Recent studies

FEWER TOYS Study – The influence of the number of toys in the environment on toddlers’ play – Fewer toys study – Dauch etal 2017

Eco Directories

Center for Health, Environment and Justice – United States site that provides help for you and your community if you are facing an environmental health risk        www.chej.org

Environmental Working Group – a nonprofit organization that provides information on toxic ingredients in consumer products (such as personal care products and food) and advocates for national policies that protect environmental health)   www.ewg.org

Weston Price Foundation – for information about wise traditions in food, farming and the healing arts    www.westonaprice.org

Grassroots Environmental Information – a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the links between common environmental toxins and human health www.grassrootsinfo.org

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics – a coalition effort launched in 2004 to protect the health of consumers and workers by securing the corporate, regulatory and legislative reforms necessary to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products  www.safecosmetics.org

Contaminated Without Consent – a 16-minute video available free to use to help inform communities about the hidden risks from chemical contaminants found in our homes, workplaces, the products we buy and in our bodies http:contaminatedwithoutconsent.org

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy – works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems   www.healthobservatory.org

Toxipedia – a free toxicology encyclopedia offering articles and resources about toxic chemicals (such as pesticides and endocrine disruptors), health conditions, ethical considerations, the hisotry of toxicology, laws and regulation and more.   Their goal is to provide scientific information in the context of history, society, and culture so that the public has the information needed to make sound choices that protect both human and environmental health. http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Toxipedia

Toxic Chemicals in Household Products – Guidelines for Choosing Safe Products http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Toxic+Chemicals+In+Household+Products

Green Guide – provides consumer resources on choosing everyday products made of environmentally preferable materials, including but not necessarily focusing on products containing less-toxic ingredients. (Formerly Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet, now part of National Geographic). www.thegreenguide.com

Healthy Stuff – tests consumer products for toxic ingredients and provides results in a searchable database, with a focus on children’s products. Currently contains testing results for over 5000 products. A project of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice and its partner organizations. www.healthystuff.org

Household Products Database – provides information on potential health effects (usually short-term) of a wide range of household products, with a focus on cleaners, hobby and home repair supplies, and auto products. Part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov

Pollution in People – provides tips on choosing less-toxic consumer products in nine categories. The tips accompany a study by the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition investigating toxic chemicals found in the bodies of ten residents of Washington State. http://pollutioninpeople.org/

Washington Toxics Coalition – nonprofit that provides information on safer to toxic chemicals in consumer products and advocates for state policies that protect environmental health as part of the national Safer States network. Fact sheets, FAQs, and shopping guides offer general information as well as information specifically on children’s products.  http://watoxics.org/

National Institute of Building Sciences – http://www.rampasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Green-Cleaning-In-Schools-A-Guide-for-Advocates1.pdf  plus ABC’s of Healthy Schoolhouses: Asthma, Bugs, and Chemicals. http://www.osdfsnationalconference.com/Presentations

Environmental Science and Technology – Toxic Chemicals in Toys and Children’s Products – Limitations of Current Responses and Recommendations for Government and Industry   http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es1009407

Environmental Health News – Chemicals in cosmetics, moisturizers linked to DNA damage in human sperm – http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/parabens-in-products-linked-to-dna-damage-in-mens-sperm/
Is It In Us : chemical contamination and our bodies.  www.isitinus.org

Pesticide Information – The Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Pesticide Database –  a one-stop location for toxicity and regulatory information for pesticides. To find out more about insecticides, herbicides and other pesticides. www.pesticideinfo.org

Healthy Toys – part of Healthy Stuff.org providing information on toys.  www.healthytoys.org

Foodnews : Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides – a key resource for consumers aiming for healthier diets. Since many shoppers can’t find or afford organic produce, they can use the Shopper’s Guide to avoid those conventional fruits and vegetables found to be highest in pesticides   www.foodnews.org

Environment California – a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization.  www.environmentcalifornia.org

Environmental Health Perspectives – a peer reviewed open access journal published by the National Insitute of Environmental Health Sciences  http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/home.action

Eco Directory – an Australian guide to sustainable living.  www.ecodirectory.com.au

Eco Tourism  – ecologically sustainable tourism.  www.ecotourism.org.au

Eco Buy – not for profit organisation established to encourage the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services.  www.ecobuy.org.au

Sustainable Living Directory – a community based not-for-profit organisation committed to creating major platforms to help accelerate the uptake of sustainable living      www.slf.org.au

