Fun and Educational Eco-Toy Ideas That Kids In Kindergarten and Younger Will Love This Season

Skip Hop Hug and Hide Activity Bear.

If you are still doing your holiday shopping, looking for things that your kids will love to play with, learn without realizing it, and still be safe for them and the environment, then I have some great ideas for you!

I came across a really great eco-online toy outlet called Peapods Natural Toys and Baby Care, that’s a one-stop-shop some of the best and most popular eco-toy brands, including: Skip Hop, Green Toys, BEKA, and Uncle Goose.

Skip Hop

Skip Hop Hug and Hide Activity Owl.

Skip Hop has a particular stuffed toy called the Hug and Hide Activity Owl (there is also a bear version available) which I really like that’s featured on the site. The owl arms open and reveal a mirror and a baby owl inside.

The toy also has other developmental activities including rattles and squeakers. The dimensions of the toy are: 8 inches high, 7 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. The toy – made in China – is ideal for babies that are three months old and up.

Peapods specifies that the toy meets safety standards that include the following: ASTM, CPSIA, and EN71.

Green Toys

Green Toys – also previously featured on GreenVitals – has a lot of toys on Peapods worth mentioning. Everything from Green Toys is made in America, and packaged using recycled and recyclable materials and printed with soy inks.

Green Toys Submarine From Recycled Milk Bottles.

Among the noteworthy toys from Green Toys is the Submarine From Recycled Milk Bottles, which features a spinning rear propeller, a flat bottom that adds stability for floating, a big handle, and a wide mouth opening that’s great for scooping and pouring water. The dimensions of the submarine are: 10.5 inches long, 5.5 inches wide, and 4 inches high.

In addition, some great news for parents is that the submarine’s cabin can be opened for easy cleaning, and the whole toy is dishwasher safe. The toy also meets safety standards in that it has no BPA, phthalates, PVC, external coatings, and also meets FDA food contact standards.

Green Toys 18 Piece Recycled Stacking Blocks Set.

Also, one of the toys that I really like from Green Toys is the 18 Piece Recycled Stacking Blocks Set, which is ideal for babies that are six months old and up. These basic, brightly colored, snap-together blocks are ideal developmental toys, which can be used to teach about colors, shapes, and counting skills.

These blocks will also naturally develop babies’ motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and well as build imagination, and spur language skills interacting with others. These blocks are great for building things like castles, towers, and anything else that can be imagined. These can be great activities for children after stories have been read and then they want to build things from the stories.

These blocks are made from 100 percent recycled plastic milk containers, and meet safety standards, including no BPA, PVC, phthalates, or external coatings.

BEKA

For kids that are a little older and have already developed good motor skills and coordination, BEKA has a 36 Piece Standard Solid Maple Unit Block Set, which combines 11 different shapes, including: pillars, columns, Roman arches, half-circles, small triangles, squares, and rectangles.

BEKA 36 Piece Standard Solid Maple Unit Block Set.

With these blocks, kids can build even more elaborate castles, towers, and other structures. These blocks are recommended for one-year-olds and up. They are all smooth sanded, have rounded edges and corners, and have no artificial finishes.

These blocks are made in St. Paul, Minn., using sustainably harvested maple from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada.

Uncle Goose

If you’re looking to incorporate building activities with reading skills, then a great idea is Uncle Goose blocks – also previously featured on GreenVitals.

Uncle Goose Deluxe English Block Set With Pull Wagon.

Peapods features a lot of Uncle Goose’s wooden block sets, including the American Sign Language/Braille Block Set, the Spanish Block Set, Chinese Block Set, and a Deluxe English Block Set that comes with Pull Wagon.

The block sets and wagons are ideal for two-year olds and up. All of the block sets are made in America.

The wood used to make the blocks comes from two sources – farmed, planted, and harvested from industry managed lands around the Great Lakes, and reclaimed.

“Some of our wood comes from people that would normally just clear-cut a patch of land to build a house and just let the logs rot,” explained Pete Bultman, the company’s owner.

All of the blocks also have tapered edges and use non-toxic ink that meets CPSIA and ASTM safety standards.

Related GreenVitals Stories

• Green Toys Inc. Wins Award for Environmentally Friendly Innovations
• Uncle Goose Takes A Curious Approach Teaching Presidential History

 Reader comments and input are always welcomed!