Soul Searching

in the wake of the Haiti devastation, soles4souls is collecting shoes to send to those in desperate need. infants, children, teens and adults with nothing left are going without so much, we can easily help by getting them some SHOES to get back up on their feet. soles4souls started after the 2004 tsunami, this nashville-based company has been collecting shoes for people all over the world and in the last 6 years have given away almost 6 million pairs to those who desperately need them.

this is an easy class/ school activity and we encourage kids to go out into the community and get as many shoes donated as they can!

here is a link to find a donation drop near you.

the lesson: same one it usually is - IT IS SO EASY TO HELP THOSE WHO NEED IT.

***added bonus: an excuse to replace of those chuck taylors your kid practically sleeps in.

Acme Holiday - Halloween/ Veteran's Day

my kids have already forgotten about their halloween candy, pretty great. but even better, is HALLOWEEN CANDY BUY BACK. this is where local dentists weigh and pay for your child's candy and ship it out. for $1 per pound, they will pay you for your loot and send it to soldiers on the front lines. of course, soldiers don't need candy as much as kids don't need candy but... it just makes everyone happy.

here's the link: www.halloweencandybuyback.com

***added bonus: and with veteran's day coming up, it's a double whammy!

Horror Story

this is unbelievable! "the story of stuff" will really make you think about what you have, where it comes from, how it's made and where it goes. a serious wake up call for the world of recycling, global warming and consumerism. this 20 minute movie will change the way you shop. it will make you think about STUFF and educate you in a way that you probably had an inkling about, but leaves no room for doubt. i hope everyone gets a chance to watch this. see it first by yourself and then watch it with your kids.

see it here: storyofstuff.com

the lesson: does my family really need another _____? how will it effect our lives vs. how will it effect the world?

***added bonus: an easy way to be inspired to get on that budget.

The Garbage Collector

i have the funniest nephew who loves to find "treasures" everywhere. i don't envy my sister-in-law having to clean out his pockets in the laundry room. while out for dinner last week, he collected straws, cocktail stirrers, tourist's maps and corks. he loves to make "art" with his finds and since they aren't really recycled since they have not yet been used, it's a new kind of project (see "ONE MAN'S TRASH" post below for making a recycle sculpture).

when i found TRASH FOR TEACHING it made me think of him immediately. i know he isn't the only kid who loves this, so here is more info: "Trash for Teaching collects clean and safe cast-off materials from manufacturing processes (that would otherwise become trash) and re-purposes them as educational resources. With those materials we provide a comprehensive arts education program in local school districts."

*but you don't have to be a classroom to benefit. you can order your own box of treasures for T4T by going to their website.

here is the link: T4T

click the link under PRODUCTS for JUNKIT and for $40 you will get a large box of treasure/ art supplies.

at least you won't have to worry about the secret stash of paperclips getting into the washing machine.

In The Jeans

i am no fool (most days). i know how impossible it is to ask children to go through their toys and give away the ones they don't use. most kids just can't do it - yet. but clothes? you bet. 

since spring is here, it's time for SPRING CLEANING. 

here is an amazing denim drive that is trying to break the Guinness Book Of World Records for the most clothing recycled. all of these jeans will be turned into cotton fiber insulation for homes damaged in natural disasters.

here's a link for more details: at national geographic kids

jeans (and jackets) must be sent in by june 30th for those of you who do spring cleaning closer to summer. 

***added bonus: a way to kill an hour or two (if you count a trip to the post office to mail them out) until spring break is over and school is back in session.

Call to Service

our new first-lady-to-be is a girl after my own heart. she's a mom of two, supports her busy husband, has understated style and wants everyone to give back. come on, we're 2 peas in a pod!

this monday, january 19th is DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR day and MICHELLE OBAMA'S day to "call to service" the entire country.

the m.o. for M.O. is to get everyone to do ANY kind of community service on monday, (which is also a school holiday, so we'll be looking for things to do). the idea is to "renew america together, one community at a time. it will take ordinary citizens working together with a common purpose to get this country back on track. this national day of service is an important first step in our continuing commitment." 

this is an exciting project and one i hope you will consider doing with your families. to find local activities and to learn more about this national day of service, check out the website:

usaservice.org

if you can't find anything that speaks to you, please browse the acme sharing archives with over 70 ideas for community service projects to do with your kids.

***extra credit - i would LOVE to hear from you. please let me know how you spent the day, how it affected your kids and what did or didn't work in teaching them the most important aspect of humanity: SHARING.

Out With The Old

now that our kids have so much "bright new shiny" with which to play, what better time to clean out the "dark old dull" ?

it is SO hard for most kids (mine especially) to part with even the smallest bit of broken lego. now, with all the new holiday loot, finding an organized place is a real chore. help them clean out the toys, books and even winter clothes that they barely notice hanging around.

make piles of (or use colored post-its) for; 

MAYBE KEEP, GIVE AWAY and TRASH.

it will be hard to get them excited about the "give away" pile, but once you put on some music, eat some leftover xmas cookies or channukah gelt, they might get into the groove. 

