Dreaming of a green Christmas for your tot? The holiday season is a perfect opportunity to teach kids about sustainability with eco-friendly toys that preserve their health and the integrity of the planet. We’ve rounded up some fantastic green presents that your little ones will love tearing into! From rag dolls and race cars, to uber cozy puppy dog slippers and organic sherpa pajamas, we’ve got something for every little boy and girl on Santa’s ‘nice’ list!

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Make your little drummer boy’s heart skip a beat this Christmas with gifts that are sure to delight and inspire him. Whether the charming lad on your list loves art, construction, robots, cars, dinosaurs or skateboards, we’ve got the perfect present to suit every penchant. From a real, heirloom quality tool kit he can hand down to his own son one day, and a robot he can build by fashioning trash into a real-life treasure, to a skateboard stool made from shattered boards and decks and a cozy, stylish organic merino wool sweater that’s sure to make the girls swoon, here are our top picks for gifts for boys!

GIFTS FOR BOYS >

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Education is the key to conservation, and Ian Shive’s photographs in The National Parks: Our American Landscape enlighten viewers with a rare, adrenaline-filled look at the phenomenal beauty of the American backdrop. Shive’s photography offers a fresh outlook on nature, making a hairy tarantula in the Chihuahuan Desert featured in an extreme close-up, appear as a dazzling wild gem, and depicting a giant Sequoia Tree as it reaches deep into the sky, its branches blending with the stars. In the book’s collection of 200+ photographs, Shive manages to both capture the magnificence of too grand for words settings while enabling the viewer to interact with the environment and process moments in time on an individual level.

Read the rest of BOOK REVIEW: The National Parks: Our American Landscape

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Post tags: book review, eco books, environmental photographers, environmental photography, green books, ian shive, inhabitat book review, national parks, the national parks our american landscape, water and sky photography

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Post tags: ben blanc, ben blanc interview, cork toys, corkels, inhabitat interview, recycled wood toys, wood chip toys

Looking for the perfect gift for a new parent? You may not be able to wrap up eight hours of sleep in a shiny box, stuff a long, hot shower into an exhausted mom or dad’s stocking, or present them with the true meaning of a ‘Silent Night,’ but our list of eco offerings will make those caring for a new baby feel the hope and joy of the holidays nonetheless. From adorable holiday-themed baby jumpers to organic baby carriers to supersoft swadding blankets, we’ve handpicked these green gifts for new parents and their little bundles to help make the throes of those first several months a little easier – take it from a bleary-eyed new mom who is cradling a one-month old baby as she writes this!

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Post tags: aden anais organic muslin swaddling blanket, angel baby kit from earth mama angel baby, arm’s reach co-sleeper, eco christmas, eco friendly gifts for new dads, eco friendly gifts for new moms, eco friendly gifts for new moms and dads, eco friendly presents, eco friendly presents for new moms and dads, eco holiday, eco xmas, eco-friendly gifts, environmentally friendly gifts, environmentally friendly presents, ergobaby organic baby carrier, flexible foldable bathtub, gifts for new dads. gifts for new parents, gifts for new moms, green christmas, green gift guide, green gifts for new parents, green highchair, green holiday, green holiday gift guide, green presents, green xmas, guitar baby rattles from grateful thread, hanna Anderson organic cotton infant sleeper, little alouette wooden teethers, nature’s purest sleepy safari crib set, presents for new dads, presents for new moms, presents for new parents, stoke tripp trapp highchair, wee go glass baby bottle

You’ve been pretending to call Santa on the phone in front of your unruly toddler since October, but we all know whether your little one has been naughty or nice, that jolly old fella will still be landing his sleigh on your rooftop this holiday. That said, we’ve put together a list of sure to please green gifts for tots - because coal is just so passé. Your kids will be tearing into these colorful games, time-tested toys and beloved books with unbridled delight, and if you’re especially lucky, you may be gifted with a few hours of banner behavior from them!

GREEN GIFTS FOR TOTS >

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Post tags: baby deck chair from board games, barley and birch organic tees, boble tumbling elephant, celemntine art supplies, clementine natural art set, dr. seuss, eco christmas, eco friendly gifts for baby, eco friendly gifts for toddlers, eco friendly presents, eco friendly presents for baby, eco friendly presents for tots, eco friendly presents toddlers, eco holiday, eco xmas, eco-friendly gifts, environmentally friendly gifts, environmentally friendly presents, exlibris custom books, gifts for baby, gifts for toddlers, gifts for tots, go green trike, green christmas, green gift guide, green gifts for baby, green gifts for toddlers, green gifts for tots, green holiday, green holiday gift guide, green presents, green tricycle, green xmas, handmade books, netto collection polar bear rocker, plantoys, plantoys xylophone, playshapes by miller Goodman, presents for baby, presents for tots, qb playhouse, stacking tree, the lorax

Bay area startup Project FROG has been busy schooling teachers and kids in the art of sustainable design via their eco-friendly modular classrooms. Given a two million dollar budget, the company constructed 3,500 square feet of classroom space built from 50 percent recycled material for Watkinson School. The school building is outfitted with 60 solar panels reducing electricity costs to zero! Learn how Project FROG is changing the face of the school system with efficient green design, and read the amazing statistics about how children actually learn better and score higher on tests by attending school in these modular classrooms!

