our Artterro Eco Arts & Crafts Giveaway so I wanted to fill you in on one of the great prizes, the Artterro Art Journal Kit. Use: Crafty free-form fun that allows imaginative kids (or adults) to explore their artistic creativity through art journaling. Available in many different colors as shown above. Cost: A super [...]

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How to cut screen time and get your kids outside

January 26, 2012

I recently wrote, 50 things I did outside as a kid that didn’t kill me, a post that got me thinking about how come I did all this cool stuff outside, but kids today don’t. I think it’s due to two major issues – screens and parent comfort with the outside world. Kids are glued, [...]

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New & Somewhat Healthier USDA School Lunch Guidelines

January 25, 2012

Supposedly, school lunches are going to be getting a healthy makeover. At least, that’s the rumor circulating around first lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Also rumored is that the first lady is running into some problems because last year congress blocked the Agriculture Department from making healthy changes such as limiting french [...]

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Is it safe to let your kids play outside alone?

January 23, 2012

As I noted in that 50 things I did outside as a kid that didn’t kill me post, plenty of parents today are too scared to allow their kids any freedom when it comes to outside play. In fact, the Kids Fighting Chance website notes that a recent study of parents’ worries by pediatricians at the Mayo Clinic in [...]

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50 things I did outside as a kid that didn’t kill me

January 20, 2012

Kids are pretty darn sheltered these days. On Facebook I once posed the question to some parents, “At what age is it safe to let kids play alone outside?” The answers I got freaked me out. Parents posted stuff like, “14, 18 years of age” or “Never.” Very few parents said they allowed their kids [...]

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Top Eco-friendly Books for Green Families

December 22, 2011

If you’re scrounging for last-minute holiday gifts, a good book can’t be beat and is easy to find, even last-minute, so long as you have a local bookstore in town. I’ve reviewed many books, and below are some of my favorites – all are perfect for growing green families too! Celebrate Green! Eco-nomical Baby [...]

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My son disqualifies me from mentioning childhood obesity

December 16, 2011

As you may have noticed, I’m writing a series on the childhood obesity epidemic and family health related to food choices and exercise. After I posted, signs your child may be overweight, I got an email from an individual who apparently noticed a picture of my son on the Growing a Green Family Facebook page, [...]

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Why U.S. parents are in denial about childhood weight issues

December 15, 2011

Instead of green goals for 2012, this year, I’m working on a series that addresses healthy lifestyle goals and choices, along with the growing problem of overweight kids and teens. In the last post in this series we looked at how most parents are in extreme denial about childhood weight issues. In this post, we’ll look at [...]

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Homemade Memory Game for Holiday Fun

December 15, 2011

For Christmas this year, Cedar and I were going to make homemade wool felt play food kits for the kids in our family, as holiday gifts. However, we’re not the best sewers. We made some and did okay, but we need more practice before our sewing crafts are gift-ready. Still, since we wanted to make [...]

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Majority of parents underestimate severity of their child’s weight problem

December 14, 2011

Instead of green goals for 2012, this year, I’m working on a series that addresses healthy lifestyle goals and choices, along with the growing problem of overweight kids and teens. In this post, we’ll look at how parents deal with this issue when it involves their own children. The most important influence in your child’s life [...]