🌍 World Environment Day: Small Things, Big Impact

Every year on June 5th, we celebrate World Environment Day. A reminder that caring for our planet doesn't have to start with grand gestures. Sometimes, the smallest actions can make the biggest difference.

Children are naturally curious about the world around them. They love collecting treasures, exploring nature and asking endless questions. World Environment Day is the perfect opportunity to turn that curiosity into meaningful learning through play.

There are things that change the world quietly.

For example:

🌱 Turning off the water while brushing your teeth
🌱 Planting a seed in an old jar
🌱 Giving a cardboard box a second life
🌱 Noticing the beauty of a tiny leaf
🌱 Picking up litter after a picnic
🌱 Teaching a child “The Earth is our home.”

And World Environment Day is the perfect opportunity to explore these ideas together as a family.

🌱 Simple Eco Activities for Kids

Nature Treasure Hunt

Head outside and challenge children to find:

🍃 A leaf with an interesting shape
🔍 A smooth stone
🌼 A flower
🐜 An insect
🌱 Something green
🌰 A seed or acorn

Talk about how each item plays a role in nature's amazing system.

Download

♻️ Recycling Sorting Game

Gather clean recyclable materials and let children sort them into categories:

• Paper

• Plastic

• Metal

• Glass

Turn it into a timed challenge and see who can become the family's "Recycling Champion!"

🌿 Grow Something Together

Plant a seed, an herb or even a bean in a small container.

Watching something grow teaches patience, responsibility and appreciation for nature's wonders.

🎨 Create with Recycled Materials

Before throwing away boxes, bottle caps or cardboard tubes, ask:

"What could this become?"

You might end up with a rocket ship, a castle, a robot, or a masterpiece that only a child could imagine.

🌎 Learning Through Play

One of the best ways to help children understand environmental concepts is through hands-on activities.

That's why I created the Ecology I Spy Trinket Mix - a collection of miniature treasures inspired by nature, recycling and environmental awareness.

🔍 What's Inside?

Children can discover:

♻️ Recycling symbols
🌍 Planet Earth miniatures
🌱 Leaves and trees
💧 Water droplet
🚲 Eco-friendly transportation 
⭐ And other surprise treasures

💚 Ways to Use the Ecology I Spy Mix

• Create an I Spy game

• Fill a sensory bottle

• Practice sorting and classification

• Count and graph objects

• Build nature-themed storytelling prompts

• Use for Earth Day and World Environment Day lessons

• Encourage conversations about recycling and protecting the environment

Children learn best when they're engaged, curious  and having fun. And tiny treasures often spark big conversations.

🌍Protecting our planet doesn't require perfection.

A recycled bottle.
A planted seed.
A walk instead of a car ride.
A child who learns to appreciate a bee, a flower or a tree.

These small actions add up.

This World Environment Day, let's celebrate the little things we can do together to help keep our planet healthy, beautiful and full of wonder for future generations.

Happy World Environment Day! 💚

Find the Ecology set in Themed I spy trinkets 

🌍 День окружающей среды с TomToy

Маленькие шаги могут делать большие добрые дела

Есть вещи, которые меняют мир тихо-тихо.
Например:

🌱 выключить воду, пока чистишь зубы
🌱 посадить семечко в старую баночку
🌱 подарить вторую жизнь коробке
🌱 заметить красоту в маленьком листике
🌱 собрать мусор после пикника
🌱 научить ребёнка: «Земля это наш дом»

И День окружающей среды отличный повод поиграть в это всей семьёй 

♻️ Простые эко-идеи для детей

🍃 Охота за природными сокровищами

Сделайте список:

• листочек необычной формы

• маленький камушек

• что-то круглое

• что-то зелёное

• цветок

• палочку, похожую на букву

Можно устроить соревнование:
кто найдёт сокровища первым — получает титул
👑 «Главный защитник планеты».

🧴 Сортировка мусора как игра

Поставьте коробки:

• бумага

• пластик

• металл

А потом включите таймер и устройте “экологическую эстафету”.
Да-да, сортировка мусора внезапно становится олимпийским видом спорта 🥇

🌼 Посадить что-нибудь

Даже если это:

• фасоль в стаканчике

• лук на подоконнике

• микрозелень

• один упрямый кактус

Для ребёнка это настоящее чудо:
«Я поливал это… и оно ЖИВОЕ?!»

🎨 Творчество из “ненужного”

Картонные коробки = гаражи
Крышечки = счётный материал
Втулки = ракеты и роботы
Старые пуговицы = моя прелесть!

