Give a Green Gift for the Holidays

Green gift giving for the holidays, at its simplest, means focusing on environmentally friendly products. Do your green gift shopping the same way you do your regular shopping -- with thought to its impact on your world, from your family to your community, to this beautiful world we all share. Think "clean." Think "people powered" instead of "battery powered," for example.

Think, too, about giving gifts that have staying power: Gifts that will last and be useful and well-used. Don't give disposable or easily thrown away gifts. If the item you give uses batteries, look for environmentally friendly, rechargeable battery systems. Don't add to the landfills where you live any more often than you must!

Look through the suggestions that follow. Pick the ones that are most useful to you, your friends, and your family. Above all, make the effort to move away from easily used up, disposable gifts and move toward long-term, environmentally friendly, even "spiritual" gifts of service.

Make the holidays or gift giving any time of the year a delightful, but GREENER time for all!

If you have someone on your gift list who likes to draw, paint, or do craft work, consider giving them supplies made from recyclables. Sketch pads from recycled paper come to mind. Recycled scrapbooking materials are available, and scrapbookers are one of the largest groups of "crafty" folks.

Are you a craft person yourself? What better green gifts than to create a sweater, skirt, quilt, or afghan from all-natural yarns and recycled fabrics you've taken from treasured clothing and blankets? Such gifts are more special than "store bought," and generally last much longer -- lessening the load in landfills!

Do you cook? Give someone special a gift of food you've made yourself. Are those on your gift list people who cook? Perhaps someone there would appreciate a new (or their very first-ever) slow cooker pot? Slow cookers make juicy, simmered foods everyone loves, and they are a more energy efficient and healthier cooking method than many others.

Even if you or the gift recipient aren't really into kitchen duty and cooking, one of the multitude of gift baskets out there include some excellent "green" choices. Consider a gift of food.

Are you a photographer? Use your digital camera or video camera to make some portraits or picture montages for gifts.

Finally, have you considered giving the gift of writing to someone you care for? Chances are good that, if you're reading this, you do or have done some writing yourself. Why not compose a poem, write a personal memoir, do a brief family history, or some other form of gift writing for those you love? It could become a gift treasured for years.

Homemade, handmade, or other "low environmental impact" gifts are very special ways to give green gifts for the holidays or any other gift-giving occasion.

Giving toys for the holiday are often the focus of the season, and here are some great ideas for toys that are green -- and fun, too!

Look for educational and activity toys. No matter what age "kid" you're shopping for, toys really can be both educational and fun. If you're old enough you may remember Tinter Toys, Erector Sets, Lincoln Logs, and the more "modern" Legos -- all challenging and educational and a ton of fun. Those and other construction toys like them are still available online and at every toy store off line.

Board games such as chess, checkers, and monopoly still entertain and challenge today's kids just as they have kids throughout the decades.

All such toy gifts are very much green gifts: They often are made of recycled wood and paper materials and they last for years -- even generations! -- placing very little stress on the environment. In addition, educational toys, construction toys, and board games stimulate learning and help shape intelligent children who grow up to be thoughtful, intelligent adults.

Pedal-powered and ride-on toys, ranging from make-believe-tractors to tricycles and bicycles, provide hours of healthy, green fun for tots, teenagers, and adults. Today's high-tech kids deserve the privilege of being introduced to such low-tech toy gems as wagons and carts, playhouses and climbing toys. There are many companies who offer well-crafted wooden toys that are ideal for children of all ages.

The greatest gift you can give to "green up" the holidays or any gift-giving occasion is the gift of yourself. Find some time (we all share the same 24 hours each day) to volunteer in your community. Find something good you can do specifically for and even WITH the person you are gifting.

No ideas about how to get started? Go to any one of the many charitable organizations or faith-based organizations in your community and tell them you'd like to volunteer your time (and knowledge/talents/whatever), either on a one-time basis or regularly. They certainly will find a way you can help.

Not interested in volunteerism? How about sending a gift large or small to fund a charitable organization or church or synagogue you know of? Or perhaps just dropping some spare change in one of those Salvation Army Red Kettles near most stores and shopping malls during the holiday season? It all counts.

Can't think of a gift you can find or afford for someone in your family or a special friend? Volunteer yourself and your time to help them with work around their home, or perhaps tutoring them or teaching them something special.

These and many other ideas only work as you make them work. Give the greenest gift of all this holiday season or any other time -- give of yourself!