You are engaged! You are getting married! Super exciting, because you found the person you would like to hang out with forever. One thing that most (still not all) weddings have in common is that somebody will buy you a present. In fact, weddings are one of the few moments in life where people will buy you what you ask for. Exactly what you ask for.

It's often uncomfortable to talk about, but the wedding registry actually gives you the opportunity to ask for exactly what you want, shame-free.

This (actually pretty weird) tradition all comes from the good old days when people got married immediately after leaving their parents' home. So they needed a lot of stuff to get them started. Now, this isn't often the case (though for some people it still is), but people still get to make very specific choices about what they want and need for their new life.

I am here to beg you to use this newfound registry power for good.

Yes, you have a lot to worry about already, but like your wedding, your registry can have a huge positive or negative impact on the environment. You can choose all items that you actually need, that will actually last, that don't add to our ever-growing pile of waste, and that were made by humans who were treated like humans. This may seem like a low bar for an item, but actually much of what we buy no longer fulfills this criteria.

Your registry is all about the future, so use it as an opportunity to build a world you can feel proud of (and where you can still breathe and drink water and so forth).

Does this mean you have to become completely granola? Only buy things made of hemp? No. Any couple in any lifestyle can implement simple, easy changes to help the planet and protect the future. We know that consumerism is directly linked to so many of the problems plaguing our Earth, from climate change to plastic pollution in the ocean, and weddings are often a huge affair that encourages a lot of shopping and spending.

People will buy you what you ask for (mostly, someone is still getting you a platter with your faces on it). Ask for things that make the world a teensy bit better.


Most people approach the wedding registry with two basic questions- "What am I supposed to have?" and "What do I want?"

Making a wedding registry more eco-friendly requires you to add (and maybe prioritize) some radical questions to help you and your partner flip the plot:

1. Do we already have this? Do we even need it? 

The first step is making a list. Instead of accepting the lists spread around, start by crossing off as many of their "suggestions" as possible. Cross off what you have that works. Cross off what you don't need. Cross off anything that you wouldn't bother to buy yourself.

Yes, your toaster is ugly, but does it still make toast? Yes, a registry can be a great time to replace things that are ready for retirement, but the best way to have a registry that really works is to focus on what you actually need. Not to mention, being happy with life in general is all about being happy with what you already have. If you can keep making something work, do that!

 Feel empowered to keep what still works, even if the Matrimonial Gods seem to be saying otherwise.

Overconsumption can look like an American value, but our obsession with stuff burdens our lives, wastes our time (we buy a bigger house, we buy stuff to fill it, we have to clean all those surfaces and work harder to pay for them), and just generally chips away at our happiness. Studies prove that clutter is bad for our homes, our heads, and our marriages. Not exactly the foot you want to start on.

Too much is also terrible for the environment. Our love of having ALL THE STUFF also means that we use more fossil fuels by shipping our stuff all over the world, we create excessive garbage (because that shitty plastic clock doesn't have a use once it breaks), and we fuel an economy of cheap and easy (meaning companies push for cheap labor instead of quality and ethically-made values).

So this is me, empowering you to only bother with the things you actually care about. Skip the rest.

2. Can we get this used? 

So you have a registry list; take a trip to your local Consignment store and see if you can cross anything off it at a pretty low cost.

We all want brand new cooling racks and hand towels, right? But, why? There are some things on every pinterest "you need this on your registry" list that you can easily get through community gifting like a Buy Nothing group or in any good-sized consignment store. Checking out what used options are out there can cut your list down even more, so you can focus on quality and not quantity.

If you can get the same wastebasket for 2 dollars, wouldn't you rather receive something else as a gift?

Buying things used is one of the most eco-friendly changes you can make to your life, and it will save you tons of money. Buying secondhand means you are keeping someone else's trash out of the landfill. These items usually move shorter distances from household to household, wasting significantly less fossil fuels and creating far fewer emissions by skipping shipping, packaging, and manufacturing. Plus, so often you can find things that are actually better quality than anything you will get in the store, because it was built many years ago to last.

3. Can I find a recycled option for this item? How about Made in America? Plastic-free? 

Instead of picking items based on what aesthetic appeals most to you, look to see if you can find things made as locally as possible. For us, that means Made in America. It is totally possible to have a wedding registry with only made in America items!

You may not think of Made in America as being eco-friendly, but every Made in a Far Away Land item has to travel all that way from it's manufacturing to your gift table. That wastes a lot of fossil fuels! This is just the tip of the iceberg; Made in America products often are held to higher environmental and labor standards (ok, less so lately), so you can feel confident that you are both supporting American workers and refusing to support the gross mistreatment of other human beings.

