I’m spending this month writing about back-to-school products that are healthy for your child and healthy for the planet and oh, yes, aren’t ridiculously hard to find or completely unacceptable to fashion conscious little ones.

So, here’s another option for a phthalate-free, lead-free lunch bag. (I KNOW you’ve been reading about these scary chemical additives!) This one by Crocodile Creek is great for your globally aware daughter…O.K…maybe she’s not so aware but thinks this type of design is really cute. I know I do.

This bright and colorful bag meets both the US Toy Safety guidelines and the European ones. (I think that’s pretty important since European standards are much higher than ours here in the U.S.) BTW -Crocodile Creek is known for it’s commitment to child safety.

Features include a lead free lining and construction from phthalate free plastic, i.e. it’s not made from PVC (Polyvinylchloride). It’s roomy too with an outside pocket on each side, one with a zipper for dropping in an ice pack.

I really like the design on this one. The multi-cultural images work for both younger and older girls and the cute greetings in a variety of different languages are a conversation starter.

These Sigg Kid’s Water Bottle are all the rage with what has become known as “Whole Food’s Moms”. I recently bought one for my son and I have to say they’re great.

For one, I don’t have to worry about nasty chemicals getting into his water. The epoxy based inner lining is resistant to leaching. (Since these are made in Switzerland, they exceed the FDA standards. European standards are higher than ours.) This has recently become a concern of mine and I find myself frantically checking every water bottle I consider buying for the safety rating.

They are also virtually unbreakable and incredibly light. Since I worry about over burdening my child as I send him off to school, this is yet another concern of mine! (Not to be overly dramatic, but my list of worries seems to keep growing aided by scary news reports!)

And…they don’t leak! Has this been a problem for you? I find my lovely child tends to bite on the spout and he has caused several fairly expensive water bottles to start leaking due to that unfortunate habit. The twist open and closed design of the Sigg Kid’s Water Bottle happily prevents this problem and he can bite away in peace.

Available in a number of stylish designs…a big number it seems, there’s one that’s sure to be perfect for even the most fashion conscious child.

Why does it seem to take the entire month of August to prepare for September? Each year we replace flip flops and bathing suits with uniforms or school clothes. Water toys and wagons give way to pencils and pads. Moms hit the malls and tap the keyboard to find the best back-to-school gear.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to be covering some back-to-school gear I like - mostly healthy for your child and the planet, fashionable if at all possible and kid friendly certainly. Let’s start by doing lunch!

I shudder to think about the hard metal lunch box I carried throughout elementary school. It was most certainly laced with lead and other harsh chemicals. Fortunately, that’s no longer an issue since lead free lunch boxes are now available.

This one, the BuiltNY Munchler Lunch Bag is both lead free and PVC free! Though there is a often a barrier between the lunch bag and the food, an apple or other unpackaged food could get contaminated by lead or phthalates in PVC (vinyl) lunch bags.

BuiltNY offers these cute lunch bags in several different designs…very cute for the younger set. They are on the small side so are probably best if your child also purchases part of his or her lunch at school (such as a drink) or is a light eater.

Sometimes I think I’m the only one in the world who thinks a baby wipe warmer is a wonderful idea. Though this item seems to appear far too frequently on the “baby products you can do without” lists, I love mine!

I often give a wipe warmer as a shower present because I found mine to be indispensable. True, you can do without it. True I am one of those people who will change a child at the drop of a hat…anytime anyplace. But I found, since my son, indeed my whole family suffers from sensitive skin, a wipe warmer comes in handy.

Struggling through the first year of diaper changes can be horrifying if your child has sensitive skin. Diaper changes become more and more frequent as you struggle to eradicate the troublesome rashes that mar his or her tiny bottom. The last thing you want to do on the 10^th diaper change at only 10:00AM, is to subject the poor sufferer to the shock of a cold wipe too! (Yes, cold does feel good on a rash but try telling that to a shocked and screaming baby – save the cold for after the initial scrub.) So, I heartily recommend adding an inexpensive wipe warmer to your changing table. Later you can use it to store that cold, cold sunscreen that kids complain about.

Summer is half over and the stores are beginning to fill with Back-To-School supplies. Besides the pencils, paper and glue listed on your list, you most likely will be looking for something in which your little one can carry all of those things.

Most children these days carry a backpack to school. Most kindergartners and young elementary ones carry one too big for their tiny frames. This causes strain on growing bodies and medical professionals are starting to raise the alarm about how ergonomically incorrect this is.

Rather than buy your young child a regular-sized school backpack, consider buying a mini backpack like this one from Jansport. The smaller size causes less back and muscle strain and keeps kids from stuffing too many things in them, creating an even worse problem.

Children in kindergarten and 1^st grade rarely have books to carry anyway and this, 11.5 x 10.5 x 6.5 backpack is plenty big for worksheets and folders, as well as the smaller books read by this age group.

