In this article we discuss the worldly benefits of choosing eco-friendly and fair-trade toys for children.

Toys are fundamental to a child's development. Children learn so much through engaging with toys (a few examples: fine-motor skills, problem solving skills, counting and alphabet skills, memory skills, creativity and use of imagination... and the list goes on and on).

Add to this the social skills children learn when they play with their friends or parents (more examples: sharing, ownership, how to have fun...).

One important factor that is often overlooked when a new toy is purchased is how responsibly the toy was made. Where did the toy come from? What materials is the toy made of? What impact has the toy had on the environment? What impact has the toy had on the people who made it? 

There are a growing number of toy brands that are cognizant of where the toys and toy materials are sourced. They source regenerative materials, recycled materials or plantation materials. They use glues, paints and dyes that are free of toxins and environmentally friendly. They ensure the toy makers and workers are paid a fair wage so they can support themselves and live a reasonable standard of life.

More often than not the toy brands that are careful about the sourcing of their toy materials also produce better quality toys that not only last longer but pose a lower risk to the child's safety. This is a win-win-win-win scenario (a win for the child, a win for the toy brand, a win for the toy makers and a win for the environment - i.e. the world).

We list here some examples of brands that are doing the right thing (in our opinion): Hape Toys, Melissa and Doug, Plan Toys, Q-Toys, Soopsori, Discoveroo, EverEarth, Barefoot... (Again we could go on and on)

We encourage parents and gift-givers to think about this next time they are in the shopping mall or browsing the internet for gift ideas for children. Eco toys can cost more but you really do get what you pay for.

About the Author

Cathy Kelly Written by David Lenn, parent and owner of Little Kiddies Australia - a toy store that specialises in wooden toys, eco toys and only sells kids toys online within Australia.

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