Because nothing says joyous day and lifelong commitment like someone in a sweatshop making your towels. We can do better. 

Caring about materials can make a big difference too. Recycled products keep things out of landfills. We also know now that plastic is a growing epidemic for our world and our water. Every time you have the option to avoid it, please do so. We all desperately need to break up with plastic.

By choosing Made in America and recycled products, you are also sending the message to companies over and over again that the ethics of what you buy are important to you and that you will support ethical and environmentally conscious products. It creates a positive feedback loop and ends the message they receive over and over that people don't care, they just want what they want when they want it.

So the last question worth asking- Do you Even Need a Registry? 

The answer to that is totally up to you. It is a social expectation, but like so many of those, it isn't particularly relevant for many of us. People will want to buy gifts, but you can decide what a worthwhile, not wasteful gift looks like for you. Yep, guests will have opinions, but you will be just as married.


First, you could just set up a honeymoon (or house, or college debt, etc.) fund, and ask everyone to donate to that. I love this wording, which is fun and playful. I also love when people say where their honeymoon will be or exactly where the money will go.

Second, you could have a potluck wedding, and ask each guest to bring a dish. It will save you thousands on food, and I think it would have a warm, family feel. I love this idea, especially if you want to be married but feel like you need to win the lottery to actually pull it off.

Lastly, you could just have a no gift wedding. Say "your presence is the only present we'll need," smile politely when a guest or two doesn't listen, and remove that element from your nupitals. If you are grown, you probably don't need much anyway.

If nothing else, go small. People like to know what to do, but you don't have to give them an epic list of options.

Having gone through it, I would point out that even if you have a tiny registry, you are less likely to get 20 things you don't want (maybe only 5-10). If these all feel too out there or against your community or family culture, I still have so many green ideas for you.

So, let's do this. 

You may be thinking "But Barbara, I have 40+ items on my wedding registry. I don't have time to research Made in America options for every one of them." Truth, friend, you are planning a wedding! You are busy enough!

On the other hand, I am not planning a wedding, so I have compiled a huge list here, so feel free to poke around. I used Amazon for as many links as I could, to simplify, but I highly encourage you to register somewhere small, not just on a big chain or website. I am an affiliate for Amazon, but seriously, you can and should spend money elsewhere.

Registries are long unwieldy things on a normal day, this is no different. I split it into parts so you can wade your way through a little bit at a time.

The Wedding Registry 

Kitchen Part 1

Kitchen Part 2

Dining Room 

Bedroom and Bathroom

Living Room, Outdoor Space, Cleaning, and Everything Else

If you want to transition into a more environmentally conscious or ethical lifestyle, you can also check out this post on Eco-Friendly items for every Wedding Registry for ideas.


So much more wedding wisdom coming up on the blog! Check out this Green Weddings Page for more ideas of how to have an event with a truly positive impact.

Making art creates so much joy.

It can also create a huge mess.

Now, we know that kids making art is needed.  The more art you make, the happier you are, more creative, and more open to mistakes. It is proven again and again that art-making is essential to early development, and creative activities even help kids perform better in all other subjects.

That said, they can also create a lot of mess and a lot of waste. I hear parents complain (often) about the hoards of art projects that now live in their house. They don't want to throw things away, but as time goes on, so does the pile up. And that doesn't even count all the markers, paint containers, and papers that do get sent off to a landfill, making a mess of the planet.

If you are trying to live a green life, this can really add up. Like every aspect of our lives, little decisions can start to make a huge impact if we make them all the time.  In my house, we try to do some sort of art-making or creative play for an hour everyday (this is obviously under ideal conditions, so we often don't succeed). So, it's important to me that we start cutting out some of the trash (and endless piles of barely used construction paper) that comes with tiny artists.

So, here are my best ideas of how to keep making art without making so much trash. Take some, leave some, and know that you are getting absolutely no judgement from me if you can't get it perfect. What parent can? We can all do something, but no one can do everything.

1. Find a Secondhand Art Supply Shop

When I am not writing to you fine people or raising my children, I work as an art teacher at a neighborhood gem. Seattle Recreative sells secondhand art supplies, keeping thousands of pounds of supplies out of landfills AND becoming my one and only dealer for construction paper. It's so much cheaper. Check online if you have a creative reuse store near you (they are getting more and more popular).

This way, you are keeping things out of landfills and investing a lot less money into art supplies. If there isn't anything like that nearby, I highly recommend checking your local thrift shops for this. You might be surprised!

