With our first baby on the way years ago, we were overwhelmed by the responsibility we had from this point on. We started thinking about what do we want for our kids – what future do we wish for them? As nature plays an important role in our lives, there was this immediate desire to protect the beauty of nature. Hence, we have to be very conscious of the things we allow into our lives. Children’s toys play a big part in our western society. We have way too much and most of it is made from plastics. However, we prefer non-toxic toys made of natural materials.
Environmental pressure
We want our children to be able to grow up in a world with the same outdoor beauty and opportunities as we experienced our childhood: experiencing all four seasons in all their beauty, being able to ski in the backyard, picking spring flowers in the meadow, going swimming in the nearby tap water quality lake – the list goes on and on.
As being a parent, we know how hard that can be, so we are giving you five practical tips on how to make a smart choice:
Here are five tips – how to choose childen toys:
- Get inform – try to avoid window shopping
- Buy used toys – especially wooden toys at flea markets or thrift stores
- If possible, buy from local stores that specialize in safe and non-toxic toys. Or choose select online stores: herrundfrauklein.com, greenstories.de, kyddo.shop
- Take a look at the certificates (we will dedicate a separate blogpost to this)
- Buy – Use – Reuse – Resell: Choose long lasting toys – try to make the most of it!
Main criteria: material
One of the most important criteria for us when choosing toys is the material and, if possible, the indication of the country of origin. I am sure that no parents would intentionally buy a toy that contains toxic ingredients that could harm their child.
Of course, there are different safety standards depending on the country you live in. However, to be on the safe side, choose toys made of natural materials and from producers who take social and ecological aspects into account, rather than shiny, perfumed, plastic toys.