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Finding sustainable toys may sound a little tricky to the uninitiated, but really these are just toys that are made from renewable, recycled and natural materials like wood, that are manufactured responsibly. Some of the most eco-friendly toys are even biodegradable or can be recycled again. However, the best-loved sustainable toys will be those that are just as colourful and fun as the regular kind!
Taking care of the world we live in is more important than ever, and choosing the right sustainable toy can help your child to become a steward of the natural world through play. With so many eco-friendly toys available it can be hard to know where to start. That's why we've created this buying guide alongside our ranking of out top ten favourite sustainable toys in the UK on Amazon, eBay and John Lewis.
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Choosing a sustainable toy needn't be hard. In fact, it can be rather fun, as long as you know where and how to for one online. Read on for our tips on how to get sorted with a toy that is both ethically made and enjoyable to play with!
The age of your child (or the child you are buying the toy for) is extremely important, as some parts may not be suitable for toddlers and small children. Aside from safety, you'll ideally want the toy to be at the right developmental stage for the child, to present enough of a challenge to be an entertaining toy.
Toys that focus on imaginative play, those that can be played with outdoors or involve the natural world are particularly valuable for toddlers and small children, as it helps them to develop creatively and emotionally. Similarly, educational STEM or science-related toys are perfect for slightly older children to help them learn about the world around them and their place within it.
Comfort toys are often suitable from birth upwards, but kids may choose to keep their favourite teddy for a long time. Children of all ages love to snuggle up to a teddy bear or comfort toy, and to be honest some adults even still enjoy it too!
Choosing toys that are sustainable can be a little complicated, unless you have all of the right information! In this section, we will take a look at materials and packaging to ensure you make the best choice.
Whilst wooden toys generally appear to be a greener choice, they are not all manufactured equally and sustainable harvesting is not always guaranteed. To ensure you're getting ethically sourced and manufactured wood, opt for toys clearly labelled as FSC certified, or those that are very transparent about the origins of the materials used.
Sustainable toys are often made from recycled plastic, which not only prevents waste, but benefit from the bright colours and smooth, tactile designs of "regular" toys. All manner of toys can be made from recycled plastic bags, milk jugs or ocean waste such as fishing nets. Some recycled plastic toys even have replaceable parts to prevent them from ending up landfill altogether.
Although recycled plastic is indeed a good choice for sustainability, it is still made from a combination of synthetic materials which should be chosen carefully. Plastics can create harmful toxins, albeit in small quantities, so it's best to choose toys that are labelled as free from PVC, phthalates and BPA.
Sellers with a commitment to health and sustainability will clearly label whether their products are free of harmful toxins and chemicals. Children can be more sensitive than adults when coming into contact with chemicals, so it's crucial to choose toys that are not only environmentally-friendly but safe and non-toxic, too.
Packaging is an often overlooked aspect of purchasing a sustainable toy, but it's important to consider to make sure your eco-efforts are not in vain! Often, sustainable toy manufacturers will have considered their packaging wisely, and distribute their toys in minimal, recyclable cardboard. The best ones to go for will even include a photo of the packaged toy, which helps when making a decision.
If you're trying to avoid receiving a product covered in a load of single use plastic or excessive amounts of cardboard packaging, you can always contact the seller to ask prior to purchase. Even if they cannot guarantee minimal packaging, it provides useful feedback to help the company or website to improve in the future.
The variety of sustainable toys is getting better all the time and you can expect to find all kinds of toys. Whether you choose toys for outdoors, imaginative play, education or comfort, you'll be able to find one to appeal to your child's interests. Still not sure what to pick? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Outdoor and sports-related toys like frisbees or scooters encourage spatial awareness, fitness and good hand-eye coordination. Likewise, imaginative play is particularly important for smaller children. These toys can come in all shapes and sizes from playhouses, gardening tools and more. Comfort toys, such as teddies, can sometimes find themselves used in imaginative play, or just for good old snuggling!
Children may not like the idea of their toys being "educational" but many of the best sustainable toys combine learning with fun! STEM toys focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, encouraging problem solving and creativity. For kids with an interest in artistic expression, STEAM toys focus on STEM subjects with the addition of the arts, boosting critical thinking and creative skills.
It may sound obvious, but it's crucial to decide on your available budget before you start shopping for a sustainable toy. Prices can vary a lot, and some sustainable toys can be on the more expensive side due to the costs of ethical manufacturing. That said, there are also a lot of affordable eco-friendly creations to capture your imagination, so setting some boundaries before shopping is a must!
You can find lots of exciting options from around £10 - £20, or sometimes even less. Educational toys are often around the £20 mark, and if you are looking for a toy for a special occasion or as a present, you can spend upwards of £100 for a long-lasting sustainable toy.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Price | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Micro Maxi ECO Deluxe Scooter | £129.95 High | A Multi-Award-Winning Scooter Made From Repurposed Fishing Nets | ||
2 | Build Your Own Working Telescope | £19.99 Mid | A No-Mess Slot Together Kit Made From High Quality Sustainable Cardboard | ||
3 | West Design Creativity For Kids Grow 'N Glow Terrarium | £20.99 Mid | Create Your Own Eco-System | ||
4 | Stoie's Musical Instruments Set | £29.99 Mid | Nine Wooden Instruments to Introduce Toddlers and Pre-School Kids to Music | ||
5 | WWF Miombo Tumble Tower Game | £17.99 Mid | A Fun Game That Supports Conservation Work | ||
6 | Peppa Pig Wooden Family Home | £27.49 Mid | Made From Environmentally Responsible FSC Wood | ||
7 | Green Toys Watering Can & Tools | £16.49 Mid | Safe, Non-Toxic and Made From 100% Recycled Plastic Milk Jugs | ||
8 | Aurora World Eco Nation Seal | £12.99 Low Mid | Soft Seal Pup Crafted Entirely From Recycled Plastics | ||
9 | TP Toys Wooden Deluxe Mud Kitchen | £140.00 High | The Ultimate Mud Kitchen for Outdoor Play | ||
10 | Green Toys EcoSaucer Flying Disc | £7.49 Low | Guaranteed for Plenty of Good Green Fun |
One of the more expensive options on the list, The Maxi ECO Deluxe Micro Scooter would make a great birthday or holiday gift. Micro's trailblazing scooters are already renowned for their expert engineering and durability, and now have impressive eco-credentials to add to the list.
