(Catch the guides for ladies and guys, in case you missed them.)
There are some great eco-friendly educational and fun gifts from ethical brands out there, and this guide aims to encompass a variety of gift types and age ranges.
For boys and girls of any age, there are generally eco-friendly alternatives for any gifts you could think of. Aim to stay away from cheap plastic and small pieces, to make gifts safe for children.
Transportation
Let's kick this off with my favorite items on the guide - bicycles! A bicycle is a timeless, classic Christmas gift. As a Schwinn Ambassador, I've really enjoyed riding my bikes this year, and watching the other Ambassadors take their children on rides. Schwinn has a huge range of bicycles for kids - from these tricycles to pedal-less balance bikes to SmartStart optimized bikes. (Link to the yellow bike pictured in the guide.)Check out Schwinn's children's gift guide on Amazon.
More of a gift for parents of younger children, a bicycle trailer can help introduce children to the bicycle life.
Don't forget to include accessories like helmets and pads.
Clothing/Shoes
Organic and fair-trade clothing is not just for adults! Find ethical clothing and shoes for babies and children, and donate pieces as they get outgrown. You can also find children's clothes at many secondhand shops for a lower price point.The dress in the guide comes from Tea Collection, and the hoodie comes from Frugi.
Some of these outfits I actually wish came in my size!
These Acorn slippers (puppy pair and black pair) are so cute and look extremely comfortable for lounging around the house. I wrote about Acorn in the men's gift guide: the company clearly outlines its commitment to sustainability in the materials they use, the way they ship packages, in their actual office, and in their community.
Toys
Does anyone NOT like getting toys for Christmas?This is a category where eco-friendly can mean a lot of different things. There are toys made by companies who follow fair-trade and ethical practices, companies who give back for each purchase made, toys made of upcycled and recycled materials and toys made of sustainable materials like fast-renewing woods and nontoxic paints.
I discovered Cuddle + Kind on Instagram this year and love both their products and their business mission. Their plush dolls are ethically made, and provide a sustainable income for artisan women in Peru. In addition, they donate 10 meals to a child in need for every doll sold, through the World Food Program USA. Beyond all the good they do, these dolls are the cutest ever! There are many different animals to choose from, but I chose Maximus the Cat for the guide, because 1. I love cats, and 2. Our nickname for our own cat is Daximus Maximus!
For a fun, personalized gift, Paper Culture has great eco-friendly games and decorations, like this personalized memory game. It's educational, to teach relationships and important people, and it's cute and fun!
Uncommon Goods has a unique collection of gifts of all types, and they have toys, arts and crafts, books and even apparel. You can filter items by whether they are made in the US, handmade or recycled. I love this eco-friendly alternative to Play Doh, made with natural dough and dyes made from food.
The fire truck pictured in the guide is from Green Toys and is made from recycled milk jugs. The site has a pretty good variety of toys as well. (Side note, I totally love this toy recycling truck! Now that's how to teach a child young.)
Who hasn't had a play kitchen at some point in their childhood? This kitchen from the Ultimate Green Store is made of sustainable, renewable and durable materials and safe water-based paints.
- World Wildlife Fund
- Fair Indigo
- The Ultimate Green Store - 241 Gifts for Kids
- Bella Luna Toys
- Playfair Kids
Home/School
Many of these gifts skew toward the younger end, but a beanbag chair is a fun gift for older children as well. Back when I was younger, blow-up chairs and couches were so popular, and I somehow made one fit in my bedroom. And I'm sure it was NOT made of eco-friendly vinyl...it certainly didn't smell chemical-free coming out of the box!Back to the beanbag chairs - this one is from The Ultimate Green Store. This one comes with a hemp cover, but they also come in a cotton cover.
And because I can't get through a gift guide without including a reusable bottle - I'm sharing TWO in this one! Klean Kanteen has my favorite stainless steel bottle, and they have some specially made for children, some with sippy lids and some with BPA-free nipples. And of course I had to share the yellow bottle with green lid in the guide, because it keeps reminding me of a pineapple, and part of my mind is still back in Hawaii!
For on-the-go, I'm sure plastic water bottles are easier for kids to tote around than stainless steel. This Contigo bottle has an autospout that helps prevent spills, and it comes in a few different colors and prints. And with the loop on the lid, they're easy to carry around and hook to backpacks.
Baby Care
The Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database has a section on baby products, ranking the score of many popular bath products.
Books
Books are a sweet gift that children can keep for many years as sentimental keepsakes. Plus, they are a great item to buy secondhand and pre-loved.For a local gift idea, my friend Denise recently wrote a children's book called A Tip Tap Tale, and it's available on Amazon and locally through the UL Press website!
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