OR

you can tell them that for every new item they got, they need to give one away.

the lesson: abundance is the road to ungratefulness ? (ok, i think i just made that up, but it seems right, doesn't it?). plus, talk to your families about how lucky we are to get new things while explaining that not all families have the same luxuries or something like that, only more eloquent. then go back to the MAYBE KEEP pile and start again.

***added bonus: more organization means less likely chance of stepping on an errant action figure with bare feet - youch!

*find a children's hospital for donating books and puzzles.

*stuffed animals can go to SAFE or project night night.

*bigger toys and warm clothes are great for local homeless shelters.

now you can thank your kids for, not only appreciating the things they have and keeping their toys organized, BUT MOSTLY for making a difference in another child's day.

Acme Holiday - Farewell Christmas Tree

with so much festive hoopla in the air, it's hard to believe it's almost time to deconstruct it all. once you have un-trimmed the tree, think about how you will dispose of it. here is a list from worst to best:

a.) if you put it in a large plastic bag, you can almost insure it will be thrown in a landfill and practically never decompose. 

b.) if you saw it up yourself, (my husband loves this part of the holiday, the one time a year he uses his electric saw) you can put it in your garden rubbish bin to give it a slightly better chance at being composted.

c.) the best option is to go to earth 911 to find out if there is a green pick up or drop off for recycle made especially for the post holiday clean up.

the lesson: our kids should know that since the tree brought so much happiness and light to our holiday (if only for less than a month), the least we can do is NOT trash the earth with the dried and needle dropping remains.

***added bonus: having a pretty responsible answer for your hard-core friends who 1.) drive 4 hours to chop down their own tree from a sustainable farm 2.) buy a seedling in a pot and then plant it in the yard or 3.) use the artificial tree year after year bragging about the carbon they have saved from the lack of transport. *all of which i always think we'll implement NEXT year.

Acme Library - 10 Things I Can Do...

a fun and graphic book for kids of all ages (mostly 8 and younger, in my humble opinion). touches on the basics we all know about helping the earth, but in a way that kids can get excited about - maybe because they have heard some of them before. i think it's a great gift.

to buy this book, see acme library on the right

(this only works if you are on the acme sharing website)

For (four) Eyes

as the end of summer arrives, there is no shortage of sunshine (thanks in part to global warming) and although we are still clinging desperately to our sunglasses, this is an easy activity.

lenscrafters has a program called GIVE THE GIFT OF SIGHT. if you drop off any reading or sunglasses to a local lenscrafters, they will use them to make a new pair of glasses for someone who otherwise couldn't afford some. so far, they have been able to help 6 million people see the world more clearly.

here is where you can read more about it

this is a great project for a DRIVE. get your kids to solicite glasses from friends and neighbors or even put up flyers at camp, school, church, temple, gymnastics class - whatever. there is so much power in a drive. i love a drive. i love the idea of the kids getting glasses (or whatever item your drive is about) and filling up a box. the pride they feel when they have so much more than they hoped for. the idea that a community can come together with SUCH LITTLE EFFORT and make a real difference. jeez, can you tell i am a fan of a DRIVE?

the lesson: talking to your kids about what it would be like to not see clearly and how that would effect your life. not be able to afford the medical care you need. not be able to participate in life the way you want. how difficult all of those things would be and how if we CAN help, why WOULDN'T we help?

Bird Brain

it's getting pretty whiny around here. these last weeks of summer can really ride your last nerve. let's make them meaningful before that school bell rings.

here is a super cute "at home craft/ recycle/ be kind to animals" type of project.

the video link below is step by step instructions for building a birdhouse from a milk carton. it's not the newest idea on the block, but it will keep kids entertained. why not add to the fun by getting a hold of some binoculars and keeping a journal of all the visitors your house attracts. budding photographers can get in on the act as well.

as with ALL acme sharing projects, you can spend as much or as little time on it depending on the age and attention span of your offspring. 

here's how to do it - so easy!!!

the lesson: helping nature helps us all.