Micro recycle fishing nets, ropes and trawls transforming them into colourful decks for their scooters. Best of all, Micro scooters are built to last using high-quality replaceable parts, so they can be passed on instead of ending up in landfill.
If your kids are starting to show an interest in space, they're sure to enjoy this Working Telescope. Made from high-quality, sustainable cardboard, the pieces simply slot together without glue or mess! With this kit, your kids can create a full functioning stargazing telescope with a glass optic lens providing incredible x16 magnification.
Perfect for nature watching or getting a close up of moon craters, it'll keep children entertained whilst supporting STEM learning. An excellent beginner's telescope that's creative and fun, they won't even mind that it's educational!
The Grow N’ Glow Terrarium is a complete kit that helps children create and take care of their own miniature ecosystem. It's a fun way to teach kids about botany, ecosystems and the life cycle of plants. Easy to assemble, decorate and take care of, it's very rewarding and helps teach responsible stewardship of nature.
If misted every day, the seeds will sprout within 3-4 days, teaching kids about the importance of water in an ecosystem. It includes everything that's needed for two full planting life cycles, perfectly combining arts and science.
If you're looking for a toy that's sure to inspire excitement in young children, it has to be Stoie's Musical Instruments Set! It's a hands-on way to introduce little ones to music, including a flute, chime bar, hand drum, tambourine, wooden block, castanet, maracas and handbells.
This set creates the perfect opportunity to spend quality time together as a family while having lots of fun, too. It also includes a cotton drawstring bag, which is ideal for playdates, car trips or school show and tell.
When it comes to toys that combine fun with sustainability, this one is up there with the best. The WWF Miombo Tumble Tower Game is made from sustainable FSC wood, in eco-friendly packaging. Recommended for kids aged three years and up, the aim of the game is to construct a tower and carefully remove the blocks one by one until it tumbles!
Perfect for kids who love wild animals, a contribution of the profits go to supporting WWF's crucial conservation work.Plus, the building blocks are decorated with endangered African animal prints, which can be used to inspire a guessing game too.
Peppa Pig is all the rage these days (as we're sure you already know) so if you want to play it safe when toy buying for a little one, this Wooden Family Home is a great choice. Peppa’s World of Wooden Toys are made from environmentally responsible FSC wood in the typically cheerful Peppa colours!
Not only is the doll house totally adorable, but it encourages fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and imaginative play for toddlers. All parts are durable and safe for young children, and everything stores neatly inside for tidy play, which you're sure to appreciate.
Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs, the Green Toys Watering Can features an easy-to-pour spout and cotton rope carrying handle with a rake and shovel. Great for the garden, at the beach or even in the bath, this classic set introduces kids to gardening and taking care of the world around them.
Made from safe, BPA-free and non-toxic materials, it's easy to clean and can even be put in the dishwasher. Sturdy and well-designed, Green Toys have a great reputation for being an eco-friendly toy company, and this bright, fun set is sure to bring hours of good green fun!
If you're looking for a cuddly toy, they don't get much cuter than the Eco Nation Seal by Aurora World. Although a range of different animal friends are available, we love the fluffy seal and think your kid will too.
Made entirely from recycled plastics, including the filling, it has embroidered eyes instead of plastic parts to ensure it's as sustainable as possible. Suitable from birth upwards, children of all ages will love snuggling up to this super soft and cuddly toy, while allowing you to do your bit for the environment!
Here is the kitchen many of us would have loved to have owned as children! Kids may have computer-based toys and games these days, but there's nothing quite like the magic of having your own play kitchen.This Wooden Mud Kitchen by TP Toys is the ultimate, featuring an oven with a door, removable sink tub, a refillable water tank with a tap, and blackboard.
The kitchen also comes with a charming set of stainless steel pans and a whisk, for cooking up those mud pies! A high-quality design made from FSC timber, it's made to last for a long time.
There can be a tendency with sustainable toys for the colour scheme to be muted or neutral tones, which may be pleasing to the parents but not so impressive to the child. Which is why we love that the EcoSaucer Flying Disc by Green Toys comes in a vivid neon green which is perfect to keep track of as it flies through the air.
Lightweight, easy to clean and dishwasher safe, the EcoSaucer is made 100% from recycled plastic grocery bags. Safe and BPA-free, it comes in minimal packaging, which is a major plus. Just take care to supervise play to prevent bumps!
Whether you're already taking the sustainable lifestyle seriously, or you're just trying to be greener where you can, you're sure to love these other articles on sustainable products. Whether it's cleaning products, daily goods or a gift for someone special, click the links below for our tips and eco-friendly recommendations!
We hope this article has given you plenty of inspiration when it comes to finding the perfect sustainable toy for the child in your life. Whether entertaining, educational or a bit of both, it's easier than ever to shop green!
Author: Melanie McPhail
No. 1: Micro|Maxi ECO Deluxe Scooter
No. 2: Build Your Own|Working Telescope
No. 3: West Design|Creativity For Kids Grow 'N Glow Terrarium
No. 4: Stoie's|Musical Instruments Set
No. 5: WWF|Miombo Tumble Tower Game
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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