We’re big fans of CLIF Kids here at Growing a Green Family. Not only does this company promote healthy snacking and organic food, but each year they encourage outdoor play and activity with many outdoor initiatives, including their amazing Backyard Games Contest.

Backyard Games is entering its 3rd year and there’s some new cool stuff to love about the contest, including a brand new group category. This contest has an excellent goal – encourage kids to get active and outside where they belong.

Kids today are stuck inside more than ever before. Not only is this a recipe for a pretty lame childhood, but there are some serious health consequences involved, such as…

• Weight issues due to poor diet and lack of activity have skyrocketed in the USA. A full 15% of children in America are overweight and another 16% of kids are considered obese.

• The use of  ADHD prescription drugs have grown to new highs, which in my opinion is directly linked to a lack of activity and outdoor time.

• Kids today spend 72% of their time watching television or playing on the computer. In fact, here’s a scary statistic - National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There program notes that by the time most U.S. children enter kindergarten, they’ve spent more than 5,000 hours in front of a television. Did you know that’s more than enough time to earn a college degree?!

• The American Academy of Pediatrics, among MANY other child health organizations, says that 60 minutes of daily unstructured, preferably outside free play is essential to children’s physical and mental health. You should note that a lot of organizations feel that 60 minutes a day is an under-estimate.

Luckily, CLIF Kids’ Backyard Game of the Year Contest is here to help. This awesome contest encourages kids ages 6-12 to invent their own outdoor, active games for a chance to win some amazing prizes.

2012 finalists celebrating the start of the Playoffs

Contest Basics

CLIF Kids’ 3rd Annual Backyard Game of the Year is a nationwide contest. Individual kids between the ages of 6-12 may enter on their own and this year there’s a brand new group category too. The group category encourages U.S.-based group that works with kids to submit a backyard game idea. Groups eligible to enter include entire school classrooms, sports teams, clubs, organizations, non-profits and others, but at least 2 kids between the ages of 6 and 12 years must be involved with designing the game idea to qualify. This new group category is meant to help promote teamwork and a sense of community.

Last year’s grand prize winner Abigail jumps for joy

Win Awesome Prizes!

Five individual kids will be chosen to present their games in July in lovely San Diego at the 2013 CLIF Kid Backyard Game of the Year Playoffs. The individual finalists will present their games to the public and this year’s special judges Stacy Tornio and Ken Keffer, co-authors of The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things to Do in Nature Before You Grow Up, a book that looks amazing by the way. There will also be a special celebrity judge (to be announced soon).

The individual grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship and the four runners-up will each win a $1,000 scholarship. All five kids will also receive a bike from Specialized Bicycles and a Bell helmet. Select group category finalists will win a trip to San Diego to showcase their games at the 2013 CLIF Kid Backyard Game of the Year Playoffs and get the chance to win a $15,000 donation to the non-profit of their choice. Additionally, CLIF Kid will donate $2,000 to a non-profit chosen by each of the two runners-up.

Finalist Abigail teaching kids how to play her winning game

Get Some Game Ideas…

Your child can get help thinking up game ideas by checking out last year’s winning game: North Pole South Pole (shown below) or by taking a look at previous year’s winners at the contest website.

The 2012 grand prize winner was 7-year-old Abigail from Albany, Oregon (go Oregon kids!). Abigail invented a fun game called North Pole South Pole in which all the players get to pretend to be racing penguins.

Gather: 4 Hula hoops, 2 potato sacks or pillowcases, 50 to 100 water balloons (depending on how many kids are playing). Each team should have at least two kids, but as many more kids as you like can be on each team.

How to play: Place two hula hoops at one end of the yard, about five feet apart to act as home bases for the North Pole and South Pole teams. On the other side of the yard, place the other two hula hoops to act as the “fishing holes” for each team. Place 25 to 50 water balloons in each fishing hole. Give each team a pillowcase and start the game. The object, as soon as someone shouts, “Go!” is that one team member from each team steps into his or her pillowcase and hops as fast as possible to the team fishing hole. Once there, the team member should gather up as many fish as she can, without letting the pillowcase fall to the ground. Then the team member needs to hop quickly back to her home base without letting her fish, or the pillowcase, fall. Once home, the team member places all their fish in the home base circle. Then the first Penguin team member gives the pillowcase to the second Penguin, who sets off for the fishing hole. The game ends when one team empties their fishing hole and all their team members are at home base. The team that wins is the one with the most fish in their home base at the end of the game. Download full game instructions (pdf).