***added bonus: the sweet tweets coming in from the window make a happier home.

It's In The Mail

looking to keep your kids busy this summer - look no further than your mailbox.

set up a "postal system so as not to go postal"

kids can retrieve and SORT the mail.

ask them to throw the "penny saver" type junk mail right into the recycle bin. 

now ask them to find a box large enough for the catalogs. all summer, they can fill up the catalog box with everything you aren't interested in (which is pretty much all of it. or do you really need "the peruvian collection"?) and then they can list them so that you can stop them.

there are companies (listed below) that, on your behalf, will STOP these catalogs from coming to you. some of them even stop junk mail. happy dance happy dance!

the lesson: trees glorious trees! i'd rather have them than the latest mortgage payment lowering scam, you?

added bonus: you won't be tempted to just look at the "garnet hill" sale since you KNOW you don't need anything.

here's a link to CATALOG CHOICE

and GREEN DIMES

Treasure Hunters

talk about REUSE...

take your child to a garage sale, salvation army, antique store, goodwill, flea market, whatever. tell them you are on a treasure hunt. you can set out looking for something specific or find whatever catches your eye and make up a story around it: who used to own this? what happened? how did it find it's way to where we found it? it sounds really corny, but trust me on this one, people, it is a TREASURE of an activity. and word to the wise, say "treasure hunt" as much as humanly possible for the effective buildup!

this was a huge hit at my house and the crappy "gold" pocket watch we found for $10 has become a cherished item. plus, there is the new found urgency to learn to tell time.

the lesson: one man's trash is another kid's treasure.

***added bonus: the plastic play sets from target, made in china, with their twist twist twist ties, that your kids are interested in for 2 days, who needs 'em?

here's a link to finding locations to the salvation army near you

Out To Lunch

as we get closer and closer to living a greener and greener life, (change light bulbs, check. install solar panels, check), here's a helpful item. if your child brings lunch to school, you have an idea of just how many plastic ziplocks are floating around the landfills.

lunchopolis offers this: no pvc. no lead. no leeching. no garbage. no huge selection of super cute patterns, but i guess you can't bite the hand that feeds. we all have to make sacrifices, no?

the lesson: nothing you haven't already heard; reduce, reuse, recycle.

here's a link to lunchopolis.com

One Small Step

mmmm, ahhhh, spring is in the air. smells a bit like... rotten crocs from last summer???

say what you will about crocs, yes, unattractive, yes, ubiquitous, yes, middle-american children everywhere running around in them, but they really serve their purpose. cheap (ish), slip on, waterproof and ALMOST indestructible. now that we are spring cleaning and gearing up for the warmer months, here is the place for those shredded crocs that haven't seen sunlight in months. SOLES UNITED will take old worn out pairs and recycle them into new, wearable ones to send to children in need.

the lesson: waste not want not?

***added bonus: once you're already back there in the dark corners of your kid's closet, you might find some treasure. not sure what, but that's what makes it an added bonus.


here's a link: "soles united" for info and drop off locations

acme craft - one man's trash

if your house is anything like mine, there is PLENTY to do. so why is it that "i'm bored" has ever been said aloud? when your kids have the gall to say it, here's a new one: give them a bottle of glue, a stapler and send them in the direction of the recycle bin. you may need to step in and help with a low temp glue gun. but a milk carton and an empty container of sour cream together with the sunday paper and an egg carton can make for some pretty fabulous modern art.

the lesson: talk to your kids about the resources on earth and how one day they will not always all be available. recycling and reusing is a way they can help conserve. this might not feel like giving back, but it is. it really is.

***added bonus, the blue bins won't be so heavy to push to the street on trash day.

it's in the can

clearly not the most glamorous nor innovative philanthropic event, but a can drive is true americana. invite your child to make fliers (or print out a dozen copies on your printer) and deliver them door to door amongst your neighbors. these fliers should look something like this:

hi neighbor,

i am collecting cans for the local ___.

i will be back tomorrow around __ pm to pick up any canned food that you can spare.

thanks for your help.

sincerely,

your child's name.

when you go back to collect, don't forget some empty grocery bags, and a radio flyer wagon if you have one. once you and your child have delivered the cans, the next weekend's project can include teaching them to write thank you cards to those neighbors who were kind enough to participate.

if you are unable to find a recipient, any local church or temple will gladly take whatever you've collected and get them into the right hands (and mouths).

the lesson: talk about food. what they like best, when they feel most hungry, what they know how to cook, or what they want to learn to cook. talk about how your child never has to think about when their next meal will be or from where it will come; how some families aren't quite so lucky and how we can help those in need.

***added bonus: since getting yourself to the gym is your worst enemy, you will work those triceps lifting bags of cans for the afternoon!

Reel Easy Way to Give

as it is now january, the month of cleaning out, i suggest you and your kids put on some music, pop some popcorn, sit on the family room floor and go through all of your DVDs. this is an easy project that not only helps you feel organized, but it also gives back. KID FLICKS is a KID run organization started by 2 teenage sisters in los angeles. they distribute movies to pediatric wards of more than 200 hospitals all over the U.S. and even in South Africa.

the lesson: talk to your kids about how they might feel if they were stuck in a hospital bed. if they were feeling sick or scared and away from home, what would make them feel safe.

here's a link: www.kidflicks.org