Иногда фантазия экологичнее любого магазина 😄

🔍 Играем и учимся вместе с набором “Ecology I Spy”

В наборе есть:
🌍 планета Земля
♻️ символы переработки
🌿 природные элементы

🚲 экологичный транспорт

и много маленьких сюрпризов.

Такой набор отлично подходит для:

• I Spy игр

• сенсорных бутылочек

• сортировки

• изучения природы

• развития речи

• мелкой моторики

• тематических занятий ко Дню окружающей среды

И да… взрослые тоже обычно зависают над баночкой дольше, чем дети 😄

💚 Главное эко-правило

Не обязательно делать всё идеально.
Достаточно делать маленькие добрые вещи регулярно.

Потому что планета не просит совершенства.
Она очень радуется заботе 🌍

In Search of the Perfect Crochet Pumpkin

 There are already countless crochet pumpkin patterns out there. Honestly, so many that at some point I started wondering
does the world really need one more pumpkin pattern? 

But one thing kept bothering me for years: how do you make pumpkin sections look truly beautiful, natural, and nicely defined?

I never liked sculpting over the outside of the pumpkin
. You can see the yarn, the shaping can shift over time, and sometimes the whole pumpkin slowly loses its form.

At one point I tried making the sculpting from the inside. That solved the first problem — the yarn was invisible. But it created a new one: when you sew blindly through a stuffed pumpkin, the result can become… creatively unpredictable 😄

And then this method appeared.

Genius.
At least according to my inner pumpkin engineer.

Visible sections … with completely invisible yarn! No mysterious pumpkin anatomy disasters.

Of course after that I had to write a pattern for it.
Even if it becomes the million-and-first crochet pumpkin pattern in the world.

Because sometimes it’s not about inventing a new pumpkin.
It’s about finally making the pumpkin you always wanted 

The pattern includes:

• step-by-step written instructions
• pumpkin shaping tutorial
• stem pattern
• customization ideas

TomToy Crochet Patterns

A Voyage Through Generations: Nautical Story in Stitches

There is a unique joy in seeing a handmade item become a part of a family’s history. This week I received a request that highlights why custom crochet is so much more than just yarn and hooks, it’s about connection.

The First Chapter

Years ago, this journey began with two baby blankets. One was adorned with three dandelions and the other with three bright stars. These appliques were created for two granddaughters, marking the start of a beautiful tradition. It is always a moment of pride to see photos of those appliques used in your finished creations.

A New Arrival: Now, the family is growing! A third granddaughter has arrived with a name that carries deep meaning that reflects a love for Jewish traditions and Israel. Creating these pieces right here adds a layer of significance that makes this project truly special.

The vision for this new blanket is a series of crochet waves. To make the blanket look perfect from both sides, a clever technical solution was required: Mirrored Appliques.

This set includes:

• Two Sailboats: Made "back-to-back" twins. The flag on the second boat is mirrored so that when they are sewn on either side of the blanket, they align perfectly, hiding all thread ends and creating a seamless finish.

• A School of Fish: Six vibrant fish in primary red, yellow and blue to "swim" through the crochet waves.

Ready for the Journey These pieces are being made with 100% Italian cotton for that signature bright finish. They are currently being packed with extra matching thread to ensure the final assembly is as smooth as possible. These little boats and fish are ready to set sail to their new home, joining the dandelions and stars in a growing family legacy.

Your vision, my hook. Let’s create something meaningful. 🧶

The Nautical Adventure Set is now available for your own creations and the best part is that it can be completely tailored to your vision. Whether you need a different color palette to match a specific nursery or a specific size for a tiny sweater, every piece is made to order in the studio.

Customization Options

• Adjust the Size: Appliques can be scaled to fit

• Pick Your Colors: You can provide a photo of your yarn or fabric and the appliques will be matched using premium Italian cotton.

• Choose Your Heroes: While sailboats and fish are the current stars, you can request new characters like anchors, lighthouses or even a narwhal to suit your theme.

• A Completely New Idea: If you have something unique in mind, I’d love to help turn it into a handmade piece of your family’s story.

Handmade gifts carry a connection that spans oceans and it is a joy to help these stories come to life through custom crochet.

TomToy crochet appliques 

Красный эксперимент: как родились театральные трусы

После недели построения выкройки 

после двух дней раскроя 

я наконец добралась до швейной машинки.

сшила эти четыре детали...

И вот ко дню святого Валентина, как символично, получились они.

Красные семейные трусы!

Зачем?

Странно, но я сама ещё не знаю…
Заказ на спектакль. 🎭

С Днём всех влюблённых!
Пусть любовь будет яркой, а жизнь удобной