2. Garbage is the Perfect Art Supply

What I have learned in my years working at Seattle Recreative is that we throw art supplies out everyday. Pill Bottles, Wipe Containers, bottle caps, egg cartons, Scrap paper, and corks can be a creature with some googley eyes and a musical instrument with some imagination. I am consistently blown away with the things kids (and adults!) make. All you really need is a hot glue gun, some paint, and the invitation.

How do I make this work at my house? We have a big plastic tub, and when we use up a piece of packaging that could be an art supply, I keep it out of the trash and put it in the tub. We have made all sorts of things out of them.

For inspiration, I often bring up the Watts Towers and Simon Rodia. There is a great book about him called Dream Something Big and some fun Youtube videos to watch as well.


It doesn't even have to be this complicated. Cardboard is a perfect canvas to start on. You can put the art maker inside a box, and let them go to town. Or cut up old boxes and use them for paintings or collages. We used a piece of cardboard shipped with a frame as the base for our solar system collage (also featuring paper plates).

The trick is to stop throwing things away and start asking yourself what you can make out of it.

3. Clay for Days

Clay has a magical, calming effect on kids of almost any age. I have seen it with kids from 3 to 15. If you have a kid who likes to make, getting the hang of your own playdough can be an easy way to keep practicing without creating much plastic waste (or art you don't really know how to house). Mostly, parents seem more attached to keeping things than their kids, but if you kid made something they really want to keep,

The beauty of play dough (or air dry clay- which I really like the Crayola kind, which comes in big tubs which I can reuse) is that you can ball it up and start over again the next time. It can really be process-oriented, and if there is no product in the end, they still learned things!

4. Embrace Ephemerality

If you are trying to avoid the endless pile of paper, start thinking in terms of art that isn't meant to last! My favorite projects are painting on leaves or ice (tempera works great for both), arranging natural elements into art outside (Andy Goldworthy makes great inspiration), or try painting in the bath or outside. You can also using spray bottles of diluted food coloring in the snow, making structures at the beach, and more.

Want the easiest possible version of this? Get sticks and draw pictures in the sand, dirt, or mud. That is really all it takes for a fun day with a positive impact.

Another amazing art form that goes away? Food! Making cakes, watermelon sculptures, frosting cookies, rolling gnocchi, putting faces on sandwiches. It's all good fun. We can forget this is an artistic endeavor, but it might be your kid's favorite one!

It's all good, and if you let go of the idea that there will be a finished product to treasure forever, you can come up with some great stuff!

5. Make your Own Crayons (and Paintbrushes... and Paint)

You have probably already heard of making your own crayons. We made our own crayons out of the nubbins my kids had accumulated over the course of the year. If that doesn't make enough for you, ask your neighbors on Buy Nothing if they will save their broken crayons for you. We put our crayon nubbins in molds and melt our own new, funky crayons. I recommend using a simple mold to make them in, because the complicated ones tend to be much harder to use.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Literally anything can be an implement to put paint on a canvas. Some work better that others, but it can be a perfect final stop for a toothbrush or you can use toy cars and just wash them off afterward.  I also have found that making our own brushes out of different types of leaves and plants was really fun- here is a great post on how to do it.

Feeling extremely ambitious? You can make your own paint too! Here's a post about how to make simple doodle paint.

6. Find your Palette

You don't need fancy brand new surfaces to put paint on. Use those tupperware lids that don't have a partner anymore. Or a plate from the set you retired. It just has to be a flat, not too porous surface.

Trust me, no matter how many divisions you give them, kids just have to mix them all together anyway! What color will happen if you mix them all together? They have to know, and the answer is always brown. So embrace any kind of flatness.

7.  Try a Sketch Book 

Even for little ones, sometimes a sketch book can be a better option for keeping things together and making sure every page gets used. I have a bunch of old sketchbooks that my kid has now filled up for me.

The key here is to know your kid. If they are going to draw one line on every page, this may not be the right solution for them. If they go one page at a time, they can use it until it is bursting with pictures. If you want to give them inspiration for filling their sketchbooks, look up the bug illustrations from Maria Merian or images of van Gogh's sketchbooks. You can look up sketches by any famous artist, and it can be so inspiring to remember they make/made mistakes and worked through ideas too.

For recycled notebooks, I recommend looking at the post-consumer content of the paper. 100% is a reachable goal. eco-kids sketch books hit this mark, and I thought they worked pretty well. Big Black Bee also sells 100% recycled paper notebooks that are spiral bound.

