Ho ho…not mutual! 15 sustainable christmas gifts for toddlers | Christmas
FAnother Christmas is having a hard time. Amid the cost of living crisis, elves are struggling to source quality materials to make toys, and there is strong resistance to the use of plastic amid the climate crisis. However, the wish lists remain the same: dolls, model cars, jewelry, and toys. What’s the person in charge of gifts to do?
A YouGov poll last year It found that more than half of parents plan to spend more than £90 on their child on Christmas gifts. However, as research by toy subscription service Whirly found, nearly 26% of Christmas toys – a staggering 25 million – are thrown away by the end of January in the UK alone. Furthermore, nearly 80% of toys – most of which are plastic – They will eventually end up in a landfill, incinerator, or the ocean.
As a mother of two, these statistics weigh heavily on my mind, and I’ve become increasingly alarmed at how difficult it is to find eco-friendly options that don’t cost a lot of money. Well, necessity really is the mother of invention, which is why I created my own list. The gifts on it have been largely tested by children – some by me (ages two to four), others by family (ages 10) and friends (ages three to five) – and a few by adults. Not everything is completely plastic-free, but I’ve focused on eco-friendly materials, design, and cost to help you have a happy, and hopefully guilt-free, shopping experience.
Best sustainable gifts for toddlers
Take rest
Golden Lion Baby Quilt Toy
If you’re concerned about the effect of polyester dummies, take a look at these baby comforters from Little Green Radicals. Made from 100% organic double muslin cotton, what’s most impressive (and difficult to find elsewhere) is that the interior is as eco-friendly as the exterior, with fair trade organic cotton filling made from leftovers to reduce waste. Suitable from birth (under supervision), this comforter is also machine washable at 30°C.
appropriate: Since birth
Toys built to last
Construction toy cars, trucks and excavators
Environmentally conscious parents love the wooden car, but the challenge is getting kids to love it more than their plastic counterparts. Le Toy Van may have nailed it with this awesome building set: five vehicles, three traffic cones, and one roadworks sign, all made from FSC-certified wood. Their status as VITs – Very Important Toys – was greatly appreciated by testers of this piece, to incomparable heights when they were discovered to be compatible with wooden tracks (Brio etc.). Including the cement mixer and dumper, it’s not cheap, but the quality is excellent, and if you wrap it individually, technically, that’s at least five gifts.
appropriate: For 3+
Enjoy the great outdoors
Foraging Buddy Kit
It’s an interesting idea: go outdoors in search of leaves and sticks to make a jungle companion. The winter months are ideal for this foraging group as they tend to be found more on the ground than in the branches. As you search for ears for your new friend (an action figure made from UK-grown wood), you might discover treats like snowdrops, spring flowers, and of course all kinds of sticks and leaves. It’s helpful to have a plant ID app, as this adds an educational element to the fun. I’ve also found it helpful to name your friend before starting, to liven it up.
appropriate: For 3+
Sow grows
Grow your own Cress collection
Carefully water the coconut disc (made from waste coconut shells, not peat), place it in a bamboo bowl (made from recycled chopsticks) and plant quite a few seeds at once. This seed planting kit is the perfect way to introduce young children to gardening – and there’s a fantastic range, from sunflowers to cherry tomatoes.
appropriate: For 3+
A bit of a bite
Plant teething ring for babies
Is it too early to introduce children to vegetables? I don’t think so. Start early with one of Ollie & Carol’s plant-based teething rings. Made from 100% natural rubber from Hevea trees, the radish and carrot design is brightly colored and has an interesting texture to rub against the gums. Biodegradable and hand-painted (with natural dyes), it meets all the eco-friendly requirements you’d want from something your baby spends a lot of time sucking on. Cleanable toy (no holes to prevent mold), once your baby has outgrown the teether, reuse it as a bath toy.
appropriate: Since birth
Meet your match
Tractor pairs game
It’s a competitive field, card pairs. With so many on the market, it seems negligent to favor just one, although if you have a tractor lover in your family, it’s an easy win. You’ll start by explaining the snap rules — matching the blue tractors or the red tractors — but be prepared to get educated because you may find yourself being corrected by your toddler for referring to “blue tractors with seed drill” or “red tractors with mower.” It’s as much a test of your memory for the machines as it is a test of your child to match the pictures. Outside of the game, there is joy to be found in examining cards – a useful distraction you can carry up your sleeve.
appropriate: For 3+
Artistically recycled
Recycling Business Group
He appreciates Three million tons of additional waste It was released over Christmas in the UK. A recycling kit won’t cut much of that, but it’s a good way to get your kids thinking about what they’re throwing away. Each RecycleMe mini kit comes with clear instructions on how to create a specific project, which can be a rocket, a mermaid, or an animal. Your child should look for the main material from the “garbage” he finds at home – an egg carton or a plastic bottle – and then use it, along with the accessories in the set, to make an artistic creation. This was loved by young children aged three, four and five years.
