Great Green Gift Ideas for Kids
Most toys are simply garbage. There I said it. Long-ago, most toy companies stopped thinking about what’s best for kids in order to focus on profits, no matter the social and health implications.
This phenomenon explains how cheaply made Chinese products have flooded toy store shelves in recent years, pushing out socially-responsible competitors. A disturbing number of these products were so bad to be recalled due to the presence of lead in the toy.
Lead in children’s toys? I don’t know about you, but that’s inexcusable in my book. Distressed by the potential for harm not only to my own children but to those of friends and strangers as well, I sought out alternative options in the burgeoning market for green gifts.
What I found is a diverse market for high quality gifts – many of which are made in the U.S.A. – that don’t sacrifice function for social responsibility. Generally-speaking, green gifts work directly to protect the environment and public health by eliminating harmful toxins from the manufacturing process.
Either way, the consumer wins. You get well-made, safe toys for your children that do no harm. With Christmas right around the corner, now is the perfect time to take advantage of the benefits of green gift giving.
Here are 5 awesome green gifts your children will love:
Nintendo Wii – Yes, you read that right. It may be a little subjective to call the Nintendo Wii a green gift, but it does have advantages over other game systems. Namely, the Wii is more than 10 times more energy efficient than the Play Station 3 or Xbox 360.
Arbor Collective – This sustainable skateboard and snowboard company produces boards made from farmed aspen, poplar, cork oak and bamboo so that old-growth species can be preserved.
Brookstone Boogie Board – A LCD writing tablet with stylus removes paper from the equation, saving trees while allowing your children to draw or write until their hearts are content. The 8.8” x 5.6” tablet is pressure sensitive to allow lines of varying thickness and use even with the touch of a fingernail.
Plan Toys Eco-Chalet Dollhouse – This modernist dollhouse is made of all-natural recycled rubber wood and includes miniature replica solar system. Two separate units can be arranged and rearranged in numerous variations.
The Lorax – This iconic children’s book by Dr. Seuss tells an enduring environmental tale that should be shared by every parent and child.
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