Part two of five in our holiday gift guide

Today, in part two of our five part holiday gift guide, we are looking at ideas for kids of all ages. With all the great kids on my list, I know how hard it is to find gifts kids will love that also are planet-friendly. Below are a few ideas that would appeal both to kids or the kid-at-heart.

With an upcoming trip to Hawaii in our future, the Adopt-a-Shark gift pack really caught my eye. Besides, my five year old loves those interesting and mysterious creatures. AdoptAshark, a program the nonprofit group, Iemanya Oceanica, is dedicated to groundbreaking research and education efforts to save sharks.  There researchers place tracking tags on large sharks to help determine how to best protect them. Tagging sharks and rays is one of the most important steps in conservation, helping conservationists understand sharks’ movements and allowing them to protect sharks more effectively. We received a sample of the AdoptAShark Classic Pack (see picture) that includes a t-shirt, stickers, temporary tattoos, a certificate with my shark’s name as well as a number of other items. This retails for $49.99. The one I really like for kids is the Children’s Adoption Pack, for $75.99 because that includes three plush sharks. If you’re on a budget, they also has great stuff sharks for $17.99 that support the research as well. See more information at AdoptAShark

On a quirky side, is The Worm Factory® 360 a home worm composting bin. Although at first it seems an odd item,  have you ever met a little kid that didn’t like worms? This system can be used indoors and outdoors and takes up a little more than a square foot of space. Everything you need to get started (except the worms) is included in the set. For those who live in the Frozen North, like me, you can buy worms on the internet for about $20 plus shipping. All you do is set it up and create a ‘home’ for your worms using the included bedding material. Simply add a handful of worms and vegetable scraps to the bottom tray. The worms will start processing the food immediately. Once the bottom tray is filled with compost, add another tray. The worms migrate upward to the newest food source leaving the bottom tray full of nutrient rich compost.  Retail price is $109.95 and you can find more information at The Worm Factory.

If you’re looking for the babies and toddlers on a holiday list, what about cute clothing made from 100% organic cotton from SwellFoop. Each t-shirt is made and printed in the USA and promotes a positive, earth-friendly message. The shirt designs feature endangered animals including the African bush elephant, Sumatran orangutan, and Grizzly bear above positive taglines such as “play well” and “evolve.” They even offer sizes for adults and I’m thinking about someone on my list that could use the Evolve shirt. Retail price ranges from $22 to $35 for t-shirts. For more visit SwellFoop.

So I know not every kid on my list would be excited about getting a lunch kit for Christmas but with the designs available there are some that would love the Kids Konserve No Waste Lunch Kits. The products are Non-Toxic, Non-Leaching, BPA,PVC, Phthalate, and Lead-free. Just as important, they feature great graphics that I think would appeal to a number of my young and adult friends. The reusable product line gives you convenience of coordinated lunch kit components that may be used together  with the underlying aim of creating a Zero Waste Lunch. The waste-free lunch kit includes recycled cotton sack, cloth napkin, 304 food-grade stainless steel beverage bottle, food kozy and two 304 food-grade stainless steel food containers. It retails for $42.00 and right now they are offering a 15% coupon code valid until 12/31/09, just enter “holidays” at check out. For more information visit Kids Konserve.

A number of great, earth-friendly products are available from the The Field Museums stores. One that caught our eye is their Indian doll. These hand-made dolls are created by a collective of rural women living on the edge of the great salt desert, the Rann, in Gujarat, India. This region has been devastated by massive earthquake destruction, and the collective aims to keep the art of handwork alive while keeping its artisans together. Each doll is one-of-a-kind and retails for $25. Find more information at The Field Museum Store.

For the budding scientist on your list, mix elements of chemistry with world culture and history with the Make Your Own Candy Kits from Glee Gum. These activity kits are all-natural, educational, and contain a number of natural and/or organic ingredients. For example, ingredients in Make You Own Chocolate Kit include organic cocoa butter, cocoa powder, confectioner’s sugar. With pre-packaged ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, kids aged 8 and up get a real kick out of making candy from scratch.  Focusing on the history behind and the origin of these candies, each kit tries to connect a kids to the global community while create something yummy to eat. Retail price is SP $12.99 per kit. See Glee Gum for

more information.

I don’t know about you, but we are constantly having to recharge the Wii® remotes in our houses. It’s great that we are doing actives that are so active, such as Wii Fit and Boxing, but it’s gets annoying to take the covers off those remotes to charge them up all the time. And if you haven’t already switched to rechargeable batteries, the new Energizer® Flat Panel Induction Charge System For Wii®  is the perfect reason.  Useing contactless charging, the system allows remotes to  recharge without removing the sleeves or lanyards. There are two options, a 2 remotes or 4 remotes size. The retail price on the two-remote system is $29.99.

For anyone taking a kid on a tropical vacation this winter, The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book would be a great gift. The coloring book includes over 200 colorable illustrations that identify each fish and explain their anatomical features, coloration, body designs, feeding habits and reproductive strategies. In addition, an overview of coral reef ecology has been provided to help the reader understand the relationship between the fishes and the coral reef and the importance of conservation. Although the information contained in the coloring book highlights Hawaii’s reef fishes, the facts about the coral reef is appropriate for any island location. The coloring book retails for $16.95. Find the Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book at Lucid Hawaii.

Finally, for any active kid, the Kidzsack backsack is a great idea. The fabric is made from 100% recycled cotton and plastic bottles. The front is printed with artwork that can be colored and re-colors. There are 8 washable markers included in the packaging, and the color will stay on the backsack until it is washed. There are numerous different designs to choose from, to customize it to the interests of the kid on your list. It has received the 2009 DR. TOY BEST VACATION PRODUCT AWARD and 2009 CREATIVE CHILD MAGAZINE BEST PRODUCT AWARD. It retails for $19.95. Find more information on the Kidzsack.