Finalist Dhani challenges Jonny Moseley to a push-up contest

Enter Today!

Backyard game ideas can be submitted today through June 17, 2013 at CLIF Kid Backyard Game’s website.

Three group finalists will be announced on the CLIF Kid Facebook page in late June, where the public will have a chance to vote with “Likes” for their favorite game idea. CLIF Kid will send group grand prize winner representatives to San Diego in July to present their game at the Playoffs. Following the Playoffs, CLIF Kid will post the rules from all finalist games online. And in recognition of their efforts to reconnect kids with nature, Children & Nature Network will receive a donation for the third year in a row, to support their continued work with a national network of educators, researchers and community leaders. See all the official entry rules here.

All images courtsey of CLIF Kids

Note from Jennifer: Today is national Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day. So, Cedar is home with me, working on his writing. Earlier he posted about soda and below he’s posting an organic ice pop recipe he made today.

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You should make these awesome cookie dough pops because they taste like awesomeness.

Get:

• 1 and 1/2 cups organic soy milk – or other organic milk.
• 1/3 cup organic brown sugar.
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon Fair Trade vanilla extract.
• 4 tablespoons mini chocolate chips or chopped organic chocolate bar pieces.

Make:

• Heat up your milk in a saucepan.
• Mix in the sugar until dissolved.
• Once sugar is dissolved, whisk in  vanilla.
• Pour your mixture into a bowl and place it in the freezer for one hour.
• Once your mixture starts to thicken, take it out of the freezer and carefully mix in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
• Scoop ice pop mixture into ice pop molds.
• Freeze until solid.

Pictures by Cedar Blue

Note from Jennifer: Today is national Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day. Thus, Cedar is home with me, writing and doing some social media. When I asked what he wanted to write about, he said soda. The post below is all Cedar, including the soda shopping choices. Stay tuned, because he’ll also be posting a new organic ice pop recipe.

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Soda is not eco-friendly or healthy.

• Those sugary fizzy drinks we all know and love, called soda, are unhealthy to our bodies. The average amount of calories per soda is 207 so a few cans a day is about half of your average diet.
• And if that’s not bad enough, soda is bad for your teeth and can make you spend a lot of quality time with your dentist.
• Some states have banned schools from having soda machines, which I think is okay.
• Soda is not eco-friendly because a lot of people do not recycle their cans.
• Plus most sodas are not organic.

So a soda is okay every once and a while. If you do want a soda, pick an organic brand or natural brand like:

• Hansen Beverage Cola Soda
• Santa Cruz Organic Sparkling Beverage, Orange Mango
• Blue Sky Root Beer

It’s my opinion that kids should be engaged in fun outdoor, active, eco-minded activities all summer long. Summer camp is a great way to make sure this happens. Luckily, if you live in PDX, I just found out that you can enter to win a week’s worth of camp for your favorite kiddo.

All you have to do to enter is vote for your favorite local summer camps in various categories. This enters you into a drawing where you can win a FREE week of Zenger Farms Cooking Camp, from the 61 Organic Valley farmer-owners in the Pacific Northwest.

This is an awesome contest. Zenger Farms is actually right down the road from me, so I’ll be entering for sure. This farm is a working urban farm that “Models, promotes and educates about sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship, community development and access to good food for all.”

They have many summer camp opportunities for kids of all ages, though they have more camps for kids under 6th grade. They also offer financial aid scholarships.

Enter the contest here.

Learn more about eco-minded summer camps below:

• Find an eco-friendly summer camp
• You Can Afford Summer Camp

With summer on the way, I’ve been working on fine-tuning some oatmeal ice pops that your kids can eat for breakfast when it’s too hot to eat warm breakfast foods, like oatmeal. I figured I’d come up with oatmeal alternative that’s not only icy, but easy on busy mornings when you’re trying to get everyone off to camp or work.

