Celebrate Earth Day with Sprig Toys! Plant a Seed Giveaway!
Every spring when the seeds on my windowsill sprout, I am amazed. When the daffodils finally come up after months of dismal winter weather, I am amazed. When the black spindly skeletons of winter trees become cotton candy coated with blossoms, I am amazed. What better time of year to celebrate Earth Day than Spring, when the miracle that is this planet blooms in front of us.
The Obamas planted a garden at the White House. This delights me to no end. This Earth Day I’m all about planting seeds. What better way to give back to the planet, and give to your family, than to plant a garden. Whether you’re planting flowers to brighten your yard and your home, or sowing veggies to enrich your table and nourish your family, every seed you plant will grown into a plant that sucks the carbon dioxide out of the air and replaces it with oxygen. Planting a garden is, very simply, good for the Earth.
When the people at Sprig Toys contacted me to say that they were planning to sponsor several Earth Day Giveaways to get people thinking about what Earth Day might mean for their families, I jumped at the chance to be involved. I profiled this amazing green toy company earlier this Spring, and I’m crazier about them than ever. This company walks its talk from the remarkable child-safe, bio-composite material made from reclaimed wood and recycled plastic they use to make the toys; to the all-recyclable packaging with assembly instructions printed on the box to save paper; to the battery-free kid-powered toys that still light up but keep batteries out of landfills.
Oh yes, and every toy set in their new Spring Hollow line of indoor/outdoor toys for preschoolers comes with plantable seeds.
So how are you and your family going to celebrate Earth Day? Do you have any wonderful ideas for activities to do, books to read, or events to attend? Sprig Toys and Babies Gotta Have It want to know.
In honor of Earth Day, Spring Toys is giving away ten of their brand new Garden Keepers Sets pictured above to TEN lucky Babies Gotta Have It readers! Each of these sets comes with the adorable Sprig Hollow Bee, two Sprig Toys planters (a hive and a flower planter) which double as homes for the bee, and a plantable seed “flower.” Just leave a comment on this post sharing one great idea for how to celebrate Earth Day with your family. Ten winners will be chosen at random.
But wait, there’s more! I’ll read each entry carefully and my favorite entry will win the grand prize of the Sprig Hollow Bee and Butterfly Farm Set that I reviewed in an earlier post (watch the video here)! So put your thinking caps on and come up with some wonderful, creative ideas to win this great, grand prize.
Need some inspiration for Earth Day ideas? Check out Kaboose.com’s wonderful Earth Day page for lots and lots of amaizng ways to enjoy Earth Day with your family.
To Enter the Sprig Toys Earth Day Giveaway:
- Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite idea for how to celebrate and honor Earth Day with your family. Entering is that easy!
***Want extra chances to win? Do anything listed below and leave me additional comments for each one letting me know what you did! Make sure you include your email address with your entry. Maximum of three entries per person.
- Follow me on twitter (click the birdy button on the left to do so easily)
- Blog this giveaway (send me the url so I can enjoy your post!)
- Twitter this giveaway (I’ve even made it easy for you, just cut and paste): @BabiesGottaHavT and @SprigToys are celebrating Earth Day with a wonderful giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/cc5qrv
- Subscribe to my blog using the button on the left
- Email a friend about the giveaway and cc me in the message at babiesgottahaveit@gmail.com (I promise I will not spam you or your friends - cross my heart)
Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses. We will not share your email address with anyone. Giveaway begins on Wednesday April 8th and ends on Tuesday April 21st at 11:59 Eastern Standard Time. On Earth Day, Wednesday April 22nd, Random.org will select 10 winners of the Garden Keeper Sets, I’ll select the grand prize winner of the Bee and Butterfly Set, and I’ll email you all immediately. After my baby called Larry the Cable guy the last time she did a drawing, we have decided to take a little vacation from her choosing the winner. Random.org is in no way as cute and unpredictable as my baby, but it is much more efficient and does not use any pieces of paper, even recycled ones. I am sure you will understand. Thanks for entering!