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Post tags: eco friendly school, eco kids, eco school construction, green classroom, green design for kids, green education, green kids, green modular classroom, green school, modular clasroom, Project Frog

CASAKids Design by Roberto Gil is at the top of the list of eco-friendly children’s furniture favorites at Inhabitots. We’re thrilled to be privy to this sneak peek of the very latest offering from CASAKids: Oscar’s Bed, which will debut at BKLYN Designs 2010 in Dumbo, Brooklyn from May 7th-May 9th. Oscar’s Bed gives new meaning to the word bedroom, because it literally is a bed and a room in one! Featuring a platform style twin bed, six drawers, a large closet in the middle, and a bookcase, this cleverly designed bed brilliantly combines slumber and storage. It also comes apart and each component may be used individually — making it the perfect piece of furniture to grow with your child.

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Post tags: "green furniture", casa kids, CASAKids, eco loft bed, green kids, green kids rooms, loft beds, modern baby, modern home, sustainable baby furniture, sustainable loft bed, Toddler Bed, toddler room

The average housecat may sleep for 18 hours a day, but we’ve all seen frisky felines frolic during their wakeful hours — and they can really tear it up. When we spotted these cardboard Cat Playhouses, we knew we had found an amusing way to channel our furry friends’ energy — and they’re entertaining for them, and for us! How awesome will your kitty look ready for takeoff? Timid Tabby cats may prefer to hunker down in a tank… while cool cats may want to put out flames in their very own fire truck. Visit Inhabitots to read more about these recyclable playhouses that put standard issue cat condos to shame!

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Post tags: cardboard cat house, Cardboard House, cat playhouse, eco friendly pet care, eco pet, fun for kids and pets, green kids, green pets, recyclable cat house

Once a veteran marathoner, 74 year old Bruce Maynard now battles major knee problems — but his age and physical setbacks are not thwarting him from planning his upcoming journey across America in a solar powered jogging stroller named ‘Sam.’ Outfitted with a foldable solar panel (which powers the device in tandem with a battery), ‘Sam’ is Maynard’s mobile office — complete with a computer stand and work table — as well as his campsite via boat-hook poles that will be used to construct a trusty tent. Maynard will be ready to roll on his six month trek in April, after undergoing trick knee surgery. Visit Inhabitots to read more about his inspirational plans for this journey.

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Post tags: bruce maynard, journey across america in a solar powered stroller, solar powered baby stroller, solar powered stroller, solar stroller, stroller tent, walk across america

The METI school in Rudrapur Dinajpu, Bangledesh teaches the invaluable lesson of green design through its very earthen structure. Architects Anna Heringer and Eike Roswag directed a team of local parents, teachers, school children and craftsman in building the primary school by hand using raw materials including bamboo, straw, jute rope and the ancient building material cob (a layered mixture of wet earth, rice, straw and jute). Completed in just four months time, the collaborative effort has created a meaningful environment wherein rural children may pave a more fruitful future for themselves by receiving an education.

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Post tags: ann aeringer, earth architecture, eco friendly school, eco kids, erik roswag, green design, green kids, green school, hand-built school, hand-made school, meti, meti school, meti school in bangledesh

Spanish group Basurama is esteemed for “generating spaces and installations that make us reflect about what we throw away.” Their latest example of turning trash to treasure is this Ghost Train Park in Lima, Peru. Once an abandoned site filled with electric train ruins, the space has been transformed into an eco-friendly amusement park with a host of green inspired activities, from recycled tire swings to climbing walls made of used tires. Visit Inhabitots to see video footage of the park’s resourceful construction and to learn more about this green place of respite in the middle of the bustling city.

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Post tags: basurama, eco kids, ghost train park, green design, green design for kids, green family, green kids, green park, green park in lima, green parkgoing, recycled tire swings, Ruben Lorenzo, train ruins converted to park

Crawler Town is a concept mobile Lego city by designer Dave DeGobbi that “roams the barren wastes of a post steam-punk world after cataclysmic climate change do to excessive coal use.” Forlorn Lego inhabitants must visit the towering toy town if they want to indulge in what’s left of life’s simple luxuries, which according to DeGobbi include, pizza, fresh vegetables, and beer. Due to the townspeople’s desire to live a more eco-efficient lifestyle amidst their current state of doom, Crawler Town is outfitted with vehicles powered by hydrogen cells, and solar panels and wind turbines figure prominently in the town’s infrastructure. Visit Inhabitots to check out more pictures of this impressive, impactful toy.