Do your child a favor this year and buy a sturdy backpack in just the right size. You’ll prevent injuries that may include headaches, muscle pain and skeletal problems. Since your child may be carrying a backpack most every day, this may be on of the best things you can do to ensure he or she grows up, “big and strong”.

There’s no better doll for a toddler or preschooler than a Kathe Kruse Doll. These great dolls have gained a new popularity in recent years as many of us yearn for a simpler life.

I’m a big fan of the Waldorf philosophy, as it applies to younger children - the part that eschews pushing children ever faster toward adult hood and encourages developing their imagination. So these mermaid dolls, handmade in Germany, with their cuddly, natural materials are high on my list.

Many child development experts bemoan the loss of childhood – where baby dolls are rapidly tossed away in favor of fashion dolls at an early age; where by age 13 children seem to be completely beyond old fashioned toys. In fact, even toy manufacturers, especially toy manufacturers, are troubled by this trend. We’re inadvertently pushing our kids too rapidly to play with toys we enjoyed at a later age

So, why not take a step back and buy a soft and simple doll for the little girl in your life? I’ve purchased a number of Kathe Kruse dolls and this mermaid one is just perfect for summer.

Don’t take her out to the pool though – she actually can’t swim!

When we moved into our new house a few years ago, I had every intention of buying my preschooler a playhouse. We had been living in a condo where the mere idea of finding a place to put a playhouse was somewhat ridiculous.

But, on the day we moved into our new house, family friends brought over a children’s camping set – a tent, sleeping bag and camp chair, for my son. We immediately set it up on the patio, the intended spot for the playhouse and there it remained. All thoughts of a playhouse eventually faded from my mind as my son tumbled in an out of the tent, zipping himself and a variety of toys, stuffed animals, friends, cars and plastic food in and playing for what seems like hours.

Playmates have playhouses at their homes, but no one else has a tent sent up on their back patio! We’re cool!

Now almost 3 years later, the tent is somewhat the worse for wear and I’m hunting for a new one. Since we live in a warm climate, the tent stays up all year, somewhat protected from the elements by an overhang, but still…outdoors. So, I wanted something sturdy – no “play tents” made of fabric; no flimsy poly material meant for the occasional backyard camping experience. I wanted the real thing.

So, I went for a model from a well known camping products manufacturer, Coleman. I can’t wait to get my Coleman Kids Tent! We’ll be the hit of the neighborhood once again!

Our house is filled with books; children’s books, adult books, reference books. Much of our fact checking has now been relegated to the computer – often the quickest way to answer those inevitable questions that pop up: Do birds have teeth? How do fish breathe through their gills? Why is the sky blue?

Still, I think there is something to be said for having reference books lying around the house. I remember as a child leafing through The Time-Life Series of books and volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, looking at the pictures and reading any entry that caught my eye. So, we have lots of children’s reference books lying around.

One of the most important to have in our rapidly globalizing world is, I think, an atlas. I like this one from Dorling Kindersley, the well respected publisher of children’s books. This atlas features over 1000 photographs and child friendly text. Each continent is featured in a two page spread and divided by country making the organization of the world a bit easier to understand.

Updated for the new millennium, this atlas is colorful enough to interest the youngest child and packed with enough facts to make it a worthy addition to a school-age child’s library.

Being vertically challenged myself, I’ve always been a fan of step stools and have them scattered around my house for reaching cabinets, obviously designed for giants. Once I had a child walking (and bumping into things) the need became urgent to expand my selection.

Key places for a step stool are in each bathroom in the house and in the kitchen. Getting into the habit of hand washing is much easier, especially as the child becomes less dependent if he or she can actually reach the sink! Good dental hygiene habits also get much easier to enforce if both the toothbrush/toothpaste and the water supply are within reach.

My first consideration is safety. Is the stool solid? Can it tip over…intentionally or not? And second, do I mind having it in my powder room/kitchen where adult guests are sure to venture?

This sturdy step stool in a natural pine color fits the bill for me. I like the two step model as it works for little and littler kids and provides a way for even the tiniest toddler to reach the sink, without standing on tippy toe. The storage compartment is great for extra diapers and wipes in a downstairs bathroom or for tooth brushing supplies.

Though some parents scoff at the notion of having a baby monitor, I have and still do consider it a necessity. Not only is it great to have for times when baby is in another room, it’s great for when kids are in another room. It’s easier to sort out the “he did it firsts” if you’ve listened to the entire conversation.

But there’s another reason to want to have a baby monitor – to keep track of an infant with special needs. Preemies, and infants with medical issues most certainly need closer monitoring and that’s where the AngelCare Movement Sensor comes in.

This well designed system comes with a crib mattress sized sensor pad that sounds an alarm if there is no movement for 20 seconds. This can be particularly helpful if you have concerns about SIDS or a premature infant. But all first time mothers most likely will want to invest in one of these units since we tend to worry a lot!

One of the monitors rated highest by Consumer Reports, parents rave about this product. There are also two regular sound sensitive monitors included which can be used in the nursery or later on in a play room or bedroom.