How to Go Green With Kids’ Toys

Global warming and imbalanced ecosystem are the harsh realities of today’s world. But more and more people are now recognizing the need of the hour and trying to inculcate environment friendly ways in their life. Popularity of organic food and solar heaters are apt results of this awareness. Children being the future of this world also need to be taught about the importance of being eco friendly and what can be better than starting from their very own full time companions-toys.

Everyone needs to do their bit and as parents we can be aware and buy ‘green’ toys so that our future generations do not suffer. Green toys are safe not only for the environment but also for our kids. Let’s have a look at how we can take a step forward in making our kids’ toys green.

Natural toys

Prefer buying toys that are made of natural biodegradable materials. Wooden toys, dolls made of cotton, wool, and environment friendly clay are some of the options. Sometimes, the wooden toys are painted so choose non-toxic and lead free paints so that they are easy both on the environment and your child. Toxic and leaded materials can cause slow brain damage in children.

Avoid PVC and phthalates

Plastic toys are generally made of PVC. Apart from being non-biodegradable, PVC releases toxins in the air that directly impact the children who can even put these toys in their mouth. There are many toys in the market that are made of soft plastic. Such toys contain phthalates that are associated with cancer. Due to awareness, such products are now either banned in most of the countries or the manufacturers are going for phthalate-free variants. Be cautious and buy only those toys that are 100% phthalate-free.

Battery free toys

As per a report, Americans purchase more than 4 billion batteries per year. Hence, you can imagine the amount of environmental hazard we cause. If possible, buy green toys that do not need batteries. In case, you have to go for battery operated toys, choose the ones with rechargeable batteries. They are eco-friendly and save you from the inconvenience when batteries run out.

Art and craft

Encourage creativity and imagination in children by encouraging them to make art and craft projects. It can involve drawing activities with non-toxic crayons and paints, gift box creation using extra cardboard boxes at home, educational book reading sessions with role playing using eco-friendly costumes, and imaginative play with recycled materials.

Green toys are a perfect confluence of fun, awareness, safety and friendliness to the earth. By taking just few steps like going green with our kids toys, we can make a big difference. The idea should be to stop altering the world of today so that it remains liveable for the children of tomorrow.