Guide to Less Toxic & More Sustainable Gifts for Kids -

I am so tired of all the cheap plastic toys, that’s why I am always on the hunt for more sustainable gifts for kids. We really try to keep the plastic toys to a minimum in our household, but it can be especially hard when it comes to the holiday season. That’s why I have put together a gift guide and list of my favorite items and toy brands. Check it out!

Things to look for when searching for less toxic or sustainable gifts for kids:

Locally made– look for items made in the US (assuming you live in the US). Or even better, made in your state. Stay away from toys made in China. China doesn’t have as many regulations as most countries have. Not everything on this list is made in the US, but I like how safe the products are, if it’s made elsewhere.
Wood– stay away from the plastic toys and look for toys made with wood. If they are painted, make sure they are made in the US or Europe, where lead-based paints are banned.
Non-toxic finishes and or paints for wood toys- No finish is best, but if paint or some kind of finish is used, make sure the company discloses what they use. Beeswax, shellac, linseed/flax seed oil and tung oil are all safe finish options. Look for non-toxic, water-based paints and dyes.
If you must buy plastic look for BPA free recycled plastic or polypropylene– Green Toys is a great brand, they use recycled milk jugs. Avoid anything with PVC.
Avoid flame retardants– usually common in furniture.
Avoid anything with small batteries– I have seen so many stories about kids swallowing tiny batteries recently, so I think it is best to just avoid anything with tiny batteries.

_{Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you.}

Safe & Sustainable Toy Brands

EverEarth

EverEarth, located in Germany, uses primarily sustainable wood and water-based paints for their toys. No harmful chemicals are ever used in their products. The company uses recycled material for packaging, environmentally friendly shipping and solar power. They also plant a tree for every product purchased. Check out all the EverEarth toys here.

EverEarth children's tool belt with saw, hammer, wrench and screwdriver

EverEarth toddler workbench with tools and nuts and bolts

EverEarth wooden pot and pan cooking set with veggies and utensils

PlanToys

Plan Toys, made in Thailand, uses wood from reclaimed rubber trees and focuses on sustainable manufacturing and sustainable materials. They also use organic color pigment and dyes that are water-based and free from heavy metals. PlanToys has wooden baby toys, educational toys, musical instruments, doll houses, play kitchens, play food, blocks, water toys, ride on toys and more. Check out PlanToys here.

Hape Toys

Hape makes good quality, sustainable bamboo toys. They claim that by the time you receive the toy, the bamboo used to make it has already grown back. Hape takes great care in the materials they use and are actively reducing the use of non-degradable materials. Their factories use solar power, they recycle water and they use green packaging printed with soy inks. Hape uses non-toxic water-based paints and solvent-free lacquers. I got the doll house below for my daughter last year and it has been a huge hit. Check out all their toys here.

Hape doll house — Hape All Seasons Wooden Dollhouse

Haba Toys

Haba uses non-toxic, water based paints and finishes that are free of solvents. They produce most of their toys in Germany and their timber comes from sustainable forests in Germany, Finland and Russia. For every tree cut down, more are planted in its place. Haba has tons of different toys from teething toys and educational toys to airplanes and water toys. Check out all their products here.

Haba blocks set — Haba Wooden Building Blocks

Haba wooden puzzle — Haba Wooden Building Blocks

Cuddle + Kind

This company is amazing, they sell handcrafted knit dolls and they donate 10 meals to kids in need for every doll they sell. Their dolls are ethically produced in Peru, where they pay their artisans a sustainable, fair trade income. Therefore, the dolls are a little pricey, but it is for a very good cause, so it’s worth it! So far, they have given away over 13 million meals.

Cuddle and Kind african american mermaid dolls

Random Toys I Love

Wooden Weather Calendar

I can’t get enough of this weather calendar! It features a temperature dial, weather dial, seasons dial, wind conditions dial and cloud types dial. Made of maple and cherry hardwood and finished with food safe linseed oil. This gift is the perfect way to help kids learn about the weather. Mirus Toys is located in Vancouver, Washington and has dozens of other educational wooden toys. Check out her Etsy store here.

Wood Castle Kit

I just discovered this castle kit and I want one for myself! It is handmade from the highest grade birch plywood (formaldehyde free) in Gig Harbor, Washington. They use biodegradable packaging material and offer numerous other wooden toys. The company has other wooden kits for a doll house, tree house and regular style house. Check out the Manzanita Kids Etsy store here.

Le Toy Van Kids Wooden Doctors Play Set

My daughter has this wooden doctors kit and she absolutely loves it! She loves giving all her bunnies (she’s obsessed with bunnies) check ups. I love that it is great quality and not made of plastic. This makes a great gift idea for kids who are scared to go to the doctor.

wooden doctors kit with bag — Le Toy Van Wooden Doctors Kit

Tiny Land Wooden Train Set

We have this wooden beech wood train set and I think my husband and I have had more fun playing with it at times than my daughter has! We ended up ordering more pieces to make an even bigger track, click here to see more pieces. This set is made in the US and is lead, phthalates, and BPA free. Check out this set here.

Arks and Animals Handmade Wooden Toys

I have bought several things from this Etsy store for my daughter and I just love them! Their items are handcrafted in New York, colored with non-toxic dyes and finished with non-toxic mineral oil (mineral oil is derived from petroleum, so not exactly up to my standards, but I let it slide because these are handmade and made in the US). Check out all their items here.

wooden elephant shaped box with wooden animals that go inside — Elephant Story Box

wooden cat shaped box with wood cats and accessories that go inside — Elephant Story Box

Non-Toy Gifts Ideas

Experiences

This is one of my favorites. I love gifting experiences, like tickets to a movie, bowling, the zoo, aquarium, children’s museum, etc. A gift card for a dinner out or to your local arcade or sports arena. Places like the zoo, aquarium and children’s museums usually offer annual passes, check your local zoo, aquarium or museum for more information. I usually check Groupon for local activities.