• Need ice pop mold? Check out my 2013 picks for BPA-free ice pop molds.

So far my favorite oatmeal pop has been apple, but apparently, I’m the only one at my house who likes apple oatmeal pops. Everyone else thought they were too boring.

On the flip-side, the blueberry oatmeal pops were a big hit. That said, I’ll refine the apple ice pops, hopefully to make them less “Boring” and in the meantime, here’s the recipe for the blueberry oatmeal pops.

Gather up…

• 1/2 plus 1/2 cups of organic milk. Any milk you like will work – I used vanilla soy.
• 1/4 cup quick cook organic oats.
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
• 1/4 tablespoon ground flax seed.
• 1 cup fresh organic blueberries. Set 1/4 cup aside, you’ll only add 3/4 cup to the blender.
• 2 tablespoons organic agave or honey.

*NOTE: you can use steel cut oats, if you like, but you’ll need to cook them about 20 minutes longer. Cook according to the directions on your oatmeal package.

This recipe should make around four to five 3 ounce eco-pops.

Make your oatmeal

1. Heat 1/2 cup of milk slowly, on the stove top, until it reaches a slow boil.
2. Mix the oats into the boiling milk, turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
3. Mix your vanilla and ground flax into the oatmeal.

Make your blueberry mixture

1. Allow the oatmeal to cool.
2. Combine cooled oatmeal with the other 1/2 cup of milk, your sweetener and 3/4 cup of blueberries.
3. Blend until well mixed.
4. Taste your mixture. I only added 2 tablespoons of sweetener because my blueberries were very sweet. You may want to add more agave or honey depending on how sweet you like your oatmeal though.

Assemble your pops

1. Divide the remaining 1/4 cup of blueberries among your ice pop molds.
2. Pour the blueberry mixture into the molds, over the blueberries.
3. Freeze overnight.
4. Take your blueberry pops out of the freezer in the morning for a quick cold breakfast.

*SAFETY NOTE: If making these for a young child, you may want to consider omitting the whole blueberries due to choking hazards.

This recipe is very flexible.  You can use yogurt instead of milk and use any fruit you like or hand on hand in place of the blueberries, such as strawberries, bananas, peaches or what have you. You can also mix in more grains or nuts if you like. I like flax, but wheat germ or ground almonds would be nice too.

• See  100 homemade ice pop recipes.
• See 50 yogurt pop recipes.

You have hundreds of choices when it comes to reusable products vs. disposable products. Even if you just choose just five or ten of these choices, and use them year-round, it’ll cut down on your disposable footprint, save you money and make a big difference for the planet.

*NOTE: All estimates below are based on an average family of four. 

Solid-Color Hemstitch Cloth Napkins

Reusable Kitchen Goods

• 25 reusable cloth napkins replace 4,380 disposable paper napkins per year.
• 1 reusable coffee filter replaces around 365 disposable filters per year – or if you’re a coffee-addict like me, a lot more.
• 10 to 12 decent food containers with lids replaces many boxes of foil or plastic wrap per year.
• 1 refillable dish soap bottle + bulk dish soap replaces 18 to 26 disposable dish soap bottles per year.
• 1 reusable tea ball + herbs purchased in bulk food bags replaces 365+ disposable tea bags per year (if you’re a tea drinker)
• 1 set of reusable silicone baking cups can replace as many as 624+ disposable paper muffin cups per year (assuming you make one batch of muffins per week).

Stainless Steel Kitchen Bathroom Soap Dispenser Pump

Reusable Home Goods 

• 25 to 50 reusable cleaning towels replace somewhere around 22,152 paper towels per year.
• 3 refillable hand soap dispensers + 3 refillable soap bottles replace 36 to 72 disposable bottles of hand soap per year.
• 1 refillable laundry detergent container replaces around 12 to 24 disposable containers of detergent per year.
• Homemade cleaners made in reusable bottles can replace anywhere from 36 to 72+ disposable containers of cleaners per year.

