Sustainable Gifts You Can Make (Or Buy) For Kids

One Australian study reported that humans consume almost five grams of micro-plastic a week, much of which comes from food packaging. That’s almost like swallowing a credit card every seven days. Microplastics that get in the ocean from pollution like laundry washoff can’t be scooped out with a fishing net. If you don’t have time to make children’s clothing (of course, we understand), there are artisans on Etsy who sew pajamas, shirts and other clothing items out of vintage material, organic cotton and sustainable wools. Borobabi children’s clothing company allows you to buy, rent or return their sustainable garments (their business model is circular retail).

Giving a grow kit to a kid can accomplish a few things. 1) Gardeners can share their love for a hobby that can last a lifetime. 2) Cultivating plants is an excellent way to teach about the science and wonder that’s a part of a plant’s life cycle. Photosynthesis is pretty magical at any age. 3) Tending to a seedling can be a nice low-stakes way to give a child responsibility. Perhaps the chore like plant watering can be a first step toward bigger assignments such as taking care of a pet.

Plenty of gifts can be made from discarded items you find around the house. Making a toy from upcycled materials is fun and educational. CraftFoxes has instructions for several fun projects that can be made for or with kids, including Cardboard Laptop and Cardboard Camping Tent from the the book “Cardboard Creations for Kids.” Amanda Kingloff, author of "Project Kid," demonstrates how to turn an old shampoo bottle into a rocket and an empty juice box into an owl. Such projects are fun and low-cost.

These days, plenty of companies are building toys made from sustainable materials. Plan Toys manufactures an eco-friendly wooden Xylophone. The Name Train Town Set has wooden locomotives and tunnels for kids to drive them through. The Japanese company Mokulock makes LEGO-like bricks out of trees that can be sustainably harvested. Many classic toys, such as the Brio Labyrinth, have been etched out of wood for decades.