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Green Parenting Week: Environmental Living with Kids in NYC

10/22/07 - By Anna Fader

Environmentalism has become so mainstream that Alanis Morissette is going to have to make a comeback just so she can add a new verse to her hit song Ironic. "It's like using environmentalism to get people to buy more crap...oh who would have thought it figgered..." I was born with a biodegradable soy-based spoon in my mouth, so I've been living green in New York for many decades. (Actually, we all live green here since living in an urban environment makes much less impact on the planet than most suburban and rural living.) This week I'll be sharing some of the ways I've found to make NYC life with kids even greener without having to suffer. I've already written about my water bottle solution. I've been loving our aluminum water bottles. Today I'd like to mention a tradition that my friends and I have taken to: the swap.

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A couple times a year we all gather at one person's house and bring all our ill-fitting clothes and anything else we want to get out of our homes and hang out while we eat and dig through the piles picking out anything we like. Now that many of us have kids, children's clothes, toys and books have been added to the mix. It's a great way to pass on old stuff, recycle and share. Plus it's fun. What ever doesn't get claimed we drive to a local thrift store and donate. Actually, in my building we have the tradition of leaving things in the hall and putting a sign to let people know there's stuff up for grabs. It's fun to scavenge. What are your best tips for living green in NYC with kids? Related Links: Treehugger Guide to How to Go Green FreeCycle No Impact Man's Blog

About the Author

Anna Fader

Founder of Mommy Poppins

A fourth-generation Brooklynite, Anna started Mommy Poppins in 2007 to help families find the best things to do with kids in NYC, with a particular emphasis on sharing activities that are free, affordable, and enriching. The site, used by millions of families, has grown to become the ultimate resource for parents in the major US cities, plus travel guides for 100s of destinations.

Anna is a believer in the magic of summer camps, traveling with kids, and that you can raise kids on a budget and still have a rich life full of amazing memories. Anna's first Mommy Poppins book, The Young Traveler's Journal and Activity Book, published in 2025 and co-written with her daughter, Amelia Eigerman, brings that ethos to life, in addition to this website.

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