Eco-Friendly Gift Guide for Kids 2020
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If 2020 has taught us anything; its that we shouldn’t take anything for granted. Of all the challenges we’ve experienced in 2020, one of the things that has upset me the most is the huge steps backwards we appear to be taking in looking after our planet. It felt like at the end of 2019, we were starting to make huge steps with recycling and reducing single use plastic but now we see scenes of discarded masks on the floor, litter being left in public spaces and we’re back to using more single use plastic in supermarkets and on food deliveries than ever before; as well as more wipes and bottles of sanitiser, hand wash and soap!
This Christmas we are attempting to buy eco friendly gifts where possible, opting for non plastic, sustainable and longer lasting gifts that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
As well as the gift itself; we will also be embracing eco friendly wrapping ideas. It’s great to see that many big stores have stopped selling glitter covered wrapping paper this year; but there are lots of other fun ways to wrap your gifts that are not only better for the environment but look great too! We also LOVE our new personalised family stamp from Stamptastic, which is a quick and easy way to add a personal touch to your gift tags this Christmas (and it’s far quicker and less stressful too!)
One thing I was determined to change this year was to not buy Christmas crackers. As much as the girls love the tradition of popping open a surprise around the dinner table, the amount of glitter and shiny paper waste they generate for a few seconds of joy is ridiculous, and I was keen to find a fun alternative.
These Wentworth Christmas Puzzle Crackers are a GREAT option; and something that the whole family can enjoy, as the wooden puzzles revealed inside definitely take a bit of team work to put together, with some really fun shaped and tiny pieces to pop together.
I love that these are something that can be bought out and reused year after year, and if you’re kids are getting impatient waiting for their Christmas turkey, this is a great way to distract them too! With a variety of different jigsaw designs to choose from; in an adorable red easy open cracker; these are a GREAT alternative for Christmas 2020!
My girls love their play kitchen and role play toys, and where possible we have always opted for wooden toys over plastic.
Danish manfacturer Dantoy has gone one further, making a range of bioplastic children’s toys and creative play accessories made from sugar cane, an 100% sustainable raw material. Even the packaging is recycled plastic these toys have a much smaller carbon footprint than traditional plastic toys!
We love this adorable dinner set and the colours are really lovely too!
A wide range of Dantoy products are available to buy at my local ethical toy shop Mini Mini Kids.
For children who want to learn more about the world around them and with an interest in STEM subjects. this educational and fun Green Science set is ideal. Packed full of plastic free experiments, children can learn more about the environment and sustainability by growing plants, making a recycled rocket and discovering renewable energy!
Green Science retails at just £19.99 and is available with £5 off at Amazon now.
When we reviewed the Whirli Subscription box almost 2 years ago now; I knew we’d found something special and we went on to pay for an annual subscription ever since. Rather than buying loads of new toys that create waste and get discarded or left on the shelf after just a few weeks; why not look into toy subscription services like Whirli instead.
With Whirli you simply borrow toys (from their wide range for children from babies to juniors) and when the kids get bored, swap them for something else. No waste, no hours of assembly and a chance to ‘try’ toys without the huge initial investment. We’ve saved a FORTUNE using Whirli over the last 2 years and if the kids really really love a toy, you can even buy it from them at a discount based on how long you’ve had it.
You can learn more at Whirli.com If you use my REFERRAL code – ZDO4SV9L – you can even get £5 or 15% (whichever is greater) off your first order!
For sustainable puzzles with a difference, these 3D Wooden Puzzles from Kikkerland are a really great activity to entertain kids young and old. Â With sturdy wooden pieces, the kids will love watching as they gradually piece the characters together and bring them to life.
The Kikkerton 3D Wooden Puzzles are available to buy from Amazon here.
Finally, I think it’s fair to say we’ve all spent more time outdoors in 2020 than ever before and if anything; its really made me appreciate those family walks, adventures and days of exploring our surroundings we had during lockdown. National Trust and English heritage sites are a great way to gift a whole year of adventures and the perfect excuse to get the wellies on; zip up the coats and embrace all that our English landscape has to offer.
Learn about gifted National Trust Memberships here (I am a paid member and have been for 7 years).
What other eco friendly gifts have you come across in 2020?
I’d love to hear about them!!