Slow Food Australia – helping to build community awareness of the importance of farming and good, clean, fair and local food http://slowfoodaustralia.com.au
Parents Web Resources

Natural Parenting – information and support for parents and parents-to-be covering the period from preconception to adolescence and includes topics such as pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, sleep, discipline, health, nutrition, education and family life     www.naturalparenting.com.au

World Watch Institute – a global environmental organization, share ideas on how to GO GREEN and SAVE GREEN at home and at work  www.worldwatch.org/resources/go_green_save_green

Safe Sunscreens: Friends of the Earth – http://nano.foe.org.au/sites/default/files/FOEA Safe Sunscreen Guide Autumn 2010 version.pdf

About BPA free bottles and trainer cups 
http://amomsblog.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/bpa-free-bottles-and-sippy-cups/

Health, well being and non-toxic resources & information for parents – www.safemoma.com

Product Safety Recalls – www.recalls.gov.au

Toy Safety – the toy safety resource guide for parents and grandparents provided by the Australian Toy Association (ATA) –  written specifically for parents
Toy Safety – Australian Toy Association, www.austoy.com.au/toy-safety

Alliance for Childhood – promotes policies and practices that support children’s healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living.   Helping create a more just, democratic, and ecologically responsible future for our children     www.allianceforchildhood.org

National Institute of Play – National Institute of Play believes that as play is woven into the fabric of social practices, we will dramatically transform our personal health, our relationships, the education we provide our children and the capacity of our corporations to innovate.    www.nifplay.org

Government and Food Standards in Australia – Consumer Information http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation

Community Gardens – Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network.  www.communitygarden.org.au

Eco Voice – information on the environment and sustainable development.   www.ecovoice.com.au

Eco News – an independent community forum; a newspaper that intends to report on the major issues affecting our current and future lives     www.econews.org.au

Eco Media – a collaborative independent media project covering environmental issues facing Australia and the world.  http://ecomedia.org.au/press

Green Magazine –  an on-line magazine focusing on sustainable living.  www.greenmagazine.com.au

G Magazine – an on-line ‘green’ magazine.  www.gmagazine.com.au

Green media and ethics –  Helps consumers become more savvy about evaluating environmental marketing claims of advertisers.    www.greenwashingindex.com

Ethical Supermarket Shopping – a community based, not-for-profit network set up to help facilitate more sustainable purchasing practices for the everyday consumer.  www.ethical.org.au

Australian Recycling Program – a mobile phone recycling program that provides a solution to help clean up the environment while at the same time helping raise much needed funds for charities. www.arp.net.au

Recycling Cartridges –  recycling ink cartridges scheme. http://cartridges.planetark.org

Mobile Recycling – official recycling program of the mobile phone industry www.mobilemuster.com.au

Recycling Near You – information on finding your local recycling centres  wwwrecyclingnearyou.com.au

Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH) –  in partnership with the Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF), has created this website to increase awareness of children’s exposure to potential contaminants in the areas where children grow, learn and play. The site has various links and resources to facilitate informed decision making about creating safe and healthy spaces for young children.  www.cfc-efc.ca/healthy-spaces/

NSW Total Environment Centre (TEC) – has a growing web site of excellent information about protecting the environment and our health. They have developed the TCYE project, with a comprehensive database of toxic chemical profiles for commonly used chemicals    www.tec.org.au/member/tec/projects/tcye/
TEC also have three invaluable resource books relevant to early childhood Safer Solutions: Integrated Pest Management for Schools and Childcare Centres, The Toxic Playground: a guide to reducing the chemical load in schools and childcare centres and How the Chemical Cocktail inside our home is poisoning our children: Working Together to Clear the Air.  www.tec.org.au

Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (Checnet) – has an extensive website, www.checnet.org/healthyhouse/education/index.asp

Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) – provides information on the issue of children’s environmental health and links to sources of information and resources in the field. www.cehn.org

Washington Toxics Network, (USA)  – active advocates for children’s environmental health, a very comprehensive and thoroughly researched website.  www.watoxics.org

Summaries of the most hazardous and toxic chemicals –  available on the TEACH web site – Toxicity Exposure Assessment for Children’s Health by the United States Environment Protection Authority. www.epa.gov/teach/chem_summ/ <http://www.epa.gov/teach/chem_summ/>

Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) –
an affiliation of organisations working together to protect children’s health from environmental contaminants. www.healthyenvironmentsforkids.ca/english/

