Instead of spending hours of your time researching the best eco friendly gifts for kids, I’ve got you covered right with sustainable gift ideas for young children! Whether you’re looking for a great gift idea for valentines day or the perfect gift for the holiday season, choosing toys with the environment in mind is always a great way to live a more eco conscious lifestyle.
This blog post is all about eco friendly gifts for kids!
1. Books
Second hand books are the best! I love our local book exchange to grab books as eco friendly gifts for kids. I’ll typically search for educational books or books about things they’re interested in. Sometimes I’ll even use the books I find as the base of the gifts and use it as the theme for the sustainable toys ideas. Books are perfect for young readers as eco friendly gift ideas for kids.
2. Custom Wood Puzzle Step Stool
This is not only a need, but an excellent selection for eco friendly gift ideas for kids. Not only are these stools coloful and functional, they’re also multi-use because they include puzzle pieces in the shape of the child’s name to encourage spelling! These are great additions to a playroom, kitchen, or even in the bathroom to help kids reach what they need to. These stools are made with FSC-ceritfied wood which helps to support healthy forests and ecosystems. This is just the right gift for self-sufficient kids.
3. Eco Friendly Stationery Supplies
Some of my favorite eco friendly supplies are ONYX and Green. ONYX and Green specializes in computer and school supplies that are made with sustainable materials. From calculators and glues to notebooks and rubber bands, this company is has it all! I typically purchase ONYX and Green supplies from Earth Hero. This is because Earth Hero is a community of truly earth-conscious brands. I don’t have to sfit through various items to find the most sustainable, because Earth Hero only carries sustainably focused brands.
ONYX and Green have even extended their eco friendly stationary supplies to include lunch boxes and backpacks. If you’re looking for eco friendly gifts for kids who are interested in drawing, writing, journaling, etc., purchase one of these eco friendly backpacks made with organic materials and fill it with their collection of naturally made items!
4. Experiences
Experience gifts for kids is a great way to create memories that last a lifetime! Instead of purchasing items that will continue to add to the clutter and overload that can happen with young kids, consider the magic of gifting experiences. I love when my family gives experience gifts for my kids, especially during the holiday season! It give the kids something to look forward to and helps us create a captivating day outside of our home and screentime. This is also a great eco friendly gift idea for older kids! It fosters a sense of curiosity, questions, and discovery.
5. Gift Cards
Don’t underestimate a gift card! My bestfriend is so good at giving me a gift card or cash for the kids. Since my kids are smaller, I use the giftcard towards things they need or something that will help their party such as the cake, pizza, venue cost, etc. Another great idea is getting a gift card to an experience and allowing the parents to active the gift card towards the experience at a time that is most convenient for them. For example, we received a Disney card for my kids for Christmas to go towards our Disney trip. It was perfect! For something like this include a map of Disney or a Disney book to complete the gift!
6. Happy Birthday Candles Recycled Gift Paper
If you’re looking for eco friendly gifts for kids to purchase for birthday parties, try paring this recycled gift paper with your gift to make it truly sustainable! According to Earth Hero, wrapping paper and shopping bags account for 4 million TONS of trash annually in the United States alone. In order to help reduce waste, consider purchasing recycled wrapping paper. This paper is so cute! It’s made with recycled newspaper and can be recycled or composted when you’re done. The colorful sheets are printed with soy-based ink and the brand is a women-owned business. You can also reuse newspaper, wrapping paper, and a reusable bag for a “free” way to present gifts as well.
7. Handmade Sensory Bins
Sensory bins are ALWAYS a hit! We received sensory bins as eco friendly gifts for kids this past Christmas and it was a hit! The kids are obsessed with these bins. Sensory bins help with fine motor skills, concentration, social skills, and can even facilitate teamwork and imagination play. While I do love creating these at home myself, I also love the idea of gifting someone else this sensory bin already packed up and perfected for any theme the child would love!
8. Montessori Climbing Toys
Montessori climbing toys are so good for children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development! It not only helps with spatial awareness and a sense of their own body relation, but also sensory stimulation. This is a sustainable gift idea that is made by a small business and helps to teach kids independence and give them a physical outlet, event in the house! This gift is an investment gift that will stay in the family well into the future!
9. Organic Cotton Plush Doll
This is an adorable doll for a toddler to cuddle with. This is durable and very high-quality. This is made from GOTS Certified organic cotton and filled with hypoallergenic corn fiber! The clothing is removable which makes this even sustainable toy idea even more fun! You can dress the doll up or just snuggle with it! Not only does it ship in plastic-free packaging, it is also a non-toxic product making it a great eco friendly gift for kids.
10. Personalized Book
My son received a personalized book as a gift from his grandparents a few years ago and it’s still his favorite book! Personalized books are perfect for eco friendly gifts for kids’ baby shower! Customize the book to add the name of the new baby for a special touch. The cover changes allow you to choose options like gender, hair color, skin tone, etc. This book is created with children ranging from 3-8 years of age.
11. Personalized Wooden Music Box
This is an excellent unique gift that can not only be a great eco friendly gift for a modern nursery but also a great addition for little kids as a gift for special occasions! The song not only plays for a while, but all of the different varieties of styles make it adaptable for both boys and girls. This is a gift that can continue to stay with your child for years, even generations.
12. Quality Time
There is no time like the present, that’s why it’s called a present! Give the gift of your time. Quality time is a largely underrated idea for eco friendly gifts for kids! Kids LOVE special, undivided attention. From younger kids to teenagers, one one-on-one time is important! Even my 4-year-old loves his quality time days. My husband will take him out to lunch, just the two of them and me, and my daughter will do the same. What’s more, gifting quality time can be a FREE gift.