UPDATE! Happy Earth Day and Congratulations Jessica (comment 58) - The panel here at Babies Gotta Have It (which is composed of me and my mom) chose your entry as our favorite way to honor and celebrate Earth Day. We love the idea that Earth Day is about taking care of our planet AND the people in it! What better way to do so than to pass along gently used items to people who will love them anew, and then do your shopping at a thrift store to keep stuff out of landfills! Thank you all so much for all the wonderful entries. My Mom and I talked for a long time about them and love so many of the ideas!
The ten winners of the random drawing have all been chosen and emailed. I’ll publish all of their names as soon as I hear from you! Thanks to everyone who entered and listed this giveaway. And thank you SPRIG TOYS!
susan said,
April 8, 2009 @ 3:23 am
We love to read our favorite book “The Lorax” because it really shows how one person’s action can change (for good or bad) our environment. We also like to spend time in the garden.
susan said,
April 8, 2009 @ 3:24 am
I follow on twitter (susanlanai).
susan said,
April 8, 2009 @ 3:24 am
I tweeted. http://twitter.com/susanlanai/status/1475193770
erica mueller said,
April 8, 2009 @ 9:34 am
For earth day I think families should pick a park or highway to clean up. Get your kids friends involved. While working, teach the kids what happens to trash that doesn’t get picked up and ends up in the lakes and oceans.
Then when all the cleaning’s done, have a good healthy snack for everyone!
erica mueller said,
April 8, 2009 @ 9:35 am
I’m a twitter follower!
@EricaMueller
erica mueller said,
April 8, 2009 @ 9:35 am
And, I twittered the contest!
http://twitter.com/EricaMueller/statuses/1476489156
Suzanne said,
April 8, 2009 @ 9:45 am
Ava and I are having a Get Clean and Get Green Party to celebrate Earth Day. A group of families are joining us for a fun filled day of learning how to GREEN their homes while the kiddies will learn about recycling and taking care of mother earth. Each kid leaves with a BPA-free bottle to reuse for juice or water.
Kai said,
April 8, 2009 @ 9:53 am
Can you come show me how to grow things in my window? I keep trying to do herbs, but never have ANY luck at all. I think I’m an over-waterer.
Nicole Feliciano said,
April 8, 2009 @ 10:59 am
My tip is to join a food coop or CSA. It’s a great way to shop locally and organically. And here’s a green contest I am running for moms:
http://momtrends.blogspot.com/2009/04/green-teething-jewelry.html
Julie said,
April 8, 2009 @ 2:40 pm
Each week the kids and I walk down our road and pick up trash. The kids love it and even find some returnable bottles too.
Michelle said,
April 8, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
Teaching my daughter to recycle, plant a garden and enjoy a picnic at the park
yzgirl4[at]verizon[dot]net
Michelle said,
April 8, 2009 @ 5:36 pm
following on twitter yzgirl4
yzgirl4[at]verizon[dot]net
Michelle said,
April 8, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
subscriber
yzgirl4[at]verizon[dot]net
lisa said,
April 8, 2009 @ 7:23 pm
We’re going to plant some flower seeds, and make some bird feeders out of recycled materials.
Kyla said,
April 9, 2009 @ 12:19 am
For earth day my family and I will not use electricity the whole day. It will mean less energy used to ruin the planet and also at night we will use alternative lighting and have new ways to entertain each other instead of watching tv. NO driving as well that day. If we need anything we will stay in town and walk!
MommyAmy said,
April 9, 2009 @ 12:21 am
I’m planning to put together my raised bed kits, fill them with soil and plant some seeds & move my seedlings to their rightful homes. I can’t wait!
MommyAmy said,
April 9, 2009 @ 12:22 am
I tweet’d your giveaway.
MommyAmy said,
April 9, 2009 @ 12:22 am
I subscribe to your blog.
