5 Sustainable Gift Ideas For Children
In an era of ever-increasing awareness of eco-issues, people are striving more and more to make eco-conscious buying decisions. And this includes giving gifts to children that are sustainable as well as fun. Only ever reaching for mass-produced cheap plastic toys sends the wrong messages to the next generation. There are many gifts available that show youngsters that there are other sustainable options that are equally, if not more, fun.
5 Sustainable Gift Ideas For Children
Wooden Toys
Wood is excellent for toys because it’s renewable, robust, and versatile. Young children love playing with bright wooden blocks, stacking them up and knocking them back down again. Where brittle plastic will eventually break from such usage and become a long-lasting landfill item, wooden blocks last for many years. Older children appreciate dolls, houses, workbenches, and numerous other toys designed to catch their imagination.
Natural Fibers
Most fabric used for modern clothing contains a high percentage of plastics. Giving children textile gifts made of natural fiber allows them to experience the feel of real fabric while reducing their exposure to microplastic. The best organic baby gifts include adorable outfits that suit any occasion and sweet soft toys. An organic soft toy allows babies a safe medium to explore different textures without worry when they inevitably chew on it as part of their exploration.
Musical Instruments
Giving children access to musical instruments is an excellent way to encourage their development by stimulating the brain. In babies, the sounds of a rattle or shaker help develop hand-eye coordination, hearing, and cognitive development. For older children accessing music helps them learn to beat, hone listening skills, fine-tune gross and fine motor skills, and much more. Second-hand instruments are often just as good as brand new, making them an excellent choice for a child starting their musical career.
Books
The joy of a good paper book will never be lost, no matter how much tech gadgets take over our lives. Introducing children to read books from a young age helps engage them with good lifelong reading habits. Older children may keep favorite books for life, but others that are eventually outgrown can be passed for as long as they’re readable. And second handbooks are a legitimate gift idea themselves, proving that books really are an ideal sustainable gift to give.
Recycled Plastic Toys
Let’s face it; we aren’t getting away from plastic in the near future, meaning at times, it can be hard to avoid reaching for the plastic option. Thankfully, there are now better plastic options, with some toy companies using recycled plastic to make their products. Green Toys have a range of sturdy, imaginative toys that are one hundred percent recycled milk bottles. Not only are the toys great fun for children, but they’re incredibly safe due to the food-grade plastic used.
Choosing sustainable gifts for children of any age allows you to give new and exciting gifts while normalizing non-plastic tat options to the young recipients. And there are sustainable options like organic clothes to books to suit any aged child.