8. Buy Eco-Art Supplies

If you are going to get something new, you can still pick more environmentally conscientious choices. I really love this post from Barley and Birch that points to some great eco options; I learned a few things!

Crayola has a program where you can turn in dead markers and they will reuse them. Do this. Recycle the paper you can't reuse.

If it's made of plastic and you can't recycle it, it may just not be worth buying. There are so many better options out there, you may find something better. If not, those art containers belong in your tub of future art supplies, so think about what could be reused. If you think it is destined to just be thrown away, don't buy it!

9. Practice Mark Making with Chalk

As your kiddo is learning to make marks, starting to draw, or really getting into figuration, they need a ton of practice. Just like anything, you get these skills with repetition and experimentation, and for many kids, they like drawing and marking and even writing the same things again and again. This can mean a lot of paper gets some scribbles, and then they are done with it.

I highly recommend using a chalkboard instead. It can be a small starter chalkboard, the sidewalk in front of your house, or an easel; the key is that you can erase and reuse that surface over and over, so they are getting lots of practice.

Love the idea but you have a painter on your hands? At Seattle Recreative they turned a clear plastic sheet (with a vintage frame around it- so cool!) into a painter's paradise. Toddlers come in and paint on the wall, then we wipe it off for the next kid! For something really special, you can press a paper down on it and make a print too. You could make one for your home if you have an art space, and then pass it off to another family when your kid outgrows it.

10. Reuse what You Do Make

If you are using a lot of paper, they can be perfect to use as mail for family members or wrapping paper for gifts. You should obviously save the ones you love. but consider the ways you can turn the art your kids make into gifts for others. It's so simple, and there is so much love in it.

But you can also think about ways to pick art-making that leads to usable objects. Things like knitting, sewing, and more. You probably don't need to hand off too many of those coil pots, though.



Any art project can be amazing, with or without new supplies and lots of fuss.

Toilet paper is not something many of us have put much thought into, but like anything we buy or consume, it has a definite impact in our world.

Toilet paper's impact on the Earth has made major news this week as a study has proven that American toilet paper consumption is destroying Canadian forests. This is more than a mere annoyance. It's a threat to their wildlife, their cultures, and to the whole planet. We need those trees to fight climate change.

Toilet paper (and the destruction behind it) has been blowing my mind for a while- you can read about toilet paper on my list of green basics (and how to make them affordable). You can find great options for any paper product on this post (you really can get recycled paper for almost anything).

But if you don't have the time for a bunch of research, let me give you the quick and dirty version (yeah, I made that joke). Toilet paper is an EASY place to make a positive impact. You just need to know a few things. Let's do this:

1. It is as Bad as You Have Heard

The toilet paper we have all been buying at the grocery stores our whole lives are stripping our forests of desperately needed trees. You can read the NRDC study about the connection between American toilet paper companies and the arboreal destruction taking place in Canada.

These companies are razing entire old-growth forests, homes to wildlife and some Native tribes, all so you can wipe your butt.

This is particularly devastating because we know that trees are one of the best defenses we have against Climate Change; in fact according to Yale, if we could plant about 1.2 trillion of them, they could cancel out 10 years of CO2 emissions. Instead, our forests continue to decrease at rapid speeds. We need those trees to cool our Earth. It's time to do something, and it starts with your own butt.

If that wasn't enough, this toilet paper also comes wrapped in plastic (pretty needlessly), so it adds to our ever-growing burden of plastic waste and pollution. A lot of serious problems going on at once. 

2. Your TP has Politics

This chart is floating around on Facebook. What I think is worth noting, is that many of the companies that fail are also owned by the Koch Brothers. You can read all bout this and their anti-environmental politics in this post.

So, by buying toilet paper that is mindful of the environment, you are also refusing money to a company that actively campaigns against the EPA and thinks that the rules should not apply to them. We don't think of these everyday purchases as political, and billionaires like the Koch borthers take advantage of this fact. By simply being aware and putting our money into more ethical companies, we are doing good on a practical level AND an ideological one.

3. Bamboo TP is Best, Recycled TP is a Mixed Bag

If I had to give you advice, I would say get recycled paper towels and bamboo toilet paper. Here's why:

Though recycled toilet paper is better for the environment, it could be potentially problematic to your body. Recycled paper has traces of plastic in it, because of shiny, plastic-covered magazine pages. For that reason, it may not be the best thing to put close to a major orifice. It puts (a small amount of) toxic chemials known to cause hormonal changes, endocrine problems, and cancers to your most delicate and susceptible places. Plastic is harmful where it is, and there is plastic in recycled paper.