Jessica P said,
April 9, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
I like to plant something on Earth Day
Vicki Wurgler said,
April 10, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
our church group will be cleaning up along the highway-kids and parents
Kathleen said,
April 10, 2009 @ 10:28 pm
I added this to my Weekend Contest Love post
http://katydidandkid.blogspot.com/2009/04/weekend-contest-love-411.html
Kathleen said,
April 10, 2009 @ 10:30 pm
We’re going to plant a tree in our yard, since it’s our son’s first year on earth. We’ll be taking a photo in front of it every year, hopefully on every Earth Day.
Mama Koala said,
April 10, 2009 @ 11:25 pm
We are planning on starting our garden–so some attention to that would be appropriate for Earth Day:-)
CanCan (Mom Most Traveled) said,
April 11, 2009 @ 3:19 am
We live eco-friendly year round, but I talk to my young sons about Earth Day and also read books about ecology on an appropriate level.
andrea v said,
April 11, 2009 @ 9:18 pm
We would like to plant a larger garden this year and plant a few trees.
Janet F said,
April 12, 2009 @ 10:54 am
I bought a tree to plant with my family in my back yard for Earth day. I also have a packet of flower seeds for my 3 year old grandson to plant and learn about our earth. I am setting aside an area in my yard and calling it his garden. I will tell him that when he comes over he can water the seeds he planted and watch them grow.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
Janet F said,
April 12, 2009 @ 10:56 am
I sent a tweet:
http://twitter.com/Janetfaye/status/1503199924
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
Janet F said,
April 12, 2009 @ 10:57 am
Subscribed.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
sito said,
April 12, 2009 @ 1:22 pm
We are going to clean up the river bank for Earth Day. We plan to photograph our pile of trash, then sort into recyclable, useable, and actual garbage and post the photos for others to see what gets tossed into the river. For the fun part of the day, we plan to try to think of craft items we can make from any of the trash, clean it up, and get to work making “found art.”
sito said,
April 12, 2009 @ 1:24 pm
Tweeted - http://twitter.com/sito50/status/1503903367
sito said,
April 12, 2009 @ 1:25 pm
I subscribe to your blog.
Rajee said,
April 13, 2009 @ 2:46 am
Taking care of mother earth, love to recycle, save energy costs, save water and keep green outside.
Love Spring Hallow stuff.
Kim said,
April 13, 2009 @ 8:17 am
we plant a new flower for earth day
Kim said,
April 13, 2009 @ 8:42 am
subscribe
Melissa said,
April 13, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
We are helping to clean up our local parks!
Mary L Rich said,
April 13, 2009 @ 5:03 pm
For Earth Day we like to make our own toys such as cooked play doh - no plastic containers or artifical colors.
Rachel @ Growing Sage said,
April 13, 2009 @ 11:11 pm
Hmm, we already do a lot of the things mentioned above… For Earth Day we are going to install a rain barrel to collect water for our veggie garden. We have the barrel in place but it isn’t hooked up yet. (We already collect gray water in the shower for our herb garden.) We’re also looking into a solar panel leasing program. So many wonderful options!
Serena said,
April 14, 2009 @ 3:32 am
With my daughter, I’m going to plant a small container herb-garden. She loves to dig in the dirt and “garden”, so I want to show her how to really garden and grow things! We’ll probably take a walk in the state part that’s a few minutes from us, too, and enjoy the greenery.
tree said,
April 14, 2009 @ 7:53 am
We will be spending earth day outside! Playing in the garden, planting flowers and hiking in the woods. We usually take a recycle/garbage walk too and pick up any trash or recyclables we find on the side of the road.
Dan said,
April 14, 2009 @ 4:41 pm
We will celebrate Earth Day in our garden where we grow some of our own food.
Melissa said,
April 15, 2009 @ 2:06 pm
My daughter and I are going to start an organic garden this spring. For her I am going to make a sunflower house. In my church I am going to be speaking about ways people can be more friendly to the Earth. Thanks for this giveaway!