Bioproducts –  produces a range of natural and non-toxic paints, vanishes and oils.            www.bioproducts.com.au

Outdoor Play Spaces

Rethinking Childhood – The personal website of Tim Gill a British advocate for children’s outdoor play with links to published articles and sites relevant to outdoor play and nature connections. www.rethinkingchildhood.com

Playground and Recreation Association Victoria (PRAV)  –   a range of useful information about developing play spaces for children. www.prav.asn.au

Kidsafe Playground Advisory Unit – provides safety information for children’s play spaces. www.kidsafensw.org

World Forum on Early Childhood Care and Education – a forum held in May 2005. Access the following papers –
‘Outdoors It’s a whole new world: Utilizing the outdoor classroom to transform early childhood education’ Nelson and Nelson
‘Designing Environments that connect with nature’ Stoecklin’ , ‘Creating a framework in Scotland’ Warden
www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/sessions/index.php?session=37.

International Play Association (IPA) – provides links to international information about play policy and play spaces. www.ipaworld.org

Evergreen – a Canadian, not-for-profit,  Evergreen organization promotes natural playspaces for children and has an excellent article on their website entitled ‘Small Wonders- Designing Vibrant Natural Landscapes for Early Childhood’.  www.evergreen.ca

Nature Connections

Nature Play, Qld – Nature Play QLD’s mission is to increase the time Queensland kids spend in unstructured play outdoors and in nature. www.natureplayqld.org.au

The World Forum website – developed following the Nature Education Working Forum held in late 2006 in USA. Papers are being compiled on this website.
http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wf2006_nature/presentations.php

The Early Childhood Outdoors Institute – (ECO Institute) provides a national model (USA) of environmental education for children ages 2-6 years with a focus on nature based preschools. www.ecoinstitute.org/whtiseco.htm

The Children and Nature Network, USA – established to champion the causes of Louv’s (2005) publication The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.  This network has launched an international movement with this website under the banner ‘No Child Left Inside’.  www.cnaturenet.org

Environmental Education Ohio, USA –  a centre providing leadership and resources for environmental education inclusive of early childhood and the work of Ruth Wilson. www.environmentaleducationohio.org/ eeohio/education/early.html

Natural Learning Initiative –  directed by Robin C. Moore, USA, includes articles and case studies about play and connecting with nature outdoors.  www.naturalearning.org

Sustainability Organisations and Products

Australian Association for Environmental Education – includes a national Early Childhood Special Interest Group (AAEE EC SIG) that promotes early childhood and has regular newsletters and networking opportunities across Australia and New Zealand. www.aaee.org.au

Australian Conservation Foundation – offers a useful range of information including an Earthkids section that is a club for Primary aged children, Green home project and Climate change free kit.                                                                      www.acfonline.org.au

An Inconvenient Truth – highlights many of the global concerns about global warming and climate change. This site provides information about Al Gore’s presentations, workshops and up to date evidence from around the globe.                                                                             www.climatecrisis.net

NSW Early Childhood Environmental Education Network – Regular meetings and newsletters provided for membership. www.earlychildhoodauatralia.org.au/nsw_branch/eceen.html

What is your ecological footprint?  – Follow the link; complete the short quiz to discover how much of the earth’s resources you use. Great information for highlighting sustainable relevance to families.                                  http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/Eco-footprint/default.asp

The Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability NSW – has an extensive website with links to reports, legislation and information about sustainable practices.
http://www.deus.nsw.gov.au/index.asp

Centre for Education and Research into Environmental Strategies (CERES) – has services and training relevant to sustainable living and design.
www.ceres.org.au

Alternative Technology Association – provides information about a range sustainable practices, many useful links and relevant publications for purchase.
www.ata.org.au

Green Pages – is a comprehensive national directory of environmentally sustainable products and services. www.greenpagesaustralia.com.au

Green Directory – is a web based directory of sustainable practices, services and products. www.greendirectory.com.au

Green Canary – an organisation that promotes eco-logical fundraising. What a refreshing change from chocolate drives and rampant consumerism of often meaningless products. Fair-trade coffee, plant based cleaners, compact fluorescent light bulbs and organic soaps are examples of products on offer.     www.greencanary.com

The Environment Shop – retails a range of products and advises on sustainable practices.    www.environmentshop.com.au

Todae – promotes a range of products for sustainable living throughout Australia www.todae.com.au