The Best Non-Toxic & Sustainable Gifts for Kids: 2023 Edition
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an eco-friendly & Sustainable Gift Guide for Children
Do you want to give a more practical and sustainable gift this year? We’ve created several gift guides that will make your holiday shopping more accessible than ever. Whether you are shopping for your children, niece, nephew, or grandkids, we make sure to only list products we genuinely believe are making a difference in the world and treating the planet and makers the way they should be - with love & respect.
WHAT MAKES A GIFT SUSTAINABLE?
We look for several things when deciding if a product should be listed in our sustainable holiday gift guides…
1) What is the gift made out of? The gift we add must be made from eco-friendly materials that are easy on the planet.
2) Who made the gift? The maker behind the item is just as important and should be compensated fairly for their time.
3) Does the brand implement sustainability within its entire business? We don’t want surface-level eco-friendly products; we want brands who genuinely care about sustainability and enforce it throughout their business wherever they can - from shipping to giving back.
4) Is the gift practical & something they can use for many years? We’ve all been given gifts we could have done without, but we find every gift we add to these lists are practical and going to be loved for a very long time (& be able to be passed down to another kid).
p.s. check out our favorite eco-friendly toy brands
our top picks for sustainable gifts for kids:
Curious Kingdom Buildable Playsets
Brand | Playper
Price | $15-35
These toys are filled with silliness that young kids will love! Started by a group of three entertainment-industry parents who wanted alternatives to plastic toys, Playper creates buildable playsets that inspire imagination and creative play. Their first toy line, the Curious Kingdom, features a castle, a working catapult, a dragon trainer set, and a unique Story Starters card set that prompts storytelling in a fun way that kids will love.
Organic Fleece Clothing
Brand | Crann Organic
Price | $40-56
Crann Organic's ethically-made organic cotton fleece clothing line is super soft and GOTS-certified! The line features colorful hoodies, sweatshirts, sweatpants and dresses. We love that they are gender-neutral and sensory-friendly. Plus, they're free from irritating tags and cuffs, making them perfect for little ones with eczema or sensitive skin. Pictured is the Organic Cotton Fleece Oat Hoodie, which features ski-themed adventure patches on the pockets, perfect for this winter season, and they even have matching sweatpants!
It's such a cute set for your son or daughter during the year's cooler months. Find each organic cotton fleece collection style in sizes 2-12.
Anywhere Chairs
Brand | Pottery Barn
Price | $127-229
Another big hit amongst our little ones are these reading chairs! These cuties come in various fabrics, colors, and prints with personalizable slipcovers. Plus, they zip off and are machine washable. This one shown is made from durable cotton-twill and is GREENGUARD Gold Certified, which means it has been screened for over 10,000 chemicals and VOCs to keep your kids safer.
“Rebel Girls” Organic Pajamas
Brand | Mightly
Price | $38
Mightly’s new “Rebel Girls” collection offers PJs, bike shorts, dresses, tops & pants, and bras & undies. A perfect gift idea for the toddler or pre-teen in your life! Mightly’s GOTS-Certified organic cotton pajamas are available in sizes 2T to 14. They are made in a Fair Trade-certified factory with ZERO chemical flame retardants. They have a snug fit for safety and are tag-less for comfort!
Recycled Toys
Brand | Green Toys
Price | $13-53
This is one of our favorite sustainable toy brands for kids! Every Green Toys design is made from 100% recycled plastic, primarily from milk jugs. The milk jugs are collected, cleaned, and reprocessed into raw recycled plastic before being mixed with food-safe, mineral-based color dyes, and each toy is manufactured right here in the US! From watering cans to bathtime boats, every child will find a toy they can love.
Vet Pretend Play Set
Brand | PlanToys at TenLittle
Price | $35
Perfect for the little animal lover in your home! This sweet toy brand prides its business model on Sustainable Materials, Sustainable Manufacturing, & Sustainable Mind. PlanToys uses rubber trees & sawdust called “PlanWood,” made from surplus sawdust and wood chips from production reformed using a thermal process. They finish their products with a chemical-free kiln-drying process to ensure they last for years.
Child &Adult Matching Bib Aprons
Brand | Mayamam Weavers
Price | $54
How CUTE are these aprons?! They’re perfect for the littlest chef or baker in your life. These are made out of 100% durable natural cotton and come in a variety of colors and patterns. They’re handmade by a cooperative in Guatemala using traditional weaving techniques of Mayan culture, and are Fair Trade Federation certified. (P.S. they’re machine washable/dryable, so you don’t have to worry about the kids getting them messy!)
Chamulas Stuffed Animals
Brand | Obakki
Price | $34
These playful 100% wool plush animals are handcrafted in Mexico’s central Chiapas highlands using a technique known as back loom. The Indigenous Mayan weavers of this small community learned their craft from generations of ancestral knowledge. The women initially used the leftovers from woven textiles to craft these stuffed animals as toys for their children but have since started making them for the international market. They have dogs, lions, skunks & more.
Recycled Scooter
Brand | Micro Kickboard
Price | $100-150
We know this scooter brand is a hit with toddlers and young children! This particular one is made from recycled fishing nets and plastic, and a portion of annual sales go to 1% for the Planet. Not only that, but all parts are replaceable, so your scooter doesn’t end up in a landfill, and you can easily hand it down to another little one when your child outgrows it. Find it in 2 sizes: the Mini, ages 2-5, and the Maxi, ages 5-12.
Non-Toxic Art Supplies
Brand | Eco-Kids
Price | $12-38
Eco-kids is one of the best brands for eco-friendly and non-toxic art supplies for kids. A family-based business from Portland, Maine, eco-kids started with one product - an eco-dough Cammie’s (the owner) mother used to make when she was little. They expanded on this product and created several different non-toxic arts and crafts supplies. The ingredients are safe for children and made from ingredients like non-GMO flour, vitamin E, and essential oils.
Dinosaur Herb Grow Kit
Brand | My Garden Provisions on Etsy
Price | $26
Your kids are sure to have a roarin’ good time! This educational and creative kit allows children to experiment with nature and grow their own herbs! Included in each kit is a dinosaur fact sheet with mini figurines along with 4 recipes to make at home with the herbs. (p.s. if you already have dino figurines & want to reduce the amount of toys you own, you can opt for the original kid grow kit here).
Toddler Play Sets
Brand | Lovevery
Price | $120
Lovevery has these fantastic play kits you can have delivered to your door every few months as your child grows (from ages newborn to 4 years old). Every piece of wood with The Play Kits is sourced from FSC-compliant sustainable sources, and they use soft, natural, 100% organic cotton.
They also ship carbon neutral through projects that offset any carbon they emit while shipping.
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WANT MORE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS? VISIT OUR BRAND DIRECTORY!
Our Brand Directory is home to hundreds of sustainable brands, from makeup to cleaning supplies, from underwear to shoes. We have broken everything down by category for easy shopping, along with discount codes unique to Sustainably Chic viewers.
