11 Eco-Friendly Toys Your Kids Won’t Put Down
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I am not going to pretend that I’m perfect in this regard and that we don’t have any plastic toys but I am doing everything I can to reduce the amount of plastic we use in our house by switching to more natural and eco-friendly toys.
Toys are the biggest culprit even though I think we have fewer plastic toys than a typical home. There are plenty of fun, creative natural toys for children that aren’t made of plastic besides just wooden blocks that you could consider.
Instead, buy wooden play food instead of plastic, Green Toys (and other) 100% recycled plastic toys that are BPA, PVC, and phthalate-free, and stuffed toys made by using sustainable and fair trade practices.
Also try toys made of metal instead of their plastic counterparts. Go for the metal tricycles, ride-on toys, and wooden balance bikes instead of the plastic ones.
Why should you try to ditch plastic from your home? The short answer is that plastic doesn’t go away or break down.
Sure, with plastic toys you could hand them down to other children, but after so many times of being handed down, they will no longer be in very good shape. This will lead to them being thrown away and left to sit in a landfill.
Metal, wood, stainless steel, fabric, and even sturdy cardboard are better choices if you’re interested in purchasing recyclable and eco-friendly toys for your kids. They are just as fun as plastic toys, if not more so!
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Super Fun Natural & Eco-Friendly Toys
These creative, well-made, and FUN environmentally friendly, natural toys have been kid-tested and approved. We’re sure that your children will have a blast with these toys that you can feel good about buying.
Instead of buying plastic that will sit in a landfill for many, many years, try buying toys that are more environmentally friendly. Materials such as wood, metal, fabric, and even cardboard playhouses are good alternatives.
ROBUD Wooden Play Kitchen Set
For ages: 3+
Material: wood
Instead of the standard plastic play kitchen, why not try a wooden one instead. Not only are they friendlier to the environment, but they are more sturdy as well.
Also, they look more realistic and look nicer in the corner of the room than a large bulky hunk of bright-colored plastic.
Melissa & Doug Cutting Fruit Set
For ages: 3-5
Material: wood
A play kitchen isn't complete without food. This wooden cutting fruit set is not only eco-friendly but it's also realistic and your child can really cut it into pieces.
This set comes with a basket, a variety of fruit, and a knife. The fruit is held together by velcro that comes apart with a cutting motion from the included wooden knife for realistic play.
Melissa & Doug Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
For ages: 3-8
Material: stainless steel and wood
Just like the pots and pans in your kitchen, your children will love playing make-believe with their own stainless steel kitchen accessories and wooden spoons.
This set even comes with a handy storage rack to put them away neatly.
Bigjigs Toys Role Play Dinner Set
For ages: 3+
Material: wood
Wooden plates, cups, and cutlery is a nice addition to any play kitchen or toy box for pretend play.
Green Toys Dump Truck
For ages: 1-5
Material: 100% recycled plastic from milk jugs
This eco-friendly toy is both environmentally conscious and high-quality, made from 100% recycled plastic and earth-friendly materials. Green Toys are free from BPA, PVC, and phthalates.
This good-sized vehicle will provide hours and hours of fun with its big cargo area.
Check out more fantastic Green Toys vehicles, such as a recycling truck, tractor, fire truck, construction truck, and more.
Melissa & Doug Toy Shopping Cart With Sturdy Metal Frame
For ages: 3+
Material: metal
Just like the grocery store, only smaller! Your child will love filling up this realistic metal shopping cart with play food, toys, and stuffed animals. You name it, they can put it in the cart.
This sturdy metal shopping cart will stand up to unlimited use and keep on going.
Melissa & Doug Felt Food Sandwich Play Food Set
For ages: 2+
Material: felt
Felt and other fabrics are a material you may not think of when it comes to purchasing toys, but they can be a wonderful alternative to plastic.
This sandwich set is life-like and will be a fun addition to any child's toy box.
Playhouse Castle
For ages: 3+
Material: cardboard
Have you ever considered cardboard as a material for toys? Probably not, and not many people would.
It doesn't sound like a durable material, but this cardboard play castle is like a coloring book that your child can play in. Put it together, color the castle, and have a blast!
Hape Scoot Around Ride On Wood Bike
For ages: 12 months +
Material: wood
Yes, wood bikes exist and they're so sturdy and cute. The Hape Scoot Around wood bike helps young children to develop muscle strength and balance while having fun.
Made of high-quality materials, this bike will be fun for your child and is perfect for passing down to siblings, family, or friends.
SallyFashion 85 Pieces Planet Marbles in Drawstring Bag
For ages: 5+
Material: glass
Our final sustainable material is glass. Of course, there aren’t many glass toy alternatives and for good reason, but one thing that comes to mind is a set of marbles.
This is an old-school toy that modern kids can also have fun with. Shoot them into a hole as they did back in the day, and try to knock them out of a circle on the ground.
There are books available that are filled with games to play with marbles.
60 Pieces Wooden Classic Marble Run Construction Toy
For ages: 3+
Material: wood
Or get a wooden marble run that can be put together in all sorts of different ways. Like a set of wooden building blocks, but instead of buildings, you're making creative runs for marbles. Fun!
Are Wooden Toys More Eco-Friendly?
Because they are biodegradable, wooden toys are more eco-friendly than plastic toys that don’t break down.
In addition to its inability to biodegrade, many plastics also contain BPA and PVC which are endocrine disruptors. Plastics also contain phthalates which are known carcinogens.
Final Thoughts
So, if you’re looking for a way to reduce your carbon footprint and give your child a toy they’ll love, look no further than high-quality eco-friendly toys.
Even if they’re a little more expensive than their traditional counterparts, the benefits of playing with an earth-friendly toy are invaluable for the planet and your family.
Also, since natural toys are typically made of higher quality, more sturdy materials, you can pass them down to other children or sell them once they’ve been outgrown. It’s a win-win!
Not only will your child have a blast playing with these toys, but you can feel good knowing that you’re helping the environment.
What a great set of toys. My 5 month old isn’t quite interested in this sort of stuff yet, but this is exactly the kind of thing I’d like for him in a few more months.
I do my best to not buy plastic items or items that come in plastic packaging.