Guest post by Robert
With modern attitudes towards all aspects of life becoming more eco-friendly, environmental toys for children have grown in popularity.
Whether it is decoupage sheets for dressing up, wooden toys produced and built in a sustainable manner, or wood alternatives such as bamboo, there are a number of green toys that are giving an eco-friendly slant to children’s playtime. As if to increase the appeal of these products further, many eco-friendly children’s toys are also directed towards the educational toys market, helping children learn early motor skills as well as develop memory and recognition.
What are the best examples of environmental toys for children, and what are the additional learning benefits the children can gain from them?
Decoupage Sheets
These are a great gift, traditional and modern all at once while providing hours of fun for any child. Whether it is dressing up one of the characters, or building a car or aeroplane, there is much scope for learning when playing with eco-friendly decoupage sheets.
Not only can your child dress up and create to their hearts content, they can tell you a story of their characters, or incorporate their decoupage sheet creations into other elements of their play. They are also a great toy for helping your child to learn colours, shapes, and objects from an early age.
Traditional Wooden Toys
Whether it is from a well-known brand such as Eco Pals or something produced elsewhere, many wooden toys for children are now produced from specifically produced, sustainable wood. Traditional wooden blocks, shape sorter houses, and pull along animals are merely three examples of the children’s toys that are now widely produced with the environment in mind. In addition to the sustainable wood, these toys are often decorated with eco-friendly paint that is chemical free, enhancing the economic benefits.
These toys are often great for developing skills such as co-ordination in children from a very early age, as well as shape and colour recognition as they being to develop further.
Something More Eclectic
If wooden toys and decoupage sheets are not for you or your child, then look for something with a little more edge to it. There are many “bug houses” or worm farm style activities which are now marketed as toys, and give young children the opportunity to take responsibility for something while also helping the environment. Ideas such as this can be ideal for children from the age of six or seven, as they begin to fully move away from younger toys and look for something more “grown up.”