13. Reusable Snack Bags
Pack up your child’s favorite snacks and goodies and gift them in reusable snack bags! Instead of using disposable plastic bags, try these! Stasher Bags are my absolute favorite bag ever. I use them for so many things and they last forever! They’re reusable, washable, and a great way for waste-free storage. For this sustainable gift idea, this reusable snack bag can hold snacks and sweet treats or other eco friendly gifts for kids! I can guarantee they’ll be used for years to come.
14. Recycled Plastic Toys
My favorite recycled plastic toys for kids are Green Toys. Green Toys comes in a variety of children’s products, perfect for kids and toddlers! They’re shaped perfectly for little hands and their minimal style helps to scourge creativity and imagination play. Instead of cheap plastic toys, I default to higher quality toys or recycled plastic toys which are incredibly durable.
For quick cleaning, you can actually clean these toys in the dishwasher! This eco friendly gifts for kids actually meets FDA food contact standards so you can not only use imaginative play but also put real food in this Green Toys Tea Set.
15. Sidewalk Chalk
Whether you’re at a birthday party or just enjoying time outside, sidewalk chalk is a must for kids and makes for a great sustainable gift for kids. If you’re looking for eco-freindly gift ideas for Easter this is definitely a great option. I always add this item in my children’s Easter baskets.
Choose from various vibrant colors and have peace of mind knowing you’ve chosen non-toxic washable jumbo chalk. The size of the chalk makes this a great item for item for younger children because they can grip the chalk easily with little help from adults.
16. Sophie La Girafe
I will always recommend Sophias for eco friendly gifts for kids! This is especially great for baby showers! It’s one of my favorite eco-friendly alternatives to those traditional plastic teething toys that end up being plastic junk. Not only is this product made with natural rubber, it is the perfect teething gift for babies! The dark contrasting spots are great to keep baby engaged and all you need is a little soap and water to clean. The various parts (ears, horns, and legs) are so helpful to baby’s teething gums. To make it an extra special sustainable toy idea, pair this with a second hand board book!
17. Sustainable PJs
I don’t know about you, but there’s always that one family member who gifts pjs for every holiday! If you’re one of those people, this eco friendly gift idea for kids is for you! Choose sustainable pjs as the perfect gift for kids and an alternative to purchasing gifts from the toy industry. I love a pair of high-quality pjs for my kids. This is because a) they prefer pjs to regular clothes and b) often times cheaply made pajamas shrink in the washer and are no longer good after a few months. Here are two of my favorite brands for sustainable pjs.
Honest Baby Organic Cotton PJs:
These PJs feature wild animals but like your wild child! These pajamas are certified organic and have been awarded the Best For Baby Award. 100% soft organic cotton is long-sleeved and snuggle-fitting.
Three Coastal Babies Bamboo PJs:
The breathable and sustainable material your kids needs! I’m so obsessed with these PJs I’ve even purchased a few pairs for myself in the adult sizes.
18. TonieBox
I’m including this on the list of eco friendly gifts for kids because the TonieBox is one of the most practical gifts I’ve ever gotten for my kids. I consider this gift incredibly sustainable because of its durability and the functionality of it. If you didn’t know, TonieBoxes are playback audio players for kids. They tell stories, sing songs, and can even be customized to your voice! We use them as a screen-time alternative. They keep our kids so engaged and excited and help them with their auditory skills and imagination.
The recommended age is 3 and up, but my daughter got hers at 2 and does so well with it. Each birthday and major holiday families can purchase a new Tonie character for the box. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. New Tonies appear often and cover a wide range of children’s favorite movies. This is literally my FAVORITE sustainable toy idea and well worth the investment.
19. Tree Planting
Giving a tree to a child is a truly special and meaningful approach to eco friendly gifts for kids. This is because this gift idea goes beyond the ordinary. Not only does planting a tree provide a symbol of growth, but it also has a positive impact on the environment by reducing carbon emissions. Although planting a tree is not a typical gift you would see in common gift guides, it is one of those unique gifts that are not only beneficial to the natural world but also a great way to give a sustainable gift to kids of all ages.
20. Wooden Blocks
I love gifting Melissa and Doug toys as sustainable gifts! Not only are they the highest quality toys that help develop curiosity and fine motor skills, they’re also long-lasting gifts that can work with various age groups. These toys last for a long time and the age range is so broad that children of all ages can use them. If you’d rather have blocks with colors, grab these Colors and Shapes Wooden Building Blocks Set HERE.
21. Wooden Puzzles
Wooden puzzles are great eco-friendly gift ideas because they are a fun way to learn while playing! This puzzle set comes with 2 different types of learning puzzles. Both ABC’s and 123’s. I love using these wooden kids puzzles because I can use them for various purposes. My kids not only have the opportunity to visually see the letters and numbers, but they can also touch them! Using tactile letters to incorporate touch into learning helps with the brain connections and learning.
I hope you enjoyed these eco friendly gift ideas!
In a world where sustainability takes center stage, choosing eco friendly gifts for kids is crucial. As parents, caregivers, or friends of kids and toddlers, the sustainable lifestyle choices we make today can shape the environmental awareness of the next generation. In this blog post, we explored thoughtful, eco-friendly gifts for the little ones in our lives. From non-toxic paints without harmful chemicals to organic cotton clothing, let’s commit to choosing eco friendly gift ideas for these tiny tots when we can!
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