Easter was one of my favorite celebrations when I was little, although I was not a huge fan of the itchy tights. Now that I am a mama, I like to look for longer-lasting, eco-friendly goodies to share along with the giant chocolate bunnies.

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, we hope you have a great start to the Spring season with your family! Enjoy!

One of my favorite stores is donating 25% of all Valentine’s Day purchases to Haiti. Click here to visit Rosie Hippo and to donate 25% of your purchase to Haiti use coupon code: HELPHAITI.

RosieHippo.com is the place to shop for hip, eco-friendly toys. Many of their toys are on-sale right now, so you can get a great deal and make a donation to Haiti at the same time.

A kid’s work is play. And toddlers and preschoolers learn primarily through exploring the world around them. A few high quality toys, like the gorgeous sustainable, fair-trade toys available from Plan Toys, are enough to spark their imaginations. The tactile feel of real wood, the non-toxic, bright colors, and the open-ended nature of these toys make them perfect for flexible, young minds.

Plan Toys sent us three items from their catalog of Developmental Toys for Preschoolers and they have quickly become favorites in our house: Animal Domino Memory Game, 30-Piece Construction Set, and Stacking Tree.

Imagine a world where toys please the senses and stimulate the imagination. Now imagine a world where all of those toys are made in fair trade facilities from eco-friendly, sustainable materials.

It is easy if you try… just visit ImagiPlay. They make beautiful, clever wooden toys for infants, toddlers, and children…

The Emancipation Network (TEN) is an international organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking and modern day slavery. Through Made by Survivors, TEN provides survivors of slavery and people at risk of being trafficked into slavery with an opportunity for a sustainable income, education and help reintegrating into society.

When you purchase the beautiful gifts these survivors make, you are helping survivors of slavery help themselves…

With the Eco Town from Plan Toys, your kids will find a new earth-friendly surprise around every corner.

We played with a set that includes a play mat with plenty of green set, an eco home, train station, vehicle charging station, and more–and all of these toys teach about sustainable development. Clean energy is spotlighted in this earth-friendly town.

For Mother’s Day, how about an eco-chic gift that also helps women in impoverished areas avoid or overcome slavery?

The Emancipation Network (TEN) is an international organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking and modern day slavery. Through Made by Survivors, TEN provides survivers of slavery and people at risk of being trafficked into slavery with an opportunity for a sustainable income, education and help reintegrating into society.

They had me at saving women from slavery…

Children are natural ecologists. They love to play outside and appreciate the joys of discovering rocks, plants, and animals along the way.

What they need a little help with is conservation–learning to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Shutting off the lights, taking shorter showers, and opening a window instead of turning on the air conditioning are all ways that even the littlest person can make a difference.

The Plan Toys Green Dollhouse aims to introduce children to sustainable living through a concept dollhouse. Every aspect of the Green Dollhouse helps children learn how people can co-exist with their environment in a more eco-friendly way…

ImagiPLAY makes delightful, colorful, puzzles and toys from rubberwood and non-toxic paints under fair trade conditions.
There is an ImagiPLAY Puzzle for every age: two piece puzzles for babies and toddlers, counting and alphabet puzzles for preschoolers, and more complex puzzles for school aged children.
My little preschooler enjoys practicing her numbers with ImagiPLAY’s Count Octopus (BabyCenter – $16). Count Octopus is a winner on our Hottest Holiday Toys 2008 Guide. And because these puzzles are as attractive as they are durable, they make a perfect addition to any playroom or child’s …