The Best Eco-Friendly Gifts for Children

Grimm's Spiel & Holz wooden toys are handmade in Europe, individually sawed from raw wood. They are stained -- not painted -- with non-toxic bright colors that penetrate the wood rather than sitting on top, which preserves the surface characteristics of the wood. In addition to Grimm's, Bella Luna Toys also carries other heirloom-quality non-toxic eco-friendly toys. Many more Grimm's toys here. 

Tender Leaf Toys are handmade in a family-run factory in Indonesia that provides safe and dependable work for hundreds of villagers. Due to their concern for the environment and natural resources Tender Leaf sources its wood from only reclaimed rubber wood trees, a byproduct of the latex industry. They plant one new tree for every reclaimed tree they use. The toys are finished with non-toxic paints and are rigorously tested for safety.

HABA Toys was founded in Germany by Eugen Habermaass and today continues to be owned and run by his family. Their focus is on making non-toxic educational and entertaining wooden toys in a sustainable environmentally-responsible way. HABA is recognized for its commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and for its heirloom-quality toys.

Uncle Goose wooden toys began in 1983 after a new dad couldn’t find good wooden blocks made in the U.S. He began making wooden alphabet blocks at his home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Today the family business still makes all their toys in Grand Rapids from raw materials found in the local area. Their blocks are handmade in more than 18 languages andhave other themes now such as the planets, the Periodic Table of Elements, bugs and pioneering women.

Apple Park’s non-toxic plush stuffies for babies and toddlers are made in India from certified organic cotton and a corn fiber filling, not polyester. Apple Park was founded in 2009 by new mom Angie Ting after she couldn’t find baby toys that met her high standards for safety and environmental compatibility. Apple Park also makes non-toxic organic children’s clothing, blankets, books and accessories.

Adhering to the Waldorf School philosophy, Bella Luna's educational toys make learning fun. They believe that children learn through play and that early learning toys should be well-designed and nourish a child's creativity and curiosity. All of their learning toys are made to encourage the development of essential skills in a way that is creative, wholesome, and inspiring. Like all of Bella Luna's toys, they are made with natural non-toxic materials, stains and paints.

Grimm's Spiel & Holz solid wooden toys are individually handmade in Europe and stained -- not painted -- with non-toxic bright colors that penetrate the wood rather than sitting on top. This truck is made from alder and maple wood and finished with plant-based oils and water-based stains. This truck has smooth rounded edges and it carries 10 colored blocks in the back.  Many more Grimm's toys here. 

This wooden truck from Fagus is made in Germany of solid beechwood without the use of any screws or nails. It's joined together with dowels and glue. The wheels are made of natural rubber. The truck is one of several construction vehicles in this series. 

This rideable wooden scooter from Bella Luna Toys has a roomy storage basket up front that kids can put treasures in and take from place to place. It's made in Thailand from chemical-free rubberwood, using formaldehyde-free glues, organic pigments, and water based dyes. The wheels are rubber. It has a beep-beep horn for added fun.

This nifty xylophone is made in Thailand from solid beechwood and finished with non-toxic vegetable-based dyes. The keys produce soft and muted tones. It's a great way to encourage a child's natural sense of rhythm and foster an interest in music.

For babies and toddlers, this stuffed dog from Apple Park is made from organic cotton and stuffed with a natural organic cotton and corn fiber filling. No plastic poly. No foam. They are GOTS-certfied and have eco-friendly AZO-free dyes. Free of BPA and phthalates. 

This soft fairy doll for babies is made with organic cotton and is made in Sri Lanka by eco-friendly manufacture Tikiri Toys. Organic cotton is grown without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and uses 91% less water than regular cotton and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions. 

Holztiger's wooden toys are made in Romania from sustainably-harvested solid maple and other woods and hand-painted with non-toxic watercolors. They are tested and certified to meet American and European safety standards. This Tyrannosaurus Rex is made from maple and beech wood and has the tactile feel and simple design Holtztiger is known for.

This wood puppy was a winner of the Parents magazine 2012 Best Toys awards. It's Climate Pledge Friendly, is finished with non-toxic paints and its wheels are trimmed with rubber. Children can pull the pup behind them and "teach" it to sit, stay or roll over. It also helps to develop fine motor skills and promotes dexterity and hand-eye coordination. 

Tender Leaf Toys makes wooden toys that are ideal for small hands. All of their toys are manufactured in a family-run factory in Indonesia. This woodland animal set comes with eight wooden figures made from the wood of reclaimed rubberwood trees, a byproduct of the latex industry. 

These fun blocks for children feature constellations. They're solid and well-made and educational for both kids and parents. This is just one of many topics covered by Uncle Goose Blocks. Made in Michigan from domestic basswood, the blocks have other themes like insects, planets, chemical elements, mythology and sea life.  

This classic wooden sailboat from Bella Luna toys is great for bathtub fun. It's made from solid eastern pine and has a clear water-based non-toxic finish. It offers a choice of two sail colors: multi-color stripes or red and white stripes. It comes with two hardy removable sailors. Made in the US. 

hese natural wooden blocks from Haba are made in Germany of sustainably sourced, solid natural, untreated beech wood. The 26-piece set is PEFC-certified, which means Haba uses timber from sustainable forests in Germany. The beech and birch wood comes from local forests located within 100 miles of the HABA production facility.

A" is for apple and "P" is for pear in this  Alphabet Pictures Puzzle. This lowercase alphabet tray has tiles with raised letters that when lifted reveal corresponding pictures and words. It's a fun way for children to problem-solve and learn first words too. It's made in Indonesia of rubberwood and non-toxic paints.

This hop scotch chalk from Eartheasy is talc-free and non-toxic. Not only fun, it encourages outdoor play and exercise and easily washes off sidewalks and driveways. It includes six pastel colors and it comes in a cardboard cylinder. 

Learning about fractions is fun with this all-wooden citrus fruit board. Kids can use the knife to divide the fruits into a wide variety of fractions, halves, thirds, quarters and fifths. The fractions are printed underneath to help children understand this mathematical concept. It's made of sustainably-harvested rubberwood and non-toxic paints. 

The Growing Wishes Flower Garden kit from Eartheasy offers a fun way for children to start or add to a flower garden. They can also be grown in pots. The kit includes seeds for six different flowers and each steel tin they come in is labeled with the flowers' traditional sentiment. Sweet pea for friendship, lavender for happiness, forget-me-nots for love, and three more. 

The vibrant paints in this non-toxic finger paint set are made from food-safe, non-GMO plant-based ingredients like potatoes, rice, and beans and organic fruit and vegetable extracts. They come in powder form and can be easily and quickly mixed with water, letting you use only as much as you want each time. Arrives in a recycled cardboard box.

These educational wooden blocks from Uncle Goose each feature a different ocean animal. They're handmade from Michigan basswood and printed with non-toxic paints. They are made in the US.  Check out all of Uncle Goose's blocks collections. 

It's hard to avoid the ubiquitous plastic pots in which most plants are sold at garden stores. This kit helps to make small biodegradable starter pots from newspaper to plant seeds and seedlings. They remain intact even as the young plants grow and roots penetrate the newspaper. When plants are ready to transplant, just plant the pots and all into your garden. The newspaper will naturally decompose in the ground. the base is made in Canada.