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Post tags: crawler city, crawler town, dave degobbi, eco-punk, lego, lego crawler, lego eco town

La Casa de Botellas, created by the Alfredo Santa Cruz family in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina, was constructed from thousands of PET plastic bottles, and was designed as “a tool for promoting ecological and social responsibility.” The surprisingly sturdy structure features a Tetra pack roof, doors and windows made from CD jewel cases — and the interior boasts beds, coffee tables and couches, all created entirely from used plastic. While no one in the Santa Cruz family is an architect or engineer, they are doing their part to save the planet by providing free home building courses in Latin American countries “to address both trash [issues] and housing scarcity.” Read more about the elements of design and the construction of La Casa de Botellas at Inhabitots.

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Post tags: plastic bottle house, recycled bottle house, recycled cd jewel case roof, recycled plastic bottle furniture, recycled plastic bottle house

Building a treehouse for your kids is no longer a tall order with this flatpak DIY treehouse design from Dutch designers Rogier Martens and Sam van Veluw of Aandeboom. The Zelfbouwboomhut (Build-It-Yourself Treehouse) is comprised of water-resistant wood panels which fit together via a slot and tab system, and the completed structure is strapped, rather than nailed to the tree. Six easy steps are all it takes to fashion this outdoor abode for your nature loving kids!

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Imagine if you could kick, bunt and play your way to clean clothing. Well Swirl, an innovative new concept for easy laundering on the go lets people do just that. This colorful ball (which we wish had been entered into the Greener Gadgets design competition) designed by German-based designaffairs Studio lets people fill it up with dirty clothes, water and soap and then the rotational motion of soccer and play does all the work. This could be especially effective in developing nations where water sources are located a far distance from homes making hauling and washing clothes a real drag. Just be prepared to fend off the mobs of kids lining up and begging you to help you with the laundry!

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Post tags: ball, Design for Health, developing nations, eco play, humanitarian design, non-electric washing machine, swirl, toy, washing machine, water barrel

Typical alphabet building blocks a bit too square for your kids? Letterboxes are a prototype toy from The Design Office that would foster their understanding of font design before they can even pronounce the word “computer.” Made from recycled cardboard, Letterboxes are a set of four inch cubes which divide the 26 letters of the alphabet into geographic parts that may be assembled and stacked in any direction to create myriad shapes and letterforms. Parents can indulge their font fanaticism by downloading the free font the designers developed to promote the idea of sending this learning tool into production.

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Post tags: alphabet blocks, building blocks, cardboard toys, eco kids, flatpak toys, font design, font design for kids, green design for kids, green kids, Letterboxes, The Design Office

Not to be outdone by Nokia’s Coca-Cola powered concept cell phone, Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy’s soda powered radio controlled car races onto the alternative energy scene. Fueled by a literal sugar high that powers Sony’s Bio Battery, this zippy prototype is a lesson in life science for kids and adults alike, as it “generates eco-friendly electricity by breaking down sugar using processes similar to those in living organisms.” Head to Inhabitots to see the car in action, and to learn which drink gives the ‘ene Cargo’ the biggest sugar rush.

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Post tags: bio powered car, bio powered rc, cola powered car, cola powered rc, juice powered car, juice powered rc, sugar powered car, sugar powered rc, takara tomy car, tomy car

Eco-savvy fitness buffs will appreciate this jump rope flashlight concept by designers Hyun Joo Lee and Eu Tteum Lee. The Jumping Light skipping rope would take workouts to the next level by harnessing kinetic energy and turning it into electric energy, which powers a LED flashlight in each of the jump rope’s handles. This jump rope would kill two New Year’s resolutions with one stone: getting more exercise and living a more eco-friendly lifestyle!

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Post tags: Eu Tteum Lee, human-powered technology, Hyun Joo Lee, jump rope flash light, skipping rope flashlight

When one sees a discarded water tank, images of miniature kids’ palaces don’t typically come to mind. But Katell Gelebart, a very clever, eco-minded designer saw the old water tanks being cleared during the construction of The Dune eco resort in Pondicherry, India, and decided they would make the perfect green playhouses for children visiting the resort. Painted with nature themes to camouflage them in the playground and featuring carved-out doors and windows and ornate miniature gazebos on their roofs, these recycled water tanks are a prime example of someone’s trash being someone else’s treasure.

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Post tags: art d’eco, eco playhouses, green playhouses, kids palaces, recycled shelters, recycled toys, recycled water tanks