In this era, when we are all want to do something "Green' to save the environment, why not make some toys and games, instead of purchasing them - not only will that save our resources, but also, some of your hard-earned green moola - And, they are a lot of fun!

Make Your Own Go-Cart

Materials needed - A sturdy box or wine crate, an old skateboard, a bungee cord

Instructions - Drill four holes on the base of the box (close to the each corner). Place the bungee cord under the skateboard and then pull it through each of the holes in a zig zag pattern and out at the bottom so that you can tie the cord under the other side of the skateboard. Put on your safety helmet and you are ready to go! While it may not look as spiffy as the one in the picture, we guarantee you, it is as much fun and definitely all green.

Cup And Ball Game

Materials needed - Paper cups, string, ping-pong balls or ball made from aluminum foil, sharp pencil, markers and/or crayons

Instructions - Decorate the cups with markers, crayons, stickers etc. Then using the pencil, pierce a hole at the bottom. Cut the string about 50cm in length, tie a knot at one end and thread it through the cup. Then make a small hole in the ping pong ball. Tie a knot on the other end of the string and gently push it through the ball - and voila - Your Cup and Ball Game is ready. To play, simply hold the cup in your hand, toss the ball, and see how many times you can catch it in the cup.

Crazy Bowling

Feel like a game of bowling - why not create your own 'Bowling Alley' - Simply arrange empty soda cans, milk cartons, detergent gallons etc., in random order, and use a tennis or any small ball to see how many 'pins' you can knock down at one go. Be sure to keep your scores!

Do A Dance

This is a great game when you have a bunch of friends over, and the only materials needed are imagination and enthusiasm. All the participants stand in line with their eyes closed. They only open them when they get tapped on the shoulder. The game starts with the last person in line opening his/her eyes and tapping the person in front. He/she then shows the other person a spiffy dance move and covers his/her eyes again. The person in front then does the same and so on until the last participant is done. After that, everybody opens their eyes and recalls their steps and a completely impromptu and fun dance routine is born.

Bedtime Story

This is a great game for a sleepover party. Start the game by passing your favorite stuffed toy back and forth to each person. The person holding the stuffed toy has to say one word, which then evolves into a sentence and as more words are added, into a story. Of course you have to keep going until the whole story is done - a great excuse for staying up late!

The Old Favs

And then of course there are all those old favs like hopscotch, tag, hide and go seek that are so fun, and the only resources used are your imagination and energy.

So go ahead and take the challenge starting this Earth Day - See if you can be really 'green'. Remember, we can all help save our planet - by purchasing one less toy at a time!

Sources: Americangirl, CreativeKids