I have friends and acquaintances with kids. And I would buy one or two toys for them. The other day, I walked into a toy store. That was when I noticed the sheer amount of toys made from plastics. Plastics that will exist forever.
Many other gifts for kids were made using polyester and nylon. As an eco-conscious customer like you, I started searching for eco-friendly gifts for kids, and brands that have implemented ways to have an eco-friendly business – from shipping to giving back.
According to a 2014 Nielsen Study, it was discovered that 55% of global online consumers in more than 50 countries are willing to pay more for products from companies that are eco-conscious. All of these are to ensure that one helps build a greener tomorrow.
If you are willing to join me on this toy store tour, keep reading because we will discuss the 10 eco-friendly gifts for kids that I have hand-picked for you.
Table of Contents
10 Eco-friendly Gifts for Kids
First, I think that we should agree on what makes a gift eco-friendly. Here are some questions to ask:
- What is the gift made out of?
- Is the gift practical & something they can use for many years?
The first question is the most important as it is the greatest determinant of eco-friendly gifts for kids.
Wood, silicon, plastic, metal, porcelain, clay, bamboo, and paper are the materials mostly used to manufacture toys for kids. While bamboo and bamboo sheets are eco-friendly, paper is biodegradable. Silicon lasts longer than plastic reducing the amount of waste released into the environment. They are better options.
But plastic which is the most used material for toy production is the most harmful to the environment. It is non-biodegradable, affects the land and water, and has killed many marine creatures.
Though there are many mass-produced plastic toys for kids, increasing demand for stylish yet eco-friendly baby products has encouraged designers and manufacturers to think outside the recyclable plastic box.
The second question spells out the need for reusable products, not one-time use. In summary, eco-friendly gifts for kids are gifts that are not environmentally harmful. Environmentally friendly means the same thing.
Consider these 10 options in your search for eco-friendly toys for kids:
- Plush Toys
- The Extraordinary Book that Eats Itself
- Tic Tac Toe
- Gardening Set
- Fruit Tree
- Toddler Bike or Vintage Bike
- Planters
- Organically Produced Wears
- Plant Growth Kits
- Non-Toxic Art Supplies
1. Plush Toys and Stuffed Animal
Stuffed animals are made up of fabric, cotton, buttons, wool, and thread and are for kids of all ages.
There is an unlimited choice for you when you go plush toys shopping, even for that picky kid.
The options available include ants, cats, dogs, bees, and all sorts of wild animals. Sea animals too.
Imaginary creatures are not exempted – dinosaurs, unicorns, and dragons. Action figures and your kid’s favorite characters have joined the number- the avengers, naruto, paw patrol, Disney figures, spider-man, power rangers, zootopoeia, and many others.
Many of them are hand-crafted, finished with embroidery, and filled with 100% wool, cotton, or some other organic material.
For instance, many are handcrafted in Mexico’s central Chiapas highlands using a technique known as a back loom. The Indigenous Mayan weavers of this small community learned their craft from generations of ancestral knowledge.
2. The Extraordinary Book that Eats Itself
Extraordinary among the list of eco-friendly gifts for kids are those that teach the kids consciousness and responsibility for the environment. This book motivates our kids to become conservationists and to think about our planet in a time of climate change.
The Extraordinary Book that Eats Itself is a book with colorful illustrations by Pintachan that makes learning about the environment fun. The entire book can be cut up and made into a project. Every morsel of the book is reusable! The book is amazing because it is an activity book that involves the children in fun micro-activities for the environment not just teaches them.
This is especially beneficial if your child is being homeschooled. There are more than 30 projects inside this book.
The projects include seed writing papers, a planter box, seed markers, a bird feeder, a rug loom, a bug hotel, and more. All kids need to complete the projects are everyday household items and a batch of eco-friendly glue recipes included on the back cover.
In addition to projects, there are also activities like
- Eco-quizzes
- Nature games
- Organic recipes
- Diaries to plan plastic-free days
3. Tic tac toe
This is especially recommended if the kids are cerebral, or if they love games. What better choice than a safe way to play, an eco-friendly toy, and a mind-challenging one at the same time?
Tic tac toes are mostly made from wood, recycled wood, and some from cork making them environmentally friendly during production, long-lasting and degradable. They are easy to clean by wiping them with a damp fabric.
4. Gardening set
The best gifts are those that make our little ones environmentally educated and those that make them contribute to our planet are even better. A gardening set encourages kids to play outside & learn about plants, nature & sustainability.
Most eco-friendly gardening sets are 100% plastic free produced with a combination of metal, wood, and tote fabric. Thus, built to last for years of play.
Though they are toys, buying the set that works may be resourceful. 3+ is a perfect age to start engaging your kids in such activity. This will get them growing in a way that will help them love the outdoors.
5. Fruit tree
Oh, what a splendid gift idea. If they love fruit, you can gift them its fruit tree.
This will get your children to eat more fruits, teach them where they come from, and make them involved in reducing carbon imprints. It can also do the job of teaching them how to plant trees and tree maintenance.
