I always enjoy leafing through Traidcraft's ever growing catalogue of fairly traded gifts and other goodies, so the arrival of the latest edition on my desk this week was a welcome treat. New of a new fairtrade chocolate range was especially exciting, but it was the kids' section that really grabbed me this time around.

They've picked a lot of penguin-related products, including a jute toy basket, crockery set and rucksack. Do they know something we don't about forthcoming winter trends?

Related: Bright guy: self-lighting LED penguin torch | knitted penguins suits for endangered birds

I think I'm declaring 2008 the 'year of the baby', since more of my friends and colleagues are hearing the pitter patter of tiny feet than ever before. How can we help keep those feet as green as possible? Buying them eco-friendly presents is not a bad way to start. Here's my selection of green and ethical gifts for new parents and their babies.

Follow the jump for details of our gift ideas

The school summer holidays are now well and truly underway, and there are children up and down the country in dire need of a project to keep their boredom threasholds at bay. I spotted one that might just do the trick over at The Crafty Crow, who featured this charming little log cabin made from lolly sticks that would make a prime piece of real estate in the woods for dolls and birds alike.

It's just one of many pieces of 'popsicle stick art' featured on A Little Hut recently, and has fired my imagination for some really great recycling projects, some suitable for kids and others that'll appeal more to adults. You may need to eat a lot of lollies, but in this level of humidity I can't see that being too much of a problem for anybody! And it goes without saying that it's better than binning them... [Via Crafty Crafty]

Related: Green Pop: an eco themed craft market | How to make your own glue from milk

You may remember that there was a trend in the '80s for animal-shaped rucksacks. I had a frog, and I remember all kinds of other critters adorning my schoolmates' backs. And now most of those schoolmates have kids of their own, I'm hardly surprised to see this cute little trend coming back.

Only this time, we're doing it noughties style, with far more respect for those involved in making the products. Tatty Bumpkin is one ethical label that's picked up on the trend, with its smiley 'spider' rucksack, that's just the right size for transporting essential items to school. Its costs £13.99. Alternatively, there's a similarly proportioned butterfly bag for young arachnophobes!

Shinzi Katoh has been making cute, whimsical tote bags for a while now, but now the kooky label has branched out, transfering its designs to water bottles and lunchboxes, allowing you to store and save food and avoid the waste and expense of bottled water when you're on the go.

And today, we've got two lovely prizes to give away from Shinzi Katoh: a 'what is that on your head' water bottle and a lovely red and blue lunchbox, just in time for stashing away in the 'back to school' cupboard!

Follow the jump for more pictures and instructions on how to enter

Related: Shinzi Katoh sets up shop in the UK | Bag it all up with Envirosax

The more variety you expose your baby to early on, the more willing they'll be to try more sophisticated, healthier food options when they get older. So how can you ensure you baby's tastebuds are fully tempted without too much slaving over the stove?

Hippyshopper Mums have long been fans of Plum; the 'organic superfood' for babies, so I was pleased to hear that four new varieties have been launched this summer. Follow the jump for details on the new products, all of which contain all natural ingredients with no GM, salt, sugar, meat, egg or dairy.

Gone are the days when 'reusable nappies' meant stinking, toweling rags (though some people still swear by them, I'm told!) There is now a wealth of options for the eco-friendly parent who'd prefer not to spend every hour of the day thinking about poo.

Reusable nappies are now designed to be as hassle-free and leakproof as possible, which is good news really when you consider the sheer bulkiness of normal nappies and their tendency to clog up landfill something rotten.

Read on to find out about some of the new kids on the block in nappyland.

Related: Wam-bamboo eco nappies | gDiapers flushable nappies

Method has a surprise in store for its UK fans today: the Californian cleaning gurus have just launched the Method Baby and Method Kid ranges, both available in Boots stores from today.

As with all Method products, half of the fun is in the sustainable packaging, and with children in mind the design team have really let rip. My favourite thing about the Method kids' Squeaky Green body wash has to be the 'scratch 'n' sniff' panel on each otter-shaped bottle, which means you can test out the scent in the shop before buying. I have a bottle of the 'crisp apple' flavour on my desk, and have been keeping it there for stressful moments.

Read on to find out more

When crayons get all short and stubby, it's tempting to throw them away, and with the school summer holidays looming on the horizon, most parents will soon have a surplus of well-used waxies littering the house. But next time you're about to jettison any, think of the beauty of this little wax model, the work of Crayon Fawn, who melts down the old scribblers and turns them into fabulous works of art.

Over at Haute*Nature, they featured some instructions on how you can melt down your own crayons for model moulding purporses, with tips on how to add glitter or even scents your creation. Read on after the jump to find out how.

[Via Crafty Crafty]

Eco-boutique Fair and Fabulous has just brought in a range of adorable soft toys to its range that are perfect for the little monkeys in your life.

The toys are fairly traded and hand-made using locally sourced cotton in Sri Lanka. They have oodles of character, and What I love best about these little cuties is how they each come beautifully dressed in handloom fabric dresses and a little pair of bloomers! You can also adopt a mouse, duck, pig and various other animals for your child's menagerie, all at £12.99.

Related: Baby-safe toys from Zoe B Organic | ImagiPLAY fairtrade wooden toys with ethical and ecological integrity

I'm not normally a huge fan of trainers on babies, but have to admit these 'Bebe Volley' shoes by Veja have stolen my heart.

The fairtrade footwear label that also makes stylish, sports-casual shoes for adults, is now selling organic cotton baby shoes to match its original shoes that are similar to classic 1970s styles from Puma and Green Flash. The shoes are available with a green or pink trim, and are perfect for keeping your baby's feet warm. Get them for £20 at Equa.

It's a sad fact of modern life that nearly half of all school-age children don't walk to school regularly, and more and more pupils are being driven to school in a car. This trend is contributing to reduced physical activity and increased childhood obesity, urban congestion and air pollution.

This week, parents are being urged to leave the car behind and walk to school with their kids. As well as the obvious environmental benefits here, it has been shown that getting children to take exercise in the morning prepares them far better for a day of learning than a sleepy ride in the back seat of a car.

The sun will have his hat on (for at least some of) this weekend, so it's time for your kids to start donning theirs.

Adili has a fun collection of sunhats for boys and girls hat will keep the sun's rays of delicate heads, as well as keeping hair protected from any rogue drops of rain that might threaten your bank holiday fun. This one by Tatty Bumpkin is made from 100% organic, handwoven cotton, made under fairtrade conditions and has a fun, reversable design. £10 at Adili

Green with Whimsy offers snappily designed stuff 'for babies, former babies and the lovely walls of your home'.

This image is taken from the "can do" baby tee, which particularly caught my eye; it's 100% Organic Cotton, sweatshop-free and silk screened with low-impact inks. I'd totally wear it myself if I could squeeze into it...alternatively it's available as wall decor. The tee is $24 at the site.

If the idea of putting your bundle of joy in a cradle made out of cardboard fills you with horror, then you might want to skip this post. But for enlightened green parents who want to bring up baby to be earth-friendly as possible, the eco cradle makes a great first bed for newborns, that won't take up valuable space once the child has grown.

Made from recycled material and very easy to recycle, the eco cradle is as safe as a traditional crib, protected by non-toxic fire retardant. It's sturdy and strong, and has rockers to help soothe your baby to sleep. It also works well as a travel cot - great for visits to grandparents! Of course, you could always use the time-honoured method of putting baby in a blanket-filled draw, but maybe that's not acceptable anymore. £54.99 at Ecoutlet.