Karen said,
April 15, 2009 @ 7:11 pm
We plant a garden both flower and vegitable.
Andrea H said,
April 17, 2009 @ 2:03 am
We love to go on nature hikes and plants tree’s!
Cheri said,
April 17, 2009 @ 1:33 pm
My son just turned 4 and I have been taking him outside with me while I garden since he was a baby. He loves to help me plant bulbs and seeds and dig in the dirt! We went to our local health food store recently and picked out some Organic seeds together for our veggie garden and we will be planting them together. Now that he is 4, he seems to “get” things so much more. He knows about recycling and re-using and he knows and says the phrase “Reduce, Re-use and Recycle” at the correct times! And how it is important to our Mother Earth.
Then together, we will take care of our garden and watch it grow then eat the food! Yum!!
Thank you for a wonderful giveaway!
Jennifer Brown said,
April 17, 2009 @ 9:03 pm
On Earth Day I will plant a butterfly garden with my 3 year old daughter and do other yard work to clean up mother earth.
Michele P. said,
April 17, 2009 @ 10:42 pm
There are several things I do to try to make Earth Day important around here: first, my daughter and I will research new ways to cut back and or try to live a green lifestyle. Because we know that we can’t accomplish everything overnight, we pick one thing-similar to a New Year’s resolution-and try to stick to it over the year. Last year, we resolved to compost the yard waste and some household waste to use on our garden and flowers we plant together on Earth Day. So now, we have some nice compost, perfect nutrients for our gardens. This year, we will sit down prior to Earth Day and pick yet another resolution. It will have to be simple as she is only 7, but it increases her awareness of how important it is to practice the 3 R’s. Little by little we can accomplish alot-and I look forward to seeing what we choose this year.
micaela6955 at msn dot com
Michele P. said,
April 17, 2009 @ 10:43 pm
twitter follower name micaela6955
micaela6955 at msn dot com
Michele P. said,
April 17, 2009 @ 10:43 pm
Tweeted here: http://twitter.com/micaela6955/status/1547892410
micaela6955 at msn dot com
ALLY M said,
April 17, 2009 @ 11:04 pm
We are going out with a group so the kids can each plant a tree and then on to a huge Earth day festival with music and food in the city.
ALLY M said,
April 17, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
I subscribe on my google reader (rubymoonstone at gmail is the address there)
ladyevelyn said,
April 17, 2009 @ 11:53 pm
I nanny 2 little boys as well as my own son. The oldest of my crew is three so I originally thought it would be too big of a concept for them. That was until 3 days ago when we saw an add for the Charleston Earth Day Festival. The kids learn about going green and giving back to the environment. I wasn’t sure if we could go so I checked out the website and they had all kids of ideas for all ages. I think we are going to have a TV free day, plant flowers and go for a hike. We have already been talking about being thankful for all the lovely things nature has surrounded us with and how important it is to take care and give back to it. When the babies go down for a nap, the three year old and I are going to make paper! I have the kit from when I taught 2nd grade and it will be nice to make some recycled stationary. We already recycle but I was thinking it would be fun to make something out of our recycled items before taking them to the recycling center! I have an idea of robots but I have no idea what the bigger kids will make!
ladyevelyn said,
April 17, 2009 @ 11:54 pm
I’m also a twitter addict =)
name: Ladyevelyn
Michelle Rosborough said,
April 18, 2009 @ 1:54 am
We’re going to see the movie Earth on 4/22
CanCan (Mom Most Traveled) said,
April 18, 2009 @ 1:08 pm
My children are 4 and 1. I read to them from “green” children’s books such as “I’m Turning Green,” and we use cloth diapers, cloth rags (no paper towels), and cloth napkins. I clean with vinegar and water, and am trying to elimiate toxic plastics from our home.
Next month we are moving from a 3br house to a 2 br in a mindful step to decrease our impact on the earth! It is a big step for us, and I’m so excited!
