If you are looking for the best non-toxic toys for babies and toddlers, then look no further! This post is full of amazing toys that are eco-friendly and chemical-free!
Is there such a thing as toxic toys?
Yes, there is such thing as toxic toys. As a matter of fact, most toys sold in the United States are made with toxic chemicals.
Around 85 percent of the toys sold in the US are imported from China. Because China doesn’t have very strict regulations, the toys they manufacture contain toxic chemicals banned in Europe and Canada and are no longer used in the US. That means at least 85 percent of toys sold in stores are toxic, and that’s not even counting toys made in other countries that may contain toxins.
Don’t forget to do your own research
I could write a whole blog post about all the different toxic chemicals that are used in the manufacturing of our children’s toys and all the horrible things they can do to their little bodies. However, this post is going to focus on all the best non-toxic toys that are also available to us.
If you want to look further into all the toxic chemicals you should avoid and why I listed a bunch of information-packed resources at the bottom of this post.
Why are non-toxic toys better?
There are so many things to love about non-toxic toys besides the obvious fact that they don’t contain any icky chemicals.
I love that many non-toxic toy companies just have an overall mindset of doing good.
The wonderful people over at Bears for Humanity employ men and women from underserved communities and for every bear that is purchased they donate one to a child in need.
There are also many non-toxic toy companies that are Fair Trade certified such as Finn + Emma. Fairtrade means that producers of the products are paid living wages and work in safe and humane conditions.
The German toy company Haba makes their wooden toys from reforested timber. Under the Nile provides safe and healthy working conditions, in addition to healthcare, on-site daycare and school for their children, and daily organic meals made from food that’s grown at their own farm.
The thing I love most about non-toxic toy companies is how eco-conscious they are. Either they use recycled materials, renewable resources, or eco-friendly manufacturing practices.
It’s nice to know that when you buy non-toxic toys you are not only protecting your child’s health and safety but also supporting companies that are positively impacting the environment and the world.
Click here to read my post on 8 easy things you can do every day to help the Earth!
Is there a downside to non-toxic toys?
While non-toxic toys are wonderful in so many ways, there is a downside to non-toxic toys and that is…the price.
Most non-toxic toys are very expensive. There are a few companies that sell some reasonably priced non-toxic toys, but most are far from budget-friendly.
Here are my thoughts on this. I think making sure your child’s environment is as non-toxic as possible is really important. There are so many things we cannot control when it comes to protecting our children from toxins out in the world. So when we get a chance to have some control such as the products we put on their skin or the way we decorate their nursery we should exercise that control to the best of our ability.
I think that having a small collection of quality, long-lasting non-toxic toys is better than having containers worth of toxic and potentially harmful toys.
My daughter already has containers upon containers of commonplace, probably toxic toys. Just thinking about how many chemicals I could possibly be exposing her to makes me sick. But do I have the money to go run out and replace all her toys with non-toxic versions? Hell no! So my plan is to slowly start replacing her toys one by one as I am able.
If you are preparing for a new baby, register for all non-toxic toys and start a good collection from the very beginning! If you already have a large collection of possibly toxic toys, do what I am doing and slowly start replacing them one by one.
I’ll say what I always say when I am talking about non-toxic products: Just do your best.
Living in the toxic world we live in it’s impossible to be perfect and you’ll go crazy if you try. It’s not the end of the world if your child has a few toys that potentially contain toxic chemicals. Just do your research, make better decisions going forward, and do your best. Every little bit counts.
What are the best non-toxic toy brands?
BANNOR TOYS
- Wooden toys made in the USA
- Organic, non-toxic woods and paint
- Uses organic beeswax and flaxseed oil finish
- Has silicon teethers that are Lead-Free, BPA Free, Cadmium Free, Mercury Free, Phthalate Free, and more!
BEARS FOR HUMANITY
- Bears are made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton with no harmful plastics, chemicals, or dyes
- Bears are filled with recycled materials
- Hand-sewn by women and men from underserved communities in the USA
- With every purchase made, they donate a teddy bear to a child in need
BEGIN AGAIN
- Uses the sustainably harvested Hevea Rubber Tree to make wooden toys and the sap of the tree to make rubber bath toys
- Uses recycled plastic and wheat/corn bioplastics for plastic toys
- Made without BPA or Phthalates
- Most products are 100% compostable
CAMDEN ROSE
- Phylate-free, Lead-free, PVC-free
- Wooden toys made from
- Made in the USA
- Knitted products are made by Peruvian economically disadvantaged women who hand-dyes and knit
- A cooperative that employs hearing-impaired women hand-sews their dolls
ECO-KIDS
- All-natural art supplies
- Non-toxic play dough and paint
- Crayons made from organic fruit, plant, and vegetable
FINN + EMMA
- Toys are made from untreated Indian hardwood and finished with non-toxic vegetable seed wax
- Hand-knit toys made by an artisanal women’s collective in Peru with G.O.T.S certified organic cotton yarn and wool stuffing
- Fair Trade Certified
GREEN TOYS
- Made in the USA
- Toys are made from recycled milk jugs
- Colored with food-safe, mineral-based colors
- Received the Greener Packaging Award for their 100% recyclable cardboard packaging
GRIMM’S SPIEL AND HOLZ
- FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified meaning wood for wooden products does not come from exploitative production
- Wood is only sourced from sustainably managed forests in Europe
- All colors, stains, and oils are non-toxic and completely harmless
- Made in Germany
HABA
- Wooden toys that are manufactured in Germany are made from reforested timbers
- Safe, non-toxic, water-based lacquers are used on all their products
- They use recycled corrugated with as little foam as possible to package items
- Made in Germany
HAPE
- One of the world’s largest producers of toys made from sustainable materials
- FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified
- Uses non-toxic finishes
HEVEA PLANET
- Products made from the Hevea Rubber Tree
- The natural rubber is biodegradable
- FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified
- Painted with natural colors
MAPLE LANDMARK
- Made in the USA
- They have great recycling practices: Instead of sending scrap wood to a landfill, they advertise free kindling wood and give it away to the community; Wood shavings are collected and local farmers take chips and dust to their farms to use for cattle bedding
- Their Schoolhouse Naturals collection uses no paints or finish coatings
PETIT COLLAGE
- Their plush toys are made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton with non-toxic eco-friendly dyes and are filled with certified polyester made from recycled water bottles
- Packaging is printed with soy inks on recycled cards
- Uses non-toxic water-based paints
- All products are BPA-free and lead-free
PLAN TOYS
- Made from natural rubberwood trees that no longer produce latex
- To strengthen the wood, they use a chemical-free kiln-drying process
- Assembled using a certified E-Zero formaldehyde-free glue
- Uses environmentally friendly organic color pigments
- Uses water-based dyes that don’t contain lead or any other heavy metals
UNCLE GOOSE
- Made in the USA
- Makes wooden blocks
- Uses fast-growing sustainable basswood
- Block designs printed using non-toxic and child-safe ink
UNDER THE NILE
- Stuffed toys made with 100% organic Egyptian cotton
- Made with absolutely no Azo colorants, BPA, flame retardants, formaldehyde, fragrance, PVC or lead
- Made by their Fair Trade partner in Egypt
- GOTS certified
VULLI
- Sophie la girafe is made of 100% natural rubber from Hevea trees growing in sustainable forests
- Toys are painted with food-grade paint
- Toys are BPA Free, Phthalate Free, Latex Free, Lead Free
WONDERWORLD
- Uses non-toxic water-based paint
- Wooden toys are made out of rubber trees
- Wonderworld plants one tree for every tree used
Find the best non-toxic toys for babies and toddlers below!
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