Radius Source Recycled Handle Toothbrush

Reusable Personal Goods

• 1 refillable shampoo bottle + 1 refillable conditioner bottle replaces around 48 to 96 disposable bottles of shampoo and conditioner per year.
• 1 refillable body wash bottle replaces around 48 disposable bottles of body wash per year.
• 1 reusable maxi-pad set and/or 1 period cup replace 12 to 24+ disposable boxes and bags of period gear per year.
• 4 toothbrushes with reusable heads replace 16 disposable plastic toothbrushes per year.
• Homemade body care, such as sugar scrubs, facial scrubs, toner, face wash, lip gloss and more can replace an untold of amount of disposable containers per year.
• A set of 28-50 cloth handkerchiefs replaces 24 to 50+ boxes of disposable tissues per year.
• 2 electric razors or 2 reusable safety razors replace up to 104 disposable plastic razors per year.

Vintage Canisters

Reusable Bulk Food

Without knowing how and what your family eats, it’s hard to calculate how many resources reusable bulk food bags will save you so the estimates below are for my family. However, any family that uses reusable bulk food bags for food bought in bulk vs. food in packages will save a ton of resources annually.

• 1 reusable bulk food bag + 1 refillable flour container replaces about 12 disposable bags of flour per year.
• 5-10 reusable produce bags replace about 520 plastic produce bags per year (assuming you eat a decent amount of produce).
• 1 reusable bulk food bag + 1 refillable rice container replaces about 8-12 disposable bags of rice per year.
• 1 reusable bulk food bag + 1 refillable oatmeal container replaces about 552 disposable packets of oatmeal per year.
• 2 reusable bulk food bags + 2 refillable cereal containers replace about 156 disposable boxes of cereal per year.
• 1 reusable bulk food bag + 1 refillable pasta container replaces about 52 disposable pasta boxes or bags per year.
• 3 small reusable bulk food bags + the spice and herb containers you already own replace about 12-24 disposable jars of herbs and spices per year.
• 1 reusable bulk food bag + various reusable containers replace countless disposable bags of baking grains per year.
• 1 reusable bulk coffee bag + 1 refillable coffee container replaces 40-80 disposable bags or containers of coffee beans or ground coffee per year.
• 1 refillable peanut butter container + peanut butter bought in bulk can replace around 24 disposable jars of peanut butter per year.

DIY Food

Assuming you purchase baking and cooking ingredients and supplies in bulk food bags and use fresh, not canned produce for recipes, homemade food can save you a bundle in packaging.

• 104 batches of homemade bread replace 104 disposable bread bags per year.
• 12 reusable ice pop molds + some decent ice pop recipes replace 17 to 52 boxes of store-bought ice pops (assuming everyone eats just one ice pop a week).
• DIY soy milk can replace 104+ disposable containers of soy milk per year.
• Homemade pasta sauce can replace up to 52 disposable jars of sauce per year.
• Homemade hot cocoa can replace around 416+ disposable cocoa packets per year.
• Homemade pop tarts can replace about 26 disposable boxes of store-bought pops per year.
• If you’re addicted to coffee, 1 reusable cold coffee cup + 1 reusable hot coffee mug + 1 coffee maker can replace 730 disposable coffee cups per year (if two people in your family drink 2 cups per day).
• Homemade fruit roll-ups can replace 52o disposable packets of fruit snacks or roll-ups per year (if your kids like these in their lunches).
• Homemade cookies can replace up 20-52 disposable packages of cookies per year.
• Easy homemade applesauce can replace around 52 disposable jars of applesauce per year.
• Homemade granola or fruit bars can replace around 780 disposable packaged bars per year (assuming at least 3 people at your house like bars for lunches or snacks).
• Some reusable jars + self-picked berries + 1 homemade jam recipe can replace about 24 disposable jars of jam per year.

ChicoBag Recycled PET Baggies Snack and Sandwich Reusable Bags

On-the-go Reusable Goods

• 8 to 10 reusable bags replace around 468 disposable grocery bags per year.
• 4 non-toxic refillable water bottles replace 5,832 disposable water bottles per year. Plus, saves you about $1,200 a year!
• 4 reusable lunch bags or boxes replace around 1,040 disposable paper or plastic lunch bags per year (assuming everyone in the house takes a packed lunch to school, camp or work).
• A decent set of 30 to 40 reusable cloth snack and sandwich baggies and reusable lunch food containers replace around 4,160 disposable plastic baggies per year  (assuming everyone in the house takes a packed lunch to school, camp or work).

