by Melissa Miles McCarter

Created on: November 13, 2009

So many toys and gifts made for children are made out of plastic and other materials harmful for the environment. You might want to teach your children that gift-giving can be eco-friendly, but aren't sure what would be green and fun for your kids to enjoy. Knowing what gifts are eco-friendly can be challenging, especially when trying to stay within budget. Luckily, there are some great

gift ideas for kids that aren't damaging to the environment.

1. One reason to go eco-friendly in your gifts for your kids is to protect them from harmful chemicals. Organic gifts made out of natural cotton without damaging dyes can be a great choice. Eden Home makes some great organic clothing, natural skincare and eco-friendly toys free of unwanted chemicals and pesticides. They use BPA free and recycled plastics for such products as jump-ropes, Frisbees, and cook-ware toys. They also have great wooden toys, including musical instruments and bikes with natural dyes used to protect the finish. Especially great for infants and young children are stuffed animals made from 100% organic cotton.

2. Another reason to get eco-friendly gifts for your kids is that they aren't very hard to find. In fact, even one of the largest toys stores in the country, Toys R' Us offers environmentally friendly toys. Whether you are looking for games, trains, tea sets, blocks or rattles, you can find almost every type of toy in a eco-friendly alternative. As more and more big companies provide eco-friendly gifts for children, the prices for these products go down, so shopping green doesn't have be expensive.

3. Buying green for your kids can be an extension of buying green in general. If your family strives to leave a smaller carbon imprint on the environment, you might want to seek out gifts for your kids which expresses your philosophy. This choice can help your children become aware of their effect on the environment early on. According to Eco Family Fun, the families who play together stay together and going green can be a joyful process. If your children thinks that being green is fun, easy and practical, they are much more likely to make greener choices as they grow up.

Giving green gifts to your children can protect them from harmful chemicals, protect the environment, and be easy and fun. Explore the different options to give gifts to your children that they will always enjoy.

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