I grew up playing with toys where sometimes the batteries leaked or with toys that have been painted with lead. However, that didn’t keep us from playing with them. We just didn’t consider these things because what kid does? We just want to have fun and play with our toys!
Now as an adult, I still enter a toy store and get excited; although I don’t give in to the excitement of buying, no matter how cute the toys are. And as a parent, I’m becoming more conscious when shopping for kids toys. If we as parents pay attention to what food we feed our kids, it follows along the same philosophy that we responsibly screen the toys we give or are given to our children before letting them enjoy their gifts.
Popular toys are often made of plastic which by now, we all know, is made from toxic ingredients that are harmful to human health and our planet.
I have two kids and the invasion of plastic toys in the marketplace (and into our lives) seems inevitable. Not to play the part of a ‘green Nazi mom’ but investing in toys that are good for the environment, our little ones’ health and toys they will enjoy for years to come is worth way more than crappy, disposable plastic toys.
So if you are one of those parents who don’t know what to get your kids this Christmas season, here is a list of eco-friendly toys I’ve curated to help guide you in your Christmas shopping.
Eco Christmas Gifts for Babies (0 – 24 months)
If it’s not their fingers they’re sucking, it’s whatever they can get their hands on. So be extra careful with what you give your babies – whether it’s something safe to chew on or isn’t a choking hazard. Make sure to read labels and do a quick check online to ensure that the toy or toy brand hasn’t been embroiled in any lawsuits due to negligence.
Lovevery Play Kits
The Lovevery Play Kit has been expertly designed by doctors, psychologists and childhood learning and development experts, configured specifically to the stage of development your baby is at. This is the genius of Lovevery Play Kits; they’ve got different play kits tailored to different ages.
The materials used to craft these toys are sustainable; from sustainably forested wood, organic cotton and kid safe BPA-free plastics. These sustainable toys deliver full child enhancement and entertainment, without being a burden on the planet.
This play kit comes in six different sets or you can choose a subscription plan. Each set can be swapped out to the kit that is more appropriate to your kid once they move from one stage to the next. For example, the Play Kit Collection (Months 0-12) starts with The Looker Play Kit for babies aged 0-12 weeks, and graduates to The Charmer Play Kit for 3-4 month olds and so on.
Every single one of these play kits contain materials that will engage and entertain the little ones. Visit the Loveevery website to choose from a selection of awesomeness created to help your babies learn.
Lovevery The Play Gym
Lovevery’s debut product is The Play Gym, an award-winning ‘toy’ designed by experts (academics, child development researchers, psychologists and doctors) to help kids learn and play stage after stage without having to buy them a new toy because it’s packed with everything your cute crawler needs – whether it be for teething or sensory development that can last for a whole year of play.
Eco Christmas Gifts for Toddlers (2 – 5 years old)
Tots who are learning by playing is an important experience for them to help them grow up active, smart and happy. At this stage their imaginations run free and to mold them into becoming an amazing kid, you have to give them the perfect play thing that can develop their capacity to build things and solve problems in a playful way.
Lego
Who doesn’t love Lego? You give your kids a pile of Lego bricks and they don’t see it as a mound of plastic junk but as tools to build what’s in their imagination – a potential castle or skyscraper, and even a dream house with pool! I know that these little pieces are made of plastic but both kids and adults can benefit from this great toy as it can be used for a long, long time and in the right circles, also considered collectibles; which means it won’t have to end in landfill. Due to its durable quality, it can be passed on to the next generation and future generations to come.
However, what makes it even more awesome is that a new set of Lego made of bioplastics derived from sugarcane, is set to hit the shelves by 2030. Still technically made of plastic, this new batch which is a whole lot better for the environment than the petroleum-based ones. This is all a part of the iconic brand’s pledge to transition to a sustainable future.
Related Post: Wriggly Toes: Cute Ethical, Eco-Friendly and Organic Bedding To Lull Your Kids to Sleep
Eco Christmas Gift for Kids Aged 5+
These cute preschoolers may have their self-esteem fully developed and it is up to us as parents to develop their strengths and understand their weaknesses. By this time we have already learned their personality traits and have a better idea what kind of toys to give them which can activate their creativity and leadership skills.
Green Kid Crafts – Environmental Activist Pack
The Environmental Activist Pack comes with two boxes: Save Our Oceans Discovery Box AND the Rainforest Science Discovery box. Both discovery boxes are made by experts to inspire the future eco-warrior in your little one. It provides them with the right tools to learn how to care for the environment and our planet.
Green Kid Crafts is committed to reducing their carbon footprint as well as to give a helping hand to the local communities. As partners of One Tree Planted, a tree is planted for each online purchase of a Green Kid Craft product. This gives you and your child a chance to help reforest hundreds of acres of barren and devastated land across the world.
Related Post: The Future of Environmental Education: Encouraging Kids to Care About Nature
It is perfectly normal for any parent to strive for a non-toxic home and that should include the toys you bring into your home to be played with, and used for entertainment, by the most important humans in your life. Purchase educational and eco-friendly toys to give as Christmas gifts and you’ll not only be raising environmentally conscious children, but you’ll be giving them an even better Christmas present; the gift of a sustainable future.
Wouldn’t that be a better way to spend Christmas?
Recommending reading:
- 3 Eco-Conscious Ways To Wrap Gifts This Christmas
- 12 Affordable Sustainable Christmas Gift Ideas for He/Him (Under $35)
- From Art Workshops to Vegan Cooking Classes, These ‘Experiences’ Make Purposeful Xmas Gifts
- 6 Ethical and Eco-Friendly Baby and Kids Organic Cotton Clothing Brands
- Involving Kids in Making Schools Sustainable Spreads the Message Beyond the Classroom
- 15 Cruelty-Free and Vegan Xmas Gifts For Eco Beauty Lovers
- 5 Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids About Climate Change and Protecting the Environment
Disclosure: This curated list does not fully take into account all the ethical considerations that are unique to each individual. Before making a purchase, we encourage you to do your own research paying special attention to the supply chain and your own particular set of ethics. This list also includes affiliate links. Click here to read more about our policies.
Feature image via Lovevery.
