Hi everyone! I’ll have to admit that I never was much of a worrier when it came to the environment or materials. But now that I’m a Mom, things like chemicals leaching into my kids’ food and possible contaminants on their toys freak me out. So I like to help promote the use of safe, recycled toys – because my babies will inherit this Earth one day!
Here are the top 10 toys made from recycled materials:
#1 – Green Toys Recycling Truck
Kids can have fun with this toy and learn about recycling while playing. The Recycling Truck lets kids sort items by paper, bottles and cans, which are cutouts that are made from the recyclable packaging box the toy comes in.
The truck has individual chutes that kids can put the cutouts into. The toy itself is made from recycled milk jugs – so it’s free from all the colors or dyes that can be harmful to a child.
A great plus with this toy is that the wheels don’t have any metal for the axles, so you won’t have to worry about your child coming into contact with rust. Another benefit is that if the truck gets dirty, you can pop it into the dishwasher. This is a great way to help teach your kids about taking care of the world they live in!
#2 – Green Toys My First Tugboat
The My First Tugboat is a toy that’s bright, fun and environmentally safe. It’s made from recycled milk jugs and is the perfectly designed toy for babies. The boat has curved edges so you don’t have any sharp ends that kids can get hurt with.
Even older kids enjoy playing with this toy. The boat has see-through windows and an easy grip handle. Fill the boat and watch the water gush from the spout. Babies love this because it floats well and it’s a great bath toy. My kids LOVE their bath toys.
#3 – Green Toys Dish Set
This set of dishes is made from recycled milk jugs and doesn’t contain any harmful materials like in some plastic dish sets. This 24-piece set is so safe that it meets government rules for use with REAL food.
Kids love that – being able to put real food on their dishes and real drinks in the cups. The set is the right size for little ones to handle and a great idea for use in tea parties or playing house or camping.
Because the colors are suitable for boys or girls, boys enjoy playing with this set, too. The dishes are also dishwasher safe. I love any toy I can plop in the dishwasher and have clean and free of herms.
#4 – Green Toys Cookware and Dining Set
For toddlers two years old and up, the Green Toys Cookware and Dining Set is a wonderfully imaginative set that can be used inside or out. Like all Green Toys, this set is made of 100 percent recycled materials – so it’s safe to use with food.
The set cleans easily and can be washed in a dishwasher. The 27-piece set has a lidded pot, a shallow skillet and dinnerware for four people. This toy made the Parenting Magazine list of Top 100 Toys. I love it. So precious!
Playing outside is a lot of fun for kids when they have the Green Toys Sand Play Set. This set consists of four items: a bucket for carrying sand or treasures, a sand mold lid and a sturdy yellow rake and shovel.
Kids can dig in the ground, the sandbox or on the beach with these pieces and the sand mold is great for building castles from mud or beach sand. The plastic pieces are made from safe materials, are thick and are resistant to cracks. I know here, with the Texas heat, this is important because toys inevitably get left outside and if the heat is on them, they’ll get cracked and ruined.
You pay more for this sand play set than you would one you could pick up at the store, but this set is safer for your children and the environment and will outlast the cheaper products.
#6 – Green Toys Chef Set
Kids have a lot of fun playing pretend cooking with chef pots and pans. Green Toys has a great set that’s safer for your kids to play with because the plastic contains nothing harmful.
Plus, you won’t have to worry if your child wants to put a snack in the pot – these BPA free dishes are completely safe to eat from. The set has five pieces: two utensils, a spatula and a ladle, a skillet and a blue lidded stockpot. Even kids as young as 18 months love this set. Like the other dish sets from Green Toys, this one is also dishwasher safe.
#7 – Green Toys Tool Set
This cute tool set in soft colors will have your child ready to work on any pretend project. Your child will have fun learning how to loosen or tighten bolts and how to hammer or saw. The tools help kids to master motor skills and also teach them what each is called.
This is a 15-piece set that offers a lot of imagination! Inside the set, you’ll get the sturdy tool box that can house the 2 screwdrivers, one a flat head, the other a phillips, a hammer with 2 nails, 2 bolts along with 2 nuts, a pair of pliers that work, a saw, connectors and a wrench. My boys would have loved this at this age!
#8 – Green Toys Airplane
Toys that can simulate flying are a favorite among boys and girls. The Green Toys Airplane is a delightful blue or red color that’s easy for little ones to hold because it’s lightweight.
This one seater has a propeller that turns, realistic looking landing gear and molded stripes. Kids as young as a year old can run and play with this airplane because it’s made of strong recycled plastic without any sharp pieces.
The plane is tough enough to withstand the drops and tosses a toddler will give toys without cracking. It’s 9 inches in length and like other Green Toys, can be washed in the dishwasher if needed.
Both boys and girls love fire trucks and Green Toys has one that looks great in vibrant red and doesn’t contain any metal pieces. The firetruck has a roof ladder like you’d see on a real firetruck and the ladder will lift and turn 360 degrees.
Side ladders come with the truck and kids can take these off for further play like if they wanted to pretend they were performing a rescue. It can be used indoor or out. The firetruck is extremely sturdy and will last for years.
If you have babies or toddlers, because this is a safe, chemical free toy, if your little one happens to guide this toy to her mouth (as most toddlers will) you’ll know that while it might annoy her sibling, the toy is safe if she does attempt to chew on it.
#10 – Green Toys Flatbed Truck and Race Car
The Green Toys Flatbed Truck is a colorful blue and gray truck that has a flatbed back that will lift up so that the racecar it can carry can slide right off. Kids can move the truck with the racecar on the back of it, but many kids love to keep the car separate too.
Kids like to use the back of the truck to haul other items around. No matter how rough kids get with these toys, they remain durable. That’s because they’re made of strong recycled plastic that’s tough enough to handle a child’s play.
Even the wheels on the truck and the race car are made of durable plastic minus any metal. No harmful paint was used in coloring either vehicle. Even the packaging the toys come in is decorated using environmentally friendly soy ink!
My favorite? The one right above coming in at #10 on the list. I love that! How many flatbed trucks do you see in the toys department? Yet kids would be fascinated with this setup. And it gives two toys in one.
Tiff 😉