Thirsties Duo Wrap Snap Cloth Diapers

Reusable Baby Items

• Breastfeeding replaces countless plastic baby bottles per year, not to mention around 393 cans of formula.
• 50 reusable cloth baby diapers replace about 2,760 to 3,000 disposable diapers per year.
• 55 reusable baby wipe cloths replace about 6,000 disposable baby wipes or around 93 of those plastic boxes of wipes per year.

Miscellaneous Reusable Goods

These items will save you various amounts of resources, depending on how often your family uses them.

• Refillable printer ink cartridges replace new ink cartridges.
• A set of rechargeable batteries replace disposable batteries.
• Library books and magazines replace freshly printed, store-bought books and magazines.
• Refillable pens replace disposable plastic pens.

Just for fun, let’s look at how many disposables you’ll replace with the items above…

If you replace all the disposables above with their reusable counterparts, you’ll end up reducing an average of 47,738 disposables in your life. Assuming you choose just 5 of the above actions, you’ll still reduce the disposables goods in your life by an average count of about 5,000, depending on the actions you choose.

No matter how you slice it, even reducing just a few disposables in your home is an amazing tactic to reduce waste and lower your footprint.

Refillable reusable soap dispenser are a super easy eco-step that every family can take. It may seem like a small step, but if you think about, this practice can really help reduce a ton of plastic waste.

Consider all the soap containers you have laying around the house:

• The typical family has two bathrooms, each with a liquid hand soap dispenser, a shampoo bottle or two, a body wash container and some conditioner.
• Most families also keep a liquid hand soap dispenser in the kitchen as well.
• You’ve got a bottle of dish soap in the kitchen and maybe another plastic container of soap that you use for cleaning in your pantry.

Now consider a family of four and how much soap gets used each day (or how much should be used each day anyhow). That’s a ton of soap and many plastic dispensers.

Instead of buying new plastic containers of soap, consider making the switch to refillable soap dispensers. In most cases, it’s easy to get started with reusable soap containers. Here’s how:

1. Locate a source for bulk soap products. In Portland, it’s easy to find refillable soaps at most co-ops and natural-minded grocery stores. Stores near me sell shampoo, hand soap, laundry detergent, basic liquid soap and conditioner in bulk. You simply  head to the bulk area, pump soap into your bottle and buy. You get charged by the ounce or pound.

If you don’t live near a store with bulk soap, first call around and see if you can find a place. Check with Whole Foods, as they’re everywhere and do offer bulk soaps most of the time. If that fails, visit a reputable online seller of bulk soap. It’s better to purchase a large bottle and use it to refill small bottles than to buy a bunch of smaller containers.

Some online sellers of bulk soap:

• Vermont Soap has several USDA certified organic soaps available in bulk.
• Dr. Bronner’s offers many bulk choices and their soaps are certified organic and certified Fair Trade.

2. Purchase some reusable soap bottles: You need reusable bottles for when you buy your soap at the store. Most places that offer bulk soap also sell inexpensive reusable containers. You can also use containers you already have around the house or pick up some containers at almost any department-type store.

3. Purchase some reusable soap dispensers: I suggest owning some actual non-plastic dispensers for your soap products. You can use the basic plastic bottles, but if you carry them around to fill and then also use them at home, they often start to wear out. Plus, there are some much more attractive dispensers you can use at home.

Tips:

• Use lightweight plastic containers at the store, when you buy soap, because remember, stores charge by weight. One way to save money is to have the store weigh your container before you fill it up – most stores will subtract the bottle weight.
• Carry a sharpie with you, so you can write what you bought on the container. It’s easy to mix up liquid body soap and detergent.
• Aim to fill all your containers at once. I find that when I plan to fill up all my soaps at once, I’m less likely to forget my containers at home.
• Put kids in charge of refilling containers. This is an easy eco-task even young kids can take on.

