Green Gift Guide: Children

Sadly, ‘eco-friendly toys’ isn’t a mainstream industry so as wonderful as the big toy shops are for little eyes, it’s often shopping online that’s going to make your green-giving easier; we’re talking about buying from companies that care about production methods – fair trade certification, eco-friendly and sustainable sourcing. Here’s some of the best…

Grimm’s educational wooden toys are made in Europe from alder, lime, beech and maple, all sourced from sustainably managed European forests. This set of 12 rainbow friends have been made in handpicked workshops across Europe and coated with natural colours and oils. All of the paints and lacquer used to finish are harmless and enhance the natural beauty of the wood, allowing the grain to shine through.  [Babipur, £26.95]

A super soft and stripy woolly mammoth cuddly toy that children will adore. It’s suitable from birth and completely washable, too. It is produced by a validated BAFTS (British Association of Fair Trade Shops) member and 5% of each sale will go toward small scale school projects in Bangladesh. [Ethical Superstore, £14.95]

I am obsessing a little over the Plan Toys Green Dollhouse as it includes a wind turbine, a solar cell panel and electric inverter for generating electricity. It also features a rail barrel for collecting rain and a blind that can adjust the amount of sunlight and air circulation. Comes complete with a full set of five eco furniture rooms including a living room, kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom and children’s bedroom. Made from sustainable rubber wood and finished using non-toxic water based dyes. Amazing (and half price in the sale!). [Morleys, £107.99]

Flash, bang, wallop, what a picture! Ready for your little Annie Leibovitz or Martin Parr, this beautiful handmade, eco-friendly wooden camera has been sanded and oiled with beeswax. Great to play photographers with and looks fab on the shelf, too. [Shop BG, £16]

Blast off in this environmentally friendly cardboard space rocket playhouse. It’s made from 80% recycled cardboard in the UK and is fully recyclable and biodegradable. Great for the kids imagination and for them to get crafty on! There’s also castles, igloos, teepees, pyramids and dens. [Kid-Eco, £29.99]

How about teaming up that space rocket with a spaceman dressing up kit. Ethically sourced, eco friendly and handmade and finished in Dorset. The instruction manual and accessories make suggestions for children to act out and immerse themselves in their Spaceman character. A unique present for that little Spaceman in your life – and do check out the rest of the kits, some are amazing!  [LittleKit, £39.50]

Here;s one for the babies – carefully handcrafted moose is both a roller massager and a push along children’s toy. The moose with four massaging ball-shaped wheels has an easy-grip handle which is designed to be easy for both small and big hands to hold. It’s made from top quality birch wood from EU sustainable forests. As an eco friendly company and in order to reduce waste on our planet their toys do not come in any extra packaging. They all arrive in simply recycled boxes or envelopes ready to play! Like. [Wooden Toy Gallery, £16.50]

It’s time to get creative with these eco-friendly and water-soluble crayon markers. You can draw on paper, glass or whiteboards. Just use a wet cloth to erase drawings. You can even use them as watercolours! Plus, they’re super-smooth and soft to draw with. Kitpas has an excellent social conscience. Its mission statement is to produce quality products that don’t damage people or the Earth; and to create happiness through job opportunities for people with learning difficulties ( the majority of its workforce). [Scout & Co Kids, £16]