THAT SAID, let's all take a minute to remember these are the same nasty plastic chemicals that we buy our food and drink wrapped in. So if you drink pop from a bottle or buy a frozen pizza, you are just sending the same chemicals through another vulnerable orifice. So, if you are still ok with those things, than this toilet paper is relatively tame compared to your food.

If you are concerned about the chemicals in plastic, bamboo is the best option for your health and the Earth. I will recommend companies for both bamboo and recycled paper, but this is the twist that doesn't always get said (but it worth knowing).

4. When in Doubt, Go Big

Our toilet paper is a good decision we make about once a year. We buy in BULK. This cuts down on the plastic, but it also keeps the switch very affordable. If you are still buying 8 or 12 rolls at a time, switching to bulk options will still be cheaper by the roll. Costco or even Amazon has bulk options.

We don't all have the space to house a year's supply of toilet paper. Check in with friends and see if they would like to split a huge order with you. I am calling this "Bulk Sharing" and I think this method of pooling resources and splitting huge orders can help people who live in small spaces access these items without living in a toilet paper hoard.

There is another benefit from this. When we buy the things we know we will need with longer term thinking (we can assume if we are living, we are also using the toilet), we stop having emergencies. Having to make urgent decisions (like the ones you make when running to the grocery store for something that has run out) leads to worse choices and more harm done. In terms of the environment, we are our worst selves in emergency mode. This can be a great way to break that habit.

5. We Can Do Better... Pretty Easily this Time

Ok, let's start with a regular toilet company, perhaps one with the most pointless bears as spokespeople. Worst, most condescending, and weirdest ads of all time. So let's start there. Charmin Ultra Strong comes in a pack of 9 for 16.95, so that is about 1.88 a roll.

So these are our best suggestions for shopping instead. Notice they are all cheaper, and most come wrapped in (recycled) paper instead of plastic as well.

Tushy toilet paper is made in America out of bamboo using eco-friendly practices. You would think it would be the most expensive, but it is 33 dollars for 36 rolls of toilet paper, so if you buy it in bulk it is under a dollar a roll. Ridiculously great. Thank me later.

The other pretty awesome new company is Who Gives a Crap that has recycled (48 for 48, so a dollar a roll) and bamboo (56 for 48 , so 1.16 a roll) toilet paper options. Equally cool, they donate half of their proceeds to building toilets around the world (did you know 2.3 BILLION people don't have access to a toilet?). So much awesomeness for wiping your butt!

Last year, we used Seventh Generation, and we bought 60 rolls for about 68 dollars (about 1.14 a roll). It serves its purpose and we generally like it. The Boy would tell you it is too thin. It also comes in all recyclable packaging

Marcal Small Steps sells 40 rolls, 1000 sheets each, is 50.66, so about 1.20 a roll.

Green 2 Tree Free- This company is pretty awesome (and lady-owned!), but the product is a little more fancy. It is made out of bamboo and sugar cane bi-products, both of which are quick-growing and sustainable, and you don't have to worry about BPA at all. If you buy in bulk (96 rolls at 114 dollars, so basically all you need forever, right?), you can get it for 1.16 a roll, which is even cheaper than the other options. Also has great reviews and comes in recyclable, plastic-free packaging.

6. Other Options Exist

If you are trying to go fully zero waste, you still have options!

First, you could do a bidet (or a bidet attachment like this one from Tushy). Not only do you get to be fancy and European, but you would save money with only a few years of use. If I had to guess, I would expect these to be way more mainstream in not much time.

The other option is family cloths, which is essentially toilet paper you wash and reuse. It has the worst name ever- it just sounds like you are spreading unspeakable things on your family members. I know a few zero waste people who use family cloths when they pee. Saves money and cuts way down on the paper product you are wasting.

7. You can Speak Up

Feel guilty for the decades of toilet paper you used? Don't. You didn't know, but now you do. If anything, turn that guilt into action and speak up to the company you felt (weird) loyalty to before.

The NRDC is specifically calling out Proctor and Gamble, who sell Charmin, not for their terrible bears, but for their part in uprooting old growth trees needlessly. Call the company and back the NRDC up! Just let them know you won't give them your money until they switch to more sustainable practices. The more people they hear from, the more they will feel that pressure.



See!? So many options that don't suck! The key here is to just end your family's relationship with virgin paper products. So little of what we need and use actually needs fresh paper for it, and every time you buy post-consumer recycled or sustainable products, you send a message to the market that you won't tolerate their destructive nonsense.

So, who is switching? Let me know how it goes!

