Toys for Kids – Green, Eco-Friendly and Educational
Electronic, light-up, noisy toys are flashy and fun and capture me just as much as the kids – right at first. They can seem like the perfect gift to give your favorite kid, as you picture their face lighting up with excitement as they rip open the package and play with the toy – just like in the commercials! But in my experience, they aren't all that special. My boys love them for about five to ten minutes, then drop them and move onto something that is quiet, something they can manipulate, and end up playing for an hour with that. The electronic toy gets banished to the bottom of the toy bin where it barely gets touched again.
And the more I delve into a lifestyle of green, eco-friendly, healthier living, the more I've learned how just like there are tons of unpronounceable, crappy ingredients in our food, they are also in toys. Back in April, I researched and wrote all about my favorite eco-friendly, green companies – Earth Responsible Toy Companies. Companies like Green Toys and Plan Toys that make toys from either recycled or sustainable resources, are painted with safe, vegetable dyes, and also encourage imagination and develop fine motor skills. What I love is that these are the toys my boys end up playing with the most because they do keep their brains engaged, help them learn and develop. So it's a win for the earth, and a win for my kids!
Here are the toys on my family's Christmas wish list and some of my favorites, which include eco-friendly toys and toys that encourage imagination and educate. And many are really quite affordable, especially with free super-saver shipping from Amazon! I created a page at my Amazon store so you can find all of these and more, all in one place.
Click on the product to buy it on Amazon.
- Melissa and Doug Car Carrier
- Melissa and Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set – we have this toy and my boys love it. It is SO cute, and they pretend they are making cookies just like we do together all the time.
- Melissa and Doug Latches Board – we have this toy and even when the boys were babies they liked opening and closing the latches, but weren't able to figure it out completely until they got older. So it is a toy they can grow with!
- Melissa and Doug Alphabet Cart – we have these blocks and the boys use them as construction rocks, stack and build them, put them into their dump trucks and dump them out, and more! The uses are endless because it's truly up to their imaginations.
- Melissa and Doug Deluxe Wooden Peg Bench
Click on the link to buy it on Amazon.
- Green Toys Tool Set – This also comes in pink for the girls!
- Plan Toy Food and Beverage Set
- Green Toys Dump Truck – This one is made in pink and blue!
- Plan Toys Alphabet Set for Preschool
- Plan Toys Tea Set
- Plan Toys Dancing Alligator
For more green, eco-friendly and educational toys, visit my Amazon storefront where I've collected them all just for you!