How many times have you been at a museum or gallery and wished you could interact or play with the art? Personally I’ve had to restrain myself more than a few times. In one instance, in a gallery in Japan, kids were unable to stop themselves from playing with a large crocheted installation by artist  Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam. As a result, MacAdam listened to her audience and built her first large-scale crocheted playground just for kids in Tokyo. The result was something straight out of a fairy tale.

Over twenty years later, MacAdam is still designing gorgeous crocheted landscapes. She works with her husband in Nova Scotia, Canada to build the playgrounds on a wider scale through their company Interplay Design and Manufacturing. The playgrounds are all natural, free from sharp metals and plastic, and thus provide a safe and creative environment for kids to explore. The nets adapt and take shape with the children’s movements. Lucky kids get to crawl, jump, burrow and hop through the sculptures. We hope to see more of these popping up in cities around the world.

We’ve made no secret of our love of eco-friendly subscription services. Nothing like receiving a surprise in the mail every month, and even better if that surprise can help swap out some of our less-green products. We’ve highlighted Jessica Alba’s eco-friendly baby goods delivery service, and Eco-Emi’s, an eco-beauty subscription service. And now eco-craft kids are joining in on the trend. Welcome to Green Kid Crafts, a delivery service that sends your kid three new projects a month that are not only earth-friendly but also inspire kids with nature.

Past projects have included a train, a Japanese windsock, a train whistle, and a tambourine. All materials are included except for scissors and glue. Supplies are made from recycled materials whenever possible, and most projects are fully recyclable. Things like plastics and foams are avoided, meaning playtime is sure to be completely nontoxic. While most of these projects any creative parent could conjure up with materials around the house, it’s nice to have a monthly influx of inspiration when you’re short on time. Mostly, we just love something that keeps our kids engaged every month. Nothing beats getting a special present in the mail to raise awareness about protecting the planet.

Of course, you can incorporate earth-friendly ideas into craft time every day. Give your kids scrap paper to draw on  or old magazines to make collages. What earth-friendly ideas do you incorporate into playtime?