So you have a three-year-old in your life you want to buy a present for. Maybe they are having a birthday! Or a holiday! Or maybe you just really love showering that cutie in love.

No matter what, one of the best gifts we can give kids right now is to take care of the Earth. According to the (terrifying) study put out earlier this year, we know that we really only have about 12 years to turn things around save this planet from absolute climate catastrophe. That means the little one you love won’t even be able to drive yet!

So really, the best gift we can give the kids we love is a future. There are lots of ways to do this and get involved, and one of those is to change our approach to shopping. Right now, Americans overshop to a shocking degree- never are we worse than shopping for kids, because we get large upfront reactions (for not much money). That said, our kids don’t need all this junk (in fact many studies show that less will help them be more focused and happy).

So how do we shift how we think about shopping for kids?

Buy Less. 

They don’t actually need all that many toys (and by three they have PLENTY), so you are better off getting one really excellent thing or skipping a physical gift completely and doing an experience gift instead. The fewer toys they have, the better they can navigate them and the more chance they have to actually use their imagination. Those toys might get a big reaction at first, but they will leave them in a pile forgotten for real play with you.

Another way to buy less? Make something instead! Ask yourself what you could make instead of buy.

Shop Secondhand. 

Are you in a Buy Nothing Group yet? These groups gift each other things freely, and if you have a kid in your life, they are basically a goldmine.

Last Christmas, we used Buy Nothing to fill stockings and probably saved hundreds of dollars. And kids don’t care if it is new (unless we teach them to care). Check your area for parent Buy/ sell groups, check out your local thrift shops, and go to Ebay before you go to Amazon. It will save you loads of money, and every thing you buy secondhand means you have kept one toy out of the landfill.

Buy Local. 

Shopping for things that were made where you are supports the businesses that employ your neighbors. It also minimizes the use of fossil fuel for shipping (which is HUGE and adds up- can you imagine how many trips from China it takes to fill the average stocking?). Stop buying things made in Elsewhere and track down American or secondhand choices. Fall in love with that gem Etsy.
Avoid Plastic. Plastic pollution is the burden that these little children will have to face someday, as it floods our water and land with chemicals. In my dream world, none of us would buy one new plastic item this year. Instead, find plastic toys secondhand or find wooden options. The less plastic we buy, the better.

Skip Fresh Plastic.

Those plastic toys of their favorite characters might seem like a great idea, but plastic is one of the greatest threats to our little one's bodies and futures. Every year, we get more information that connects plastics to hormonal problems and even cancer. We also know our poor Earth is being overtaken by plastic garbage. So if you want to do a character toy like that, track down something secondhand, and stop telling companies that plastic junk sells.

Take it Easy on Characters. 

My kids love them too, but they fall out of love with them as fast as they fall in. Daniel Tiger was the king of our house, and now he doesn't come up much. If you want your toy to last more than a month or two, get something that is a little more timeless and a lot less PJ Masks. Buying something with a character on it just cuts the life of the toy in half.

If you are going to buy character toys (and you will, because most kids this age really love some character) USE EBAY. You can find literally thousands of used gifts for Lightning McQueen, Frozen, Paw Patrol, anything. Check there first. Check Etsy second- you can find finger puppets or peg dolls that have their favorite characters without taking it out of control.

This post has affiliate links to Amazon and Etsy. That said, if you can buy something from a local business, that decision is much better for your community and for the Earth. This should give you ideas, but secondhand and local will do more good. 

Alright, let’s do this!

1. An Adventure

The first real memories you have are probably from when you were 3 or 4. How many toys do you remember from then? 2, maybe? Odds aren’t great you are buying that toy, so instead focus on the memory and plan a ridiculously fun day. What would they think is amazing? What shows are coming soon? Sports games? Special hikes or picnics? Movies (how cool would it be to take them to their first movie? But you need to know the kids and their sensory flexibility well to take this leap).

More ideas? Take them to a concert. To a Museum. Take them to your favorite place as a kid. Buy supplies and have a fort-building day. Look what events are coming in the next year, and make your card a little book with pictures of what you will be doing. I promise you, it will be a huge winner.

2. A Class or Membership

Three-year-olds just want to learn everything. Everything is interesting, and we want to encourage that curiosity (not squash it with screens and super prescriptive toys). Consider getting your favorite little one a membership to a zoo or museum they love to visit with the promise of a date there together.  Another great option is art classes, camps, outdoor learning classes, swimming lessons, music classes, Gymboree, or dance classes. If they are sporty, you could help sign them up for a team too.

