Going green--it really can be cool.

We freely admit to not buying into all of the Earth-is-doomed rhetoric that seems to be front-and-center everywhere these days. Still, we wish the environment no harm and certainly look to purchase--if possible--products that promote worthwhile ecological values. Our personal yardstick is: green values aside, would we have gotten this particular product because, well, we actually like the product itself? When it comes to our kids and the Green Toys line--made from 100% recycled plastic, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing that dreaded carbon footprint--the answer is a resounding yes! (The takeaway bonus being that all Green Toys meet international toy safety standards and contain no BPA, PVC, or phthalates. Moreover, on average, every pound of recycled plastic used to make Green Toys saves enough energy to run a laptop computer for a month or to power a TV for three weeks.)

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We started with the Mini Fastback Set because our little guy, like his dad, loves cars--and we don't mean hybrids. These slick autos--in blue, red, yellow, and, of course, green--really move without much of a push, plus they're quite durable because we not only like to race them, but hold demolition derbies.

Now, should any auto (or household) repairs be necessary from all of this action, not to worry since we also possess a Green Toys Tool Set, complete with a hammer, saw, pliers, wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdrivers, and a tool box to keep them all in.

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Not surprisingly, all of this racing around and repair work has caused us to build up quite an appetite. Remember, though, we are trying to eat healthy these days, so we opt to pull out our Salad Set, complete with plate, bowl, utensils, and "pretend" food (although real eats safely can be used, and it's all dishwasher safe).

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Now that we've eaten and digested, it's finally time to go outside to play. So, we head to the beach (or playground), but not before grabbing our Sand Castle Mold set, which includes the mold itself as well as a big pail, hoe, and shovel.

See, it turns out being good to Mother Nature isn't so hard after all. Now, if we could just figure out how to stop Father Time we'd be all set. To learn more about why--and how--safe kids are happy kids, go to www.greentoys.com.