Organic Canvas Teepee

Santa brought this organic canvas teepee for my daughter two years ago and we all love it! It is incredibly good quality, washable and it comes with a color changing LED light. The company is based in Canada (I mean the North Pole, because the elves made this, duh) and they have several other cuter options that aren’t organic. Check out all their teepees here.

Stuffed Animal Storage Bean Bag Chair

I just discovered this genius idea and I am definitely getting one of these for my daughter for Christmas. Its basically an empty bean bag chair. You just fill it with blankets and stuffed animals and it acts as storage and a bean bag chair. How genius! They come in size large (33 inches) or extra large (38 inches) and have several colors and prints. It’s made of durable 100% cotton canvas material with a heavy duty zipper. This is made in China which I don’t love, but the company tests for lead, cadmium and phthalates. So I will let it slide. It is also made without flame retardants, which is very common in furniture. Get yours here.

Grey and white striped bean bag chair filled with stuffed animals for stuffing, girl sitting on top — Creative QT Stuffed Animal Storage Bean Bag Chair

The Idea Box Kids

These boxes feature 30 wooden coins with activities on each side, 60 activities total. Your child chooses a coin and you do the activity together. Each activity requires little to no planning and can be done in the house or may require going somewhere. They have over 30 different themed boxes such as road trip, night time, adventures, chore, birthday, science, scavenger hunt and more! Check out all their boxes here.

The Idea Box Kids Family Set box with wood coins — Christmas Themed Idea Box

Binoculars

I’m ordering these binoculars for my daughter for Christmas. They are durable, shock-resistant, have a non-slip grip, carrying case and a breakaway strap for your neck. These binoculars are also light weight and perfect for small hands. See them here.

Silicone LED Night Light

We got this bunny night light for my daughter over a year ago and it was a game changer when it came to our night time routine! She was having a hard time getting used to sleeping in her toddler bed and had been sleeping on the floor. This night light and some bunny sheets (she’s obsessed with bunnies), finally got her sleeping in her bed. It is battery operated, but plugs into USB, we just leave it plugged in all the time. It changes colors, has a remote and also comes in a bear, unicorn, dog, penguin, dinosaur and owl. Check out all their night lights here.

Silicone bunny LED night light with remote — LED Silicone Bunny Night Light

Personalized Wooden Piggy Bank

This piggy bank is handcrafted in Texas with organic oak and finished with bees wax and food safe mineral oil. You can choose any letter and personalize it with the name of your choice. Get yours here.

Wooden letter A shaped piggy bank with acrylic on front and name Alex on acrylic — Personalized Wooden Piggy Bank

Save, Spend, Share Piggy Bank

Yes, another piggy bank. I couldn’t pass this one up though. This piggy bank is such a great way to teach kids how to save, share and spend their money. These boxes are made of wood and acrylic and are handmade by a mom of four in North Carolina. Check out her Etsy store here.

wooden piggy bank box with acrylic on front and slots on top. Three sections labeled spend, save and share — Spend, Save, Share Piggy Bank

Subscription Boxes

KiwiCo Box Subscription

My daughter absolutely loves her KiwiCo box! Each box comes with all the supplies to create your own STEM-based project. They have 9 different boxes to choose from for different ages to different interests. The price starts at $19.95 per box and the more months you sign up for, the more mony you save. You can gift a subscription and they also offer gift cards. Get 7.5% cash back right now if you order through Rakuten (formerly Ebates). (The cash back on Rakuten changes, so it might be different on another day.) Get 50% off your first box here.

Kiwi Co box with fish, fishing poll, felt sea animals, book, booklets and box — KiwiCo Box

Kids Snack Club

This subscription box is a great way to try new, healthy snacks. For $30 a month, you get a box full of healthier, organic snack options. All the snacks are made without high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives. They are also non-GMO, organic and gluten free. Each box purchased helps feed a child in need. Get your first box free when you prepay for 3 or more months, just use promo code READYSETGO. Order your Kids Snack Club box here.

Green Kids Craft Discovery Box

This subscription box comes with 4-6 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities and a 12-page magazine. It was founded by a scientist-mom to get kids away from screens and inspire them to explore nature and their environment. Plans start at $23.95 per month and are as little as $21.91/month if you sign up for 12 months. Check it out here.

Green Kid Crafts Discovery Box with nature art projects — Green Kids Craft Discovery Box

Check out more subscriptions boxes for kids here.

Book Subscription Boxes

Below are the three best and most affordable book subscription boxes I have found. For more book subscription boxes, check out this site.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library– It doesn’t get any more affordable than this one, the Imagination Library will send your child one free book per month! It is not available in all areas, so check their site to see if it’s available in yours, sadly it’s not available in our area. Check availability here.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Murphy’s Preloved Bag of Kids Books– This one is my favorite, they send you 5 used books (board books to chapter books) per bag for $12.50 per month. These books are in like-new, or new condition and for every subscription they sell, they give one away to kids around the country. The also have adult book subscription bags too. Use promo code SANSPANTS for 20% off your first shipment. Order yours here.

Murphy’s Used Books and Media

Our Little Book Club– With this box you get two hardcover books and an activity book for $14.99 a month. If you sign up for 12 months, its $14 per box. Use promo code DEAL10 at check out for 10% off or code READYSETGO to get your first box for free when you prepay for at least 3 months. Order yours here.