You know this kid- what are they into? How could you help them explore or expand what they already are drawn to? There is so much out there for them to learn and do. This is the perfect three-year-old gift.

Seriously, look no further, call the person who has to schlepp and schedule the kid, and sign them up.

3. Dress Up Clothes

Kids this age, regardless of gender, tend to love dressing up or pretend play. Last Christmas, my 3 year old’s gift from Santa was a (secondhand from Ebay) firetruck and a (secondhand from a thrift shop) fireman’s hat. It cost 40 bucks in all. That hat has probably been played with more than anything else in our house this year (partially thanks to a paw patrol obsession). You can find things at thrift shops (you can even grab extra costumes at kids thrift stores around Halloween) or even ask around, because people usually have some hats (or watermelons) they are ready to gift.

It doesn’t have to be a brand name character to be a big hit, but dress up clothes invite so much play and sets a moment apart as special. You can find anything you want for this gift secondhand.

4. A Space All Their Own

Lots of kids this age would appreciate a little bit of independent space, something just for them, and you can achieve this goal lots of ways. The teepee has been popular (they are all over Etsy)- honestly, it's not my favorite (I think fetishizing Native American culture for our kids is just weird) but I agree the appeal of a space like this is pretty undeniable.

My brother and sister in law sent our kids a circus tent that was a huge hit with our three-year-old. Because sometimes they want privacy. And even a simple tent can be a million different places with an imagination.I love these spaceship tents from suitedreamcreators.

This is also a perfect one to make if you are short on money. Do you have a closet that you could paint into a special space just for them? This firehouse understairs playspace is killing me with cuteness, but it doesn't have to be anywhere near that complex to be special. Get something super neutral and usable, or at least be open to them having their own ideas!

You could also try one of these diy forts from somemotherstuff,  There are even patterns to buy (even one for a bus) if you aren't sure how to start!

This also works great for backyards. We got a playhouse on Buy Nothing and kept it relatively neutral, with an open back. It is now most commonly used as an ice cream shop, but most kids who visit spend most of their time in that back house. You can do this too, even this time of year. Look secondhand (ask your Buy Nothing), because so many of these outdoor toys are outgrown long before they are out of life.

Another option? Time to do a big kid bed. We think practical gifts are no fun for kids, but anything (when framed the right way) can be super exciting and fun.

5. Building Supplies

Ok, these are not plastic-free or easy to get used, but I will be honest with you- our magnatiles get more use than basically any other toys in our house. They are super multifunctional, used for everything from making roads, to building houses; we have even seen some dinosaur designs. They are freaking great toys, but for that reason, they are near impossible to find used (four up on Ebay right now- get on that, friend). Parent to parent, totally recommended. As an environmentalist, I know it is slightly trickier.

Other building toys have also been very popular that you can find used easily. Lego has 206,000 used listings up on Ebay. Over 1,000 of those are for 3-4 year olds. You can also ask on local Buy Nothings or check your local thrift shops. They always have duplos. Legos might not be as easy to find, but you might be surprised.

If you want something plastic-free, I would highly recommend Mondo Bloxx. These are made in the US of cardboard, and I can vouch that they can handle a huge amount of abuse. Lastly, you can still find all sorts of wooden blocks secondhand, or check out these wood blocks from Blocksmith.

6. Art Supplies

Three is the magic year where kids start working on representational mark making- they can draw things you recognize (or at least they recognize). They are in a magic spot where nothing they make can be "wrong" and there is no real worries attached to making.

Clearly, we all have to take advantage of this moment. At my parenting best, we make or draw something almost every day. Lots of this doesn't have to be fussy- some printing paper and kids scissors (these are my favorite) can be hours of entertainment. Look what you already have but never get to using.

Secondhand can also be a great resource for everything from an arts table to supplies. I work at an amazing secondhand art supply store (Seattle Recreative) and gems like these are popping up all over the place.

There are also green arts supplies out there.

For Crayons,  Crayolas don't use any recycled material as far as I can see, but their crayons (not everything) are still made in the US, so they beat all other mainstream brands. If you want some recycled crayons, you can make your own. If that is too DIY for you, try recycled crayons (try Crazy Crayons) on Etsy, colour blocks, or the Eco-star crayons.You can also get vegan crayons, veggie crayons, or honey sticks from New Zealand, which are made of beeswax.

For Paper- Look for recycled paper instead of fresh. They can go through a lot- my favorite is the eco-kids art pad, which is 100% recycled post-consumer material. That brand is a gem, so I would check their stuff out (they have great clay too).

