One of my favorite gifts to give would have to be books. That’s probably because I own a huge collection, and I’m the type that reads them over and over. Worth it to me to own them, rather than go to the library. Besides, my main love is science fiction, and some titles you just don’t see at the library very often.

But books to give people ideas on how they can help the environment are a great gift idea. The best ones give practical advice, or focus on a particular aspect that you know the person is interested in.

Green Books for Kids

The Lorax
Very subtle, and even people who aren’t interested in the environment are likely to read this one to their kids.

Earthways: Simple Environmental Activities for Young Children
Crafting ideas to do with kids that will encourage them to interact with nature. Many of the people who like this one seem to also be into homeschooling. But my daughter is in public school, and I’m still considering it for her.

Gone Wild
An alphabet book using images of endangered animals.

Down-to-Earth Guide To Global Warming
Geared for kids ages 9-12, this book goes over global warming in a way kids can understand. There are some people who are understandably upset over an incorrect graph in the book, but the information is otherwise good.

Where Does the Garbage Go?
An early reader book that also helps kids to think about what happens to the things they throw in the trash. You could consider combining this with a trip to the dump so that children see the reality of it.

It’s All Connected: A Comprehensive Guide to Global Issues and Sustainable Solutions
A book good for teens to learn about sustainability. Goes over global issues and talks about people who have made a difference.

Green Books for Adults

The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists
Ever wonder if you’re making the right choices for the environement? Here’s help. Finally a way to make spending your money a little greener. I don’t have it yet, just found it while researching this post, but I’m going to get it.

Green for Life
For the vegan in your life. Lots of recipes to help inspire people trying this lifestyle. No, that’s still not me, but even with that I can see the value to this book.

The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time
While a lot of the tips are so simple I’ve been doing them for years, others may surprise you.

The Weather Makers : How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth
Environmental changes mean changes in the weather, and that’s going to have a huge impact on just about everyone. He goes over what he thinks ought to be done, including actions he would like to see taken at the very end of the book.

Christmas for many families comes close to lacking any other meaning than “gimme, gimme”. People rush around looking for the perfect gift, buying gifts they hope will be appreciated.

I’ve been sharing a lot of green gift ideas recently, but this is perhaps the most important one:

Cut back

Look at what you give. Look at what you want. Is it all necessary?

I’ve been working on keeping my own requests practical. One of the big things I want is a good battery charger with a solid range of rechargeable batteries. Since we have not entirely avoided electronic toys and gadgets, this would make a lot of sense for my family.

Talk with the adults in the family. Do you all need to buy gifts for each other?

My sisters and I draw names. It allows for a decent budget for each person, rather than a bunch of cheaper gifts. It’s really nice to only have to shop for a very few people.

For the kids, beware of overhyped toys and really think about what will be loved for years. Too many toys have a lifespan of under 3 months. Seems like a waste of money and resources to me.

Gifts for kids are the most difficult area to cut back in many ways. Even if you avoid commercial television, they’re going to hear about things from their friends and have to deal with comparisons. It takes some extra effort, but choosing toys that encourage activity, education or creativity while following your child’s interests can help toys to last longer than the latest ‘hot’ toy.

It takes some work to really cut back during the holiday season. But when better to cut back than at the time of year that practically symbolizes overconsumption?

Technorati Tags: gift giving, cutting back

The cardboard playhouse is a classic for kids. Who doesn’t have a mental picture of kids playing in an old refrigerator box?

But you don’t have to wait for your next large appliance purchase to make a cardboard playhouse. Go talk to a manager at your local Home Depot or similar store, and ask about having a box saved for you. Every night the night crew opens up a lot of boxes, and some are great for making playhouses. All they’re going to do with it otherwise is crush it with other boxes and tie up for recycling. Stores are often cooperative with this kind of request.

We did this for my daughter, and the box lasted about 3 years. We got a double thickness cardboard box, and my husband cut out a door and some windows, with some packing tape to close up the top.

The cardboard playhouse has a lot of advantages over the plastic ones that are so popular:

1. They’re not plastic!
   Yes, quite obvious from an environmental standpoint. Much better to use a box that has already been made than to buy some plastic in a box.
2. Cost
   All these cost is some time. Looking at the hard plastic playhouses on Amazon, many run $150, $200 or more. Even the tent style ones are often over $50. They have a white cardboard playhouse in the $30 range for those who don’t want to cut out their own. But I’ve seen those in person, and you can get much more interesting doing it yourself, not to mention getting a larger playhouse that falls neatly into the ‘reuse’ category.
3. Encourages creativity in more ways
   A plastic playhouse encourages creativity quite nicely, but a cardboard one has more room for creativity yet. Not only does it not look like any particular kind of house, but it can be colored on, painted, or whatever the kids want to do.

While these do take some effort (cutting through cardboard, especially if you get double thickness isn’t easy!), I think it is much worth it. The double thickness is strong enough that kids can climb on top of their playhouse if you’ve taped it up well at the flaps. If you have to move, it’s nicelycollapseable. It’s one of the best toys I can think to give to young children.

Technorati Tags: homemade cardboard playhouse, homemade toys, kids gifts, gifts for children