At my house we’re kind of into zombies. Zombieland is a house favorite and we also like zombie books and The Walking Dead. Zombies aren’t great if you have a houseful of young kids but they are spooky fun for older kids and adults.

What’s weird is that the more zombie stuff I watch, the more I think about conservation and eco-practices. I know that seems weird, but we always get into these HUGE oddball debates at my house about how one might correctly and incorrectly handle a zombie apocalypse. Everyone has an opinion and everyone thinks they’d know just what to do if a zombie plague hit.

As for me, while I can’t visually see myself whacking zombies around, those debates stick in my brain and when I’m doing little tasks around the house, I start thinking, “What if there was a zombie apocalypse?” This thinking often helps me conserve more resources and consider other eco-acts I should be trying.

Think about it. Zombies hit and what happens? You’ve got WAY fewer resources. It’s just pretend, but it makes me think…

• I should take shorter showers and turn the water off stat when filling the coffee pot or washing a dish, instead of letting it run and run. You don’t want to run out you know. Although maybe in zombieland I wouldn’t get coffee (sad).

• Don’t waste food! What if all the grocery stores closed down or were infested! It’s better to save those leftovers and learn to cook less at one time.

• I need to turn off the lights – because frankly, during a zombie apocalypse, I’m betting you’re running stuff on generators, not the grid.

• Everyone should learn to entertain themselves without technology. I doubt there’s texting, iPads and TV in a real zombie apocalypse. Books and board games are your best bet. Hiking maybe – with a big stick or some other weapon.

• During an apocalypse, traveling light is an asset. It’s always useful to think purchases through and only buy what you really need.

• Knowing how to repair what you own is eco-friendly, and probably utterly useful in a zombie apocalypse. With this in mind, don’t toss appliances, fix them. Learn some basic sewing techniques, learn how to fix a bike and figure out how to make items last longer.

• Forget about meat. If flesh-eating-zombies don’t turn you off meat, maybe the fact that you’ll now have to hunt your own will. Learn to eat more vegetarian and vegan meals.

• In a zombie apocalypse I bet the first thing to get looted will be the hospitals and drugstores. No more easy-access medications. Stay healthy by exercising, eating better and learning to use natural methods like herbs.

Do you ever think crazy stuff like this? Or is it just me?

Plants vs. Zombies

Oh and if you’re looking for some zombie-appropriate fun for the little ones, Plants Vs. Zombies is a good bet. This game is adorable and fun for the whole family. My son and my adult friends all loved it.

If you love Kamibashi’s Fair Trade String Doll Gang then now is your chance to design your own.

Kamibashi is holding their annual “Create Your Own String Doll Contest” this month, which gives you a chance to dream up your own String Doll and have it created to become part of the String Doll family.

Some past winners

The following rules apply:

1. You must be a Kamibashi Facebook Fan to enter.
2. Only one entry per person, though there can be multiple entries per household.
3. The winning entry or entries will become the property of Kamibashi, though they will of course give all of the credit to you for your idea and print your name on their Facebook page, website, and in a Kamibashi Newsletter.
4. Kamibashi reserves the right to change any aspect of your doll as we see fit. This includes the doll’s name and special power.

More past winners

Besides the glory of having your very own String Doll design sold, the winner will receive 10 String Dolls of their own design. There will also be a “fan’s choice” contest on their Facebook page for all runner-ups starting on June 1. The winner of that contest will also receive 10 free dolls of their own design.

The deadline to enter is May 1, 2013. Kamibashi will be announcing the winner on their Facebook page on May 15.

+ Official rules

Updated summer 2013 edition!

Each summer I release a BPA-free popsicle mold guide for green families. Why? Because homemade ice pops rock. They save resources, save you money and are fun besides. If you’re new to homemade ice pops start with the following posts, then check out the popsicle molds below.

• Benefits of homemade popsicles
• How to choose popsicle molds
• Making your own homemade popsicle molds
• Organic homemade ice pop Q&A
• Need recipes? See 100 homemade ice pop recipes or 50 homemade yogurt pop recipes

What’s new in 2013? This year I’ve added a quick run-down of many of the BPA-free molds I own so you can make some informed purchasing decisions. As always, this year’s list only features molds that are *BPA-free.

