11 Eco Friendly Toys for Toddlers That Will Promote Their Development
A thorough list of age appropriate toys for your toddler that’s easy on the planet
Are you looking for a gift for your toddler?
Or maybe you need a few more toys to keep him entertained throughout the day while you’re busy doing house chores?
This guide will provide you with more than just a list of toys. Rather, it will focus on eco friendly toys for toddlers, specifically ages 1.5-3 years old.
The first time I knew I needed eco friendly toys was when Haylee was a few months old. She loved this one toy which was colorful and made noise.
Don’t all kids love that?
Anyways, she would suck on a small part of it all the time, and one day, I noticed that the color was starting to fade.
I was horrified knowing that the color was ingested by her. I understood at that moment that not all toys are manufactured for the safety of our little ones.
Many toys are there just to attract our toddlers’ eyes, but they aren’t necessarily focused on safety.
So I started doing research before buying any toy for her. I wanted to make sure it was safe enough and didn’t harm the environment in the process.
Let’s discuss what categorizes a toy as safe and environmentally friendly.
What are eco friendly toys?
An eco friendly toy is anything made of natural materials, meaning it can be recycled or it’ll eventually break down on its own.
Examples of such materials include:
- Wood
- Canvas
- Cotton
- Bamboo
There are a bunch of toxic materials to avoid when buying toys for your little one. These can include:
- Dyes
- Phthalates
- BPA
- PVC
- Lead
When shopping for your toddler, look for sustainable and environmentally friendly toys. Not only will you help the environment, but you will also be helping your child. These materials are not just potent for the planet.
There have been numerous studies linking the abovementioned materials with dangerous results in humans, such as health and development.
Now that we know what to avoid and which materials are safe, here’s a list of eco friendly toys for toddlers.
Related:
Sustainable toys for toddlers
I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission. Thanks.
Many of the toys that I’m about to mention here I’ve purchased for Haylee and they’re a hit!
Furthermore, they are great for toddler development, helping them with different skills.
Busy board
This is a great toy to take with you in the car since it folds up and it’s lightweight. It will also help your toddler learn how to use different kinds of closures such as zippers, snaps, and buckles.
Non toxic crayons
Some brands of crayons are made with asbestos, which is carcinogenic. Look out for ones made with natural ingredients.
However, if you want it to also be vegan, avoid any crayons with beeswax. These crayons are made with palm instead.
Check out these coloring pages to go along with your new eco friendly crayons!
Wooden geometric stack board
This stacking board is a great way to teach your little one colors and shapes. Some of the shapes are also a bit challenging so it’s a perfect blend of your toddler figuring it out on her own and learning a new skill.
Personalized name puzzle
I bought this as a gift for Haylee’s first birthday. I love how you can personalize the text, colors, and shapes. However, it was a bit too early for her. She only started enjoying it and being able to do the puzzle on her own at around 22 months old.
This is one of my favorite eco friendly toys for toddlers since it really helps them with the skill of doing puzzles, as well as learning their name!
Stacking rocks
Stacking objects is an excellent way for your tot to learn the concept of balance. These rocks are made of wood and water-based paint so no harmful materials.
Wooden music set
Kids love making noise and when they can do it with natural materials, it’s even better for all! This music set includes 11 different instruments to help your toddler develop their music side.
Another one of my ideal eco friendly toys for toddlers.
Veggie finger paint
Yup, you read correctly. This is made of vegetables, so it’s perfectly safe for your toddler if he loves to put everything in his mouth. All you need to do is mix the powder with some water and you’ve got finger paint!
An excellent eco friendly alternative to most paints for kids.
Tool workbench set
Eco friendly toys for toddlers can also come in the form of big play sets like this one. It’s perfect for any toddler that loves pretend play. This tool set helps develop your toddler’s creativity and imagination while playing.
Lacing beads
This is a great toy to enhance your little one’s fine motor skills. She may not be ready for this at 18 months but give it a shot and see what she can do. It’s a great way to practice even if it means a bit of help from your side.
Wooden stacking train toy
With this sustainable toddler toy, your little one will develop his imagination as he builds this train in different ways. This train set offers a multitude of ways to build it, there’s no right answer here.
It’s a phenomenal way to advance his creativity while still purchasing one of these eco friendly toys for toddlers.
Jurassic volcano house
This is a cute toy for those that love dinosaurs or stuffed animals. It comes with 5 plush dinosaurs to play with in the volcano house. It’s another toy to spark creativity in your tot.
To wrap up
When shopping for your little one, be sure to check what materials they use so that you’re not introducing anything harmful to your family and the environment.
This list of eco friendly toys for toddlers includes developmental and learning toys since that’s the best kind of play – fun and educational.
What toys does your toddler love to play with? Let me know in the comments, I’m always looking for new ideas for Haylee!