I also highly recommend just getting a big old roll of paper. You can let them paint all over it (and then keep it and use it as wrapping paper), and you will have it for their whole childhood. You can get kraft paper or white butcher paper.

For Paint- My favorite combination is crayons and gouache painting- it always looks beautiful, no matter what they make. Gouache is expensive, but you only need a dot of it (and a lot of water) so it will last a surprising amount of time. Crayola has a set of simple washable tempera, but those are small bottles, so I would probably recommend Prang's big bottles instead.

Wiki Stix- When I am not blogging shopping lists, I work as an art teacher. I have seen more tiny people lose their shit over Wiki Stix than any other item. They speak directly to the toddler soul. They are wasteful, but they will be a big hit, so buy a bigger wet with cardboard (not plastic) packaging. And they are made in the US. So maybe worth it to you?

I highly recommend an easel or chalkboard; as they write and draw so much, something that you can wash off and reuse infinitely is pretty helpful. Keep an eye out for one used, because they get retired long before they aren't useful.

7. Books

If you aren't sure, buy books. They are magic. Here are some of our favorites for this age. Buy them used whenever you can! So many of these have plenty of copies out in the world already.

Big Book of Bugs
Wonderbly's The Boy/Girl Who Lost Her/His Name (perfect for planting seeds on spelling without being overbearing)
Ada Twist and Rosie Revere
Pete the Cat I love my White Shoes
A Family is a Family is a Family
When God Made You
The Book With No Pictures
Press Here
I Spy: A to Z

You can't go wrong with books- they are just so curious!

8. Something to Ride

Tricycles, Cars, and more things to Go On cannot go wrong. They are big and balanced enough to be able to do these things without hurting themselves immediately. Now, it might take a minute or two.

To be environmentally-conscious, you can't do better than buying secondhand. Ask around on Buy Nothing or check out your local thrift stores. We got our Radio-Flyer tricycle at Goodwill, and it had years of life left in it. My Nana got a secondhand Little Tikes car 20 years ago, and that thing is still going. Seriously, you can't do better for the Earth.

If you can't find it new, I recommend Little Tikes, which still make some things (but not nearly all- CHECK) in the US. Radio Flyer's plastic items (not metal) are partially made in the US as well. Big Wheels are made in the US as well. None of these are perfect (did I mention buying used?), but they are better than shipping something from China.

Encouraging time outside is one of the best things you can do for any kid, so this can be a great tool in getting them outside and moving!

9. Trains

Kids this age can lose themselves for hours making long, elaborate train set ups. It's not completely universal, but more kids than not seem to love building tracks or running trains on them.

Maple Landmark makes their trainsets in Vermont, and they fit with most of the wooden (see:Thomas) trainsets. I know you are looking for an affordable, ethical, and American-made train set. This is it. And you can get Thomas engines secondhand at your local shop, or on Ebay.


Alright! These are our best ideas- what do you think the best gift ideas for kids this age are?

1. Marley's Monsters

Marley's Monsters is one of my favorite Etsy stores. Zero waste stuff can easily fall into dull or joyless plainess, but some genius realized this was actually the perfect spot to be bright and playful. We are committed to their unsponges (as opposed to sponges with plastic) and I have also heard great things about their unpaper towels and their make up wipes.

2. ClearSkyHome

After years of cloth napkin experience (with two toddlers to boot), my big advice is this. 1. Pick patterns. 2. Pick colorful (leaning on dark). Those white ones you see in every zero waste fetish picture sure are pretty, but they will look well-used in no time. I love Clear Sky Home because they use a lot of pattern and color without it feeling juvenile. Perfect for a newbie gift!

3. SaidoniaEco

(Florida) This store primarily sells bamboo cutlery sets (and cute pouches to carry them in. This is perfect if the person you are shopping for tends to get a lot of takeout food. They can throw something like this into their bag, and they can avoid plastic cutlery from then on.

4. generationMe

generationMe has a pretty wide variety of zero waste gifts from cloth napkins to pouches for your menstrual cup to baby wipes. If you buy your loved ones menstrual pouches as a gift, let me know so I can give you a hug.

5. The Healthy Earth Co

TheHealthyEarthCo (Illinois) sells all kinds of zero waste alternatives that you might use every day. I think their unsponges could be a perfect gift for someone who is just started (or hasn't started!) a lower waste lifestyle.



There are just so many amazing, beautiful options for eco-friendly and zero waste gifts. You should also check out The Tailored Home, BeegoHandmade, PacificNWNursery, ohlittlerabbit, CHOWwithMe, and 112JamesStreet.