Ice Pop Molds I Own

Over the years I’ve collected quite a few ice pop molds. Why yes, I am a little ice pop obsessed. Following are nine BPA-free ice pop mold sets I personally own, along with a quick review of each.

1. Tovolo Groovy Ice Pop Molds, Star Pop Molds and Rocket Pop Molds: These are hands down my favorite ice pop molds of all time. They work great, last forever and work well for just about any homemade ice pop you can dream up. Read my full review.

2. Orka Ice Pop Molds: These molds are decent. They hold about 3 ounces of ice pop and are super adorable.  They work well for ice cream pops or other decadent pops that should be smaller than healthy pops. My main issue with them is that the silicone cover is hard to get off. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s not as easy as the company claims it is. Tip: using a little warm water helps.

3. Freshfoods Fill & Freeze Pops: My son Cedar won’t eat a large sweet ice pop (small appetite)  so I got these ice pop molds for when I make pudding or other sweet pops that I know he’ll want just a taste of. Pops slide right out of these molds and if you have a baby or toddler they’re just about the best creation ever. They’re also excellent if you want to try a new ice pop recipe without making a bunch of large pops.

4. Cosmos Ice Pop Maker Molds Set: Cedar was obsessed with trying homemade push pops, so I got a set of these. These work pretty well, although it can hard to push a super frozen pop up and out of the mold. You should let it sit a bit before handing it over to your child. I like using these for yogurt pops, though they work well for fruit and other pops too. There are two downsides: one is you need to have something to set these upright in while they freeze and two the lids are a little hard to get on.

5. Cuisipro Snap Fit Circle Pop Molds: I LOVE the shape of these molds, but they’re not perfect. For one thing, after just one week of use, one of the handles broke while my friend was pulling out an ice pop. He had to scoop the ice pop out with a knife and there’s apparently no way to fix it, other than glue, which I’m not crazy about using on a food item. Secondly, the handle has a totally useless drip catcher. Sure it catches drips, but if you turn the pop to lick it, the juice flies out of the drip catcher all over you. That said I ONLY recommend you use these molds for pops that don’t drip, for example yogurt pops, chocolate pops or ice cream pops. DO NOT use these molds for juice, tea or other liquid pops unless you enjoy getting messy. Basically these molds are okay if you already have another, better set of molds for liquid pops.

6. Tovolo Ice Cream Pop Molds: These molds are so hyper cute and work amazingly well. I’ve used them for juice pops, yogurt pops and all pops in-between. They impress kids to death because they’re so adorable. A major perk is that they have really nice flat bottoms that stand up in the freezer once frozen and a nice small base that takes up almost zero space. We LOVE these molds.

7. Cuisipro Snap Fit Sailboat Pop Molds: These are good basic molds that work well. They also have a better drip catcher than the other Cuisipro molds we own (the circle ones). Nothing remarkable here, but also I haven’t had any problems with them yet.

8. Fred Cool Jazz Ice Cube Tray: These are very cute when you need tiny ice pops. I tend to use them when I have a little extra ice pop mix that won’t fit in a real mold. Pops slide right out of the mold base and though the handles look odd and flimsy, they really do work well. Little kids love the shape and these offer a great option for a tiny ice pop snack.

9. Tovolo Twin Pop Molds: Avoid these molds like the plague. They’re the worst molds I’ve ever used, something I covered in-depth in my full twin pop mold review.

Although I own a ton of ice pop molds, there are plenty of other BPA-free molds on the market. Following are some of the many ice pop molds you can choose from for summer 2013.

Stainless Steel Ice Pop Molds

I only know of two stainless steel popsicle mold options:  Onyx Stainless Steel Popsicle Molds and the Freezycup Stainless Steel Individual Ice Pop Mold. I’ve used neither because for one thing, they’re both very expensive and also you have to use your own sticks, something I don’t consider very eco-friendly over time. That said, if you’re a plastic-free home one of these will be your best bet. Stainless steel is extremely safe and non-toxic.

One thing I’ll say is that I’ve read some odd reviews of the Onyx molds. Some reviews I read said there can be steel shavings in your pops (yikes) so really do some research before you buy.