My kids would love one of these darling play sets! I’m actually getting rid of lots of our stuff so that we can fit into this new house, but they don’t know that yet!
I would definitely keep a new treasure from Sprig Toys though!
sito said,
April 19, 2009 @ 3:43 pm
We clean up a public area. This year, we’re cleaning up a riverbank. After we’re done, we photograph the pile of stuff we found and then sort through it for “treasures.” Anything that can be used to make found art is cleaned up and we start on recycled crafting.
sito said,
April 19, 2009 @ 3:44 pm
Tweeted - http://twitter.com/sito50/status/1560055837
sito said,
April 19, 2009 @ 3:44 pm
I subscribe.
Jessica Narace said,
April 19, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
We gather all things in our home that we no longer use, like “grown out of baby items” and clothes and extra food items in our pantry that we have purchased on those “buy one, get one free days” at the grocery store, and we take it to the local violence shelter’s thrift store. There, we have the option to donate it to the women and children starting their brave new lives or to the thrift store to sell to aid in the expense of their shelter. We then, see if there’s anything there that we could find new uses for, so our money can continue to do good and help out their cause. We are attempting to teach our 2yr old daughter that renewing, reusing, recycling and repurposing is not only good for the earth, but good for others as well. It is our responsibility to teach our children what we are trying to learn now, so the next generation will be lovers and caretakers of our planet and the people in it.
ALH Myers said,
April 19, 2009 @ 6:07 pm
We celebrate earth day every day by doing our best to use and reuse what we have, and recycle and compost the rest.
Jo said,
April 19, 2009 @ 7:44 pm
We love to recycle as a family to show the kids it is important to take care of the earth
lynn said,
April 19, 2009 @ 9:04 pm
I want to plant more vegetables and herbs this year.
sandra said,
April 20, 2009 @ 9:36 am
picking up in and around our yard would be a good day to celebrate earth day by helping to clean the earth, one yard at a time
Regina D said,
April 20, 2009 @ 1:56 pm
we will plant a tree for earth and have a picnic
Regina D said,
April 20, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
i subscribe yahoo reader
Veronica L. said,
April 20, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
Every Earth Day, I love to take my boys outside and plants flowers. It is very relaxing to me but it is also teaching my boys about the environment. Thanks for a great giveaway
Lindley said,
April 20, 2009 @ 3:17 pm
We usually plant all of our spring flowers around Earth Day and we deliver our newspapers, cans and bottles for the month to the local recycling plant.
Lindsay V said,
April 20, 2009 @ 4:18 pm
We are going to spend Earth Day as a family weeding the veggie garden and looking at all our little greenery growing!
Mommyishome said,
April 21, 2009 @ 9:50 am
My children are 4 and 2, but we are already stressing the importance of being environmentally responsible with them. My son always asks now if something is recyclable before we throw it away. Each year we order a new set of huck towels to use instead of paper towels, and the kids enjoy helping fold these when they come out of the dryer. I purchase muslin and use that to make napkins, and my son loves to help wind the bobbin when I am doing this, and putting the napkins on the table after they are cleaned. Every day is “bird watching day” around here as we have multiple feeders out and the kids love to watch for the different birds. My two year old says that our downy woodpeckers are “my woodpeckers”, and the arrival of our first hummingbird for the season last week was a big event! We planted some tomato, lettuce and sunflower seeds two days ago, and every day my kids enjoy watching to see if anything has sprouted. The sunflower seeds are for the bees, and we are going to be counting to see how many come to them. I’ve also taught my kids about the importance of earthworms, and they love to pick them up when they find them in perilous situations (on sidewalk or in water after a rain), and move them into dirt where they can help the soil. In summary, I think it is important to stress the importance of taking care of the Earth and all its creatures every day, and not just on Earth Day. I am glad there is a day set aside for remembrance, but we should all try to make each day one that we can do our part to take care of our precious planet.