The Biz

Earth Day isn’t all about singing and turning off lights; it’s also about buying earth-friendly products all year long. Help the world and clean your shelves with these natural items. Want to offer diaper bags as hot as handbags? Evie Bett bags are cool in croc while being vegan-friendly. With the green start^® line by innovativeKids, parents can make good decisions without sacrificing fun. Say an earthy “heyyy” to Hello Kitty muslin swaddles, towels, blankets and bibs through a joint effort of aden + anais and Sanrio. Never has “batteries not included” been as welcome as it is with Pure Play toys. Kids can make their own fun while parents can bask in noise-free sun.

Causes that help needy children are always close to people’s hearts and your customers are no exception. Make yours the go-to shop by stocking well-made items that look amazing and do great things for the earth and its people. You can be a retail superhero by carrying soaps and socks that save the world. SoapBox Soaps donates one bar of soap to a needy child for every bar purchased. PACT picks a different cause each season and for this spring/summer, it has teamed up with Whole Kids Foundation to develop sustainable gardens.

When you walk into a classroom, you’re likely to notice many things: the way the children and teacher interact, class artwork on the walls, the books and materials available to the kids. In most cases, the classroom furniture and equipment tend to blend into the background, but they play an important role in the education process, particularly in the early school years. ECR4Kids produces high-quality classroom furniture and school supplies geared to children in preschool and elementary school. They offer a wide variety of products to choose from, most of which come in bright, kid-friendly, primary colors.

Experts agree that reading is one of the best pastimes for children. It stimulates the brain and helps children create important developmental skills. But what they read is just as important as picking up the book in the first place. Books that grab a child’s attention, like the Harry Potter series, help motivate children to to read more. Attention grabbers with positive messages are even better, which is the clear selling point of Brooks Olbrys’s children’s tale, The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob – A Journey Begins (ages 6 to 10). Lushly illustrated by Disney Interactive veteran Kevin Keele, the book lays out positive messages for finding a goal.