BPA-free Plastic & Silicone Ice Pop Molds

Norpro Frost Pop Maker: I love how these new frosty pop makers are so sleek. They have a slim and elegant 2 ounce pop design that takes up less freezer space.

Norpro Ice Pop Maker: The bad news – no handles and not single serve, but decent.

Tovolo Bug Pop Molds: I’ve heard mixed reviews of these, so read around before you buy.

Progressive International Freezer Pop Maker: Like the Norpro molds above, but features a stainless steel lid. You still need sticks though.

Cuisipro Snap Fit Rocket or Robot Pop Molds: These are like my sail ship molds, but with different designs, so I’m guessing they work well.

Danesco Silicon Ice Pop Molds: Features built-in sipping spouts and drip guards for no-mess fun.

Push Pop Molds

MASTRAD Push Pop Molds in Green or Rasberry: Offers a silicone tab for easy pop removal, though in my experience tabs on molds usually don’t work well.

Silikomart Silicone Pratika Collection Ice Cream/Pop Mold Set: These have the most unique shape of any push pop mold I’ve seen.

Norpro Silicone Ice Pop Maker Set: Good basic push pop set.

Licketypops – Stick Out Your Tongue and Say Mmmm!: The clever design will please kids.

Insanely Unique Ice Pop Molds

Prepara Volcano Pop Set: These unique molds allow you to fill the pop with another flavor and the small size fits in the freezer well.

Bunny Pops Molds: So funny, though a little weird in my opinion. I bet kids would love these molds.

Lollypop Stick Men Novelty Popsicle Molds: I think these are super cute, and though the sticks look disposable, they are reusable.

Frosty Friends Novelty Ice Pop Molds with Google Eyes: Crazy molds for your own crazy kid.

Star Wars Glowing Lightsaber Ice Pop Maker: Perfect for kids who have the force on their side. Or maybe a bit of the dark-side.

Best Ice Pop Molds for Babies & Toddlers

Kidco Healthy Snack Frozen Treat Trays: These tiny molds hold 2 ounces each so they’re perfect for the younger set. 

Kinderville Little Bites Ice Pop Molds: These push popmolds are tiny, so good for young children, plus have a fluted rim so residual liquid goes back into the mold.

Fun Novelty Ice Pop Molds

Tovolo Freezer Jewel Pop Molds: These are small and likely only good for a party.

Fred Ice Princess Star-Shaped Ice Cube Tray with Straws: Perfectly sweet for a princess party.

Hog Wild  Zoo Pops or Dino Pops: More expensive, so better for special occasions, but kids who are into animals or dinos will love them.

Ice Pop Recipe Books

There aren’t too many good ice pop books around, but owning one or two nice popsicle recipe books is helpful. Sure you can look up popsicle recipes online, but books are much nicer for kids to browse. Your little one can look at the pictures and bookmark flavors they’d like to try.

I can personally recommend Ice Pop Joy, Paletas, and Pops! – all three of these are good ones to own in my opinion. You may like one of the other books I’ve posted though. The list below offers ideas for making regular fruit and veggie pops as well as yogurt and ice cream pops.

*IMPORTANT: One thing to remember is that not all of these books are based on organic ingredients. However,  I  suggest you do make organic popsicles whenever possible, so be sure to switch out ingredients in the books.

Ice Pop Joy – Read my review of Ice Pop Joy.

Paletas: Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice & Aguas Frescas

The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments

Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones: 90 Recipes for Making Your Own Ice Cream and Frozen Treats from Bi-Rite Creamery

People’s Pops: 55 Recipes for Ice Pops, Shave Ice, and Boozy Pops from Brooklyn’s Coolest Pop Shop

Vegan a la Mode: More Than 100 Frozen Treats for Every Day of the Year

Perfect Pops: The 50 Best Classic & Cool Treats

Pops!: Icy Treats for Everyone

*If a mold is featured on this list it is BPA-free to the best of my knowledge. If I’m not sure about a mold set, I always call the manufacturer and then I only include molds if the manufacturer gets back to me and assures me that the molds are safe and BPA-free. Of course as I always say, it’s smart to research molds (and other green products) on your own as well.