The EKORRE Rocking Moose from Ikea is made of eco-friendly rubberwood and birch but at just $$39.99, this toy costs much less than most rubberwood toys. Of course rocking is one of those great developmental skills for kids – working both their sense of balance and allows them to sort out sensory impressions. Plus rocking is soothing for many kids.

This toy is not available online though. If you’d like this cheerful red moose for the holidays check at your local Ikea store.

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Eco-friendly EKORRE Rocking Moose

Each Concept Box is filled with eco-friendly toys, books and games, pre-packaged to teach specific concepts to young children. Plus the boxes give a parent, grandparent, teacher or caregiver ready-made tools for teaching a child an array of concepts from health and the body to personal safety, good eating habits, geography, travel and even sustainable architecture. For example, the Moody Foodie Concept Box (shown above) comes with US-made, colorful pots & dishware made of recycled milk jugs, sensory dough, food puzzle, cooking/art apron, games, sliceable fruit & veggies and more.

Concept Boxes come in a wide array of interest choices and are ready made for babies, toddlers, and preschool aged kids. Jade’s ToyBox has carefully selected each toy, book and game and also donates a portion of the proceeds to a variety of charities that benefit kids. Visit Jade’s Toy Box to learn more.

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Shopping for Safe Green Toys Made Easy

Today a gift for the kids – Block Puzzles from Mudpuppy.

These block puzzles are ultra cute, as you can see from the Forest Friends Block Puzzle shown above, and feature fun designs by various popular artists. Each puzzle is made up of nine thick 2-inch cubes that can be used as building blocks or your child can form six different puzzle pictures with the set. Change the picture by turning blocks around. Each puzzle comes with a sturdy box with sliding drawer.

As far as eco-perks, the puzzle greyboard contains 90% recycled paper and the packaging contains 70% recycled paper. All designs are printed with non-toxic, soy-based inks. Plus, at just $14, these are eco-puzzles you can afford. The perfect gift for little tykes.

PS – many amazing designs available! Check these Block Puzzles out at Mudpuppy.

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Green Gift – Recycled Block Puzzles

Each animal’s world is missing a little something, and it’s up to your child’s imagination and some eco-crayons to fill in the blanks. For example, the cute otter is missing his fish and the squirrel is hiding his nuts away for winter in a secret hiding place (hmmm? what could that be?).

Cards are printed on recycled paper, printed soya inks, and when completed fold into their included card wallet. Six cards per pack including four designs and two plain for total imaginative art work.

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Recycled Animal Drawing Cards

On the flip side, Toys “R” Us actually has some decent green toys now that cost less than green toys from specialty green toy shops. However, when looking for green toys, at Toys “R” Us or any other toy shop read the fine print. Make sure the toy is actually green. There’s a lot of greenwashing going on and toys are one of the major categories where retailers stretch the truth.

Following are some less expensive non-toxic and green toy finds available at Toys “R” Us that are actually green…

• Eco-Friendly Rainbow Soundblocks (shown above)
• Peter Rabbit Snuggle Organic Cloth Book
• Green Toys Eco-Friendly 17-Piece Tea Set
• Animalz Wooden Hippo
• Eco-Friendly Classic Wooden Balance Bike
• Build and Decorate White Mobile Recycled Cardboard Home
• Green Toys Tool Kit
• PlanToys Eco-Friendly City Station
• Boikido Eco-Friendly Wooden Stacking Gaston the Hedgehog

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Less Expensive Green Toys

Kidsonroof Mobile Home

Kids can take this home everywhere — not true of the typical doll house. Also, not to get sexist but my son who is all boy in the most boy way one can be even likes this house. He told me it looks cool and most doll homes he passes off as, “Girly.” Yes we are working on him never calling things “Girly.” It’s the only thing he does that really frustrates me.
Kids can play with this 360 degrees, pick it up, carry it around, take it in the car, and even sit it on their lap. The home has 8 rooms along with various stair openings and spyholes plus an attic space.

Other perks:

• Made of strong, stable 100% recycled cardboard.
• 100% biodegradable.
• Thoroughly tested: CE approved.
• Easy to assemble and folds down flat for storage.
• No sharp corners and opens on all sides.
• Kids on the Roof donates 5% of purchase to UNICEF.

My perk for you is that it encourages imagination better than a typical doll house. Don’t get me wrong I love some doll houses. However, with the Mobile Home, kids can perceive their own rooms and how they’d like the spaces to be arranged. They can decorate how they choose and simply swim in the simplicity of design that is the blue cardboard house.

Available at Spunky Sprout.

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Offbeat Holiday Gift Guide: Home for the Kiddos