However, you should consider some criteria before making your choice – it should start fruiting early, it should require little attention nothing else than watering and feeding, have few pest problems, and it should produce a rewarding number of fruits over a long period.
Some of the easiest to grow are pear trees, olives, plum trees, citrus, pawpaw, and peach trees.
6. Toddler bike or vintage bike
Cycling is one of the most eco-friendly ways to move. It also offers numerous physical and mental health benefits to your kids.
It’s estimated that around 6.5 million people each year in Britain opt for this green activity. What stops your youngster from joining this healthy fun?
You can purchase a toddler bike and for an older child, a vintage bike, as compared to modern carbon bikes, would do.
If you are concerned about the carbon footprint during bike manufacturing, some manufacturers of cycling accessories are responding to the climate emergency with sturdy and durable wooden bikes and bamboo bikes, bikes manufactured from recycled parts, sustainable helmets, and eco-friendly bike cleaning products.
They are also using steel which is recyclable and more eco-friendly than aluminum.
7. Eco-friendly planters
Planters are great for defining an area of planting. You can also raise a green thumb by buying eco-friendly planters.
Alternatives to plastic are becoming increasingly popular in almost every aspect of our lives. Previously, plastic pots were patronized more. There are numerous alternatives to plastic pots made from more eco-friendly materials.
You can buy ceramic planters, stone planters, concrete planters, zinc planters, recycled paper, wood planters, terracotta, metal, and recycled plastic planters keeping them from landfill for a long time.
8. Organically produced wears
Sustainable and stylish wear is the goal. Beanies are great gifts for kids. Jackets and customized t-shirts are also great ideas for eco-friendly gifts for kids.
Shoes made from recycled materials, and socks too. Bamboo socks made from bamboo fiber and recycled socks are great too.
Now, don’t go rushing off buying some boring socks from grandma. Those socks should be cute enough to fulfill outdoor purposes too – whether it be going off to school, hiking, running, playing, snowboarding, or simply sleeping.
A good example of a brand that meets these criteria is Paper Project. Their socks are made from paper yarn blended with other eco-friendly fabrics.
9. Plant Growth Kits
Plant growth kits are a good way to get children enthused about gardening. Your plan to engage your children without the constant help of screens to raise children giving back to the environment should include a germination kit.
These kits reconnect your kid to where food comes from and allows them to experience the magic of growing it. Your kid doesn’t need to be a green thumb nor do you need a backyard.
For instance, the plant growth kit by Back to the Roots helps one grow herbs easily. You just place the box near a window with indirect light, spray daily with the included mister, and you’ll start seeing the plants growing and in a few days, you’ll be harvesting your watermelons right out of the box.
You can grow your crop in it indoors year-round. Plant growth kits are easy to use, easy to grow, and giftable.
Different brands of plant growth kits contain different components such as organic soil, different pots, mini compost disks, and seedling markers.
This is a perfect one among the eco-friendly gifts for kids; many brands come in beautiful packaging. So it’s ready to be given to your youngster.
You have to ensure the process’s simplicity when choosing a kit for that child. You may not have to buy those kits with LED grow lights, ventilation, and stuff. We plan to simplify the process and make it fun.
10. Non-Toxic Art Supplies
Eco-friendly arts and crafts kits are an exciting batch for kids among the eco-friendly gifts for kids. They usually include eco-conscious supplies such as eco paints, eco crayons, twines, buttons, paper stickers, sketch pads, shells, playdough, fizz, slime, and craft sticks.
Raising creatives? Or planning to raise them as creatives? You’ve got your smart gift idea here.
Why should you care about Eco-friendly Gifts for Kids?
Climate change is increasing annually. You should care about eco-friendly gifts for kids because for sustained earth for your kids and generations after, eco-conscious kids need to be raised.
Children get gifts during easter, birthdays, Christmas, and Halloween. Most of these plastic gifts and toys end up in the trash can after use. And then landfills or the ocean, where they can take around a thousand years to break down. This causes plastic pollution.
The effects of plastic pollution on the environment and the effects of proper waste management are reasons to care about eco-friendly gifts for kids.
Sourcing eco-friendly gifts for kids will help them embrace a planet-friendly living.
Conclusion
You can be lost for choice when picking gifts for kids. Picking eco-friendly gifts for kids is even trickier. Read through these 10 handpicked selections. The coolest among them are those that engage the kids in a green way.
Eco-friendly Gifts for Kids – FAQs
Stuffed animals, tic tac toe, wooden toys, puzzles, ceramic tea set, and wooden jump rope.
Green Toys, Crayon Rocks, Vinny's Toys, Eco Dough, and Stoie's.
Simple eco-friendly handmade gift for kids
5 Eco-friendly gift companies for kids
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Precious Okafor is a digital marketer and online entrepreneur that got into the online space in 2017 and since then have developed skills in content creation, copywriting and online marketing. He is also a Green activist and hence his role in publishing articles for EnvironmentGo