appropriate: For 4+
Playtime lighting
Hand powered flashlight
A hand-charged torch sounds like magic, but that’s how the HIP flashlight works. It converts kinetic energy into electricity and light, which means all your child has to do to turn it on is pull the green ring at the end a few times, turn the front to the “on” position, and – spell – the light! Made from bamboo and bioplastic, this innovative tool would be perfect for camping, outdoor adventures, or simply checking out insect life in the garden after dark. (Monitoring is recommended due to glare and cord pulling.)
appropriate: For 4+
After promoting the newsletter
Throw more
Colorful kids skates
Don’t be fooled by the apparent simplicity of this game. This is perfect for a rainy afternoon, if you have hardwood floors, this is much better, as it makes the game faster, but even on carpet, it is attractive. It’s great for developing hand-eye coordination while the numbered pins help with counting. They arrive with a practical bag for storage.
appropriate: For older children, but older children enjoy it very much
Life in colour
Rice Bran Wax Crayons, Set of 12
It’s impossible to overemphasize how luxurious these colored pencils are. The makers describe it as “buttery,” which is exactly how it feels, and it glides smoothly across the page. What sets it apart is that it is made from a by-product of rice production, rice bran wax, which is non-toxic and uses less energy in processing. You can paint with it on mirrors and glass, as well as paper, and if you encourage your kids to paint their masterpieces with a wet paintbrush, they can even turn into watercolours.
appropriate: For 3+
Hop dreams
Small croquet set
One for older kids, this miniature classic allows the historic toy to be enjoyed indoors and played all winter long. It takes a lot more precision than you might first think, as you can tap small balls through tiny hoops with a mallet the size of your hand. A lot depends on how flat the ground is, although the unevenness of the ground makes this sport as much about luck as it is about skill – isn’t that more exciting?
appropriate: For 3+
Prepare yourself and others
Friendship bracelet set
There’s no room for plastic beads here – enjoy this fun eco-fashion cotton thread friendship bracelet, from Cotton Clara. Although originally designed for adults, they are great for older children, who will enjoy the more complex patterns of chevrons and, for example, zippers. With six designs included for up to 15 bracelets – plus a small dog clasp to keep the string steady while you work – this entertainer provides a welcome escape from screens, with something creative to display afterwards.
appropriate: Children under 14 years old must be supervised by an adult
Typical behavior
3D wooden gorilla model
If you are raising a future architect who will enjoy the challenge of building Hedgehog with a broomR2-D2, Iron Man or perhaps Primate, check out IncrediBuilds. The 3D models are created from FSC-certified wood pieces, which emerge from wooden sheets to be put together with the help of instructions. Although it’s not as sturdy as it may seem – a heavy hand can bump into one of the components, so a light touch is recommended – your child can paint it before assembling it, making for an impressive finish. Worth displaying on a bookshelf or even in a special place in the bedroom.
appropriate: 9+
Facts made fun
Children’s encyclopedia
In the pre-digital era, the quickest way to find out things was to look them up in a reference book. Keep this skill alive by investing in the updated Encyclopedia Britannica for Children. Within its colorful pages is a wealth of information, which takes the reader from the origins of the universe to artificial intelligence – a different experience from the static A-Z format of old. Covers topics including space, history and climate change, engaging with beautiful illustrations, photographs, charts and some impressive facts. Did you know that our noses can detect a trillion different smells? Or would an Earth-sized nebula cloud be as heavy as some potatoes? The kids I asked to test it loved it—even the ones who couldn’t read yet.
appropriate: 8+
Great pick me up
Pick-up sticks
An oldie but a great game that teaches kids precision. The sticks are raised upright, then dropped so that they fall randomly into a pile. The object of the game is to remove sticks from the pile, one by one, without disturbing any of the other sticks. If you do this, you give up your role. The person with the most sticks at the end wins the game. Nail-biting at times, and positively annoying at others, this game is surprisingly addictive. You have been warned.
appropriate: 3+ (consider spikes with younger children)
For more Christmas gift ideas from Filter, read on The best toys and gifts for newborns, children and The best toys and gifts for one year old children
Edwina Langley is a lifestyle journalist who has turned her interest in eco-products into a borderline obsession since becoming a mother. I wrote in Pre-K about plastic alternatives. Now she’s out in the field: comparing eco-friendly diapers, searching online for plastic-free water bottles suitable for nurseries, and spending a lot of time wondering if there are… ‘100% natural shampoo‘ With ingredients you know will never be invented