The best eco-friendly gifts for kids

 

We’re trying to do things a little bit differently this Christmas. So much of the reading we’ve done in recent years has been about our responsibility to the planet we live on. Many of our favourite books of the year have been inspired by this topic and we have been inspired in turn. (Incidentally, if you haven’t yet read Save Our Forest! by Nora Dasnes or The Song That Sings Us by Nicola Davies put them on your Christmas list now!).

So, with that in mind we’ve been looking for eco-friendly gifts for the kids this year. We really want to encourage them to be more mindful and less wasteful – and we want the gifts they receive from us to reflect that, too. Here are a few of our favourite finds. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they also all come from small businesses, so you can give yourselves a double pat on the back with these great gift ideas!

 

Make Your Own Patch Kit from Little Mashers

This fun creative kit allows kids to design and make fabric patches to repair clothes or simply embellish an old jacket, jeans, shirt or t-shirt. These kits are designed sustainably - clear bags are biodegradable and compostable, stencils are made from reusable oilboard and the cotton panels are offcuts from a cotton supplier. 

 

Save Our Oceans craft kit from Cotton Twist

This beautiful activity kit combines hours of crafting fun with an important message, perfect for raising awareness. The materials are all sustainable too. The set is made with plywood cut outs and wooden lolly sticks, and comes with watercolour pencils, a wooden paintbrush and full instructions.

 

The Pirate Den Kit by The Den Kit Company

We’ve been the proud owners of one of the Den Kit Company’s original den kits for many years. It has provided hours of fun, both at home in the garden and on camping trips too, and is still going strong. There’s no single-use plastic involved and it gets the kids outdoors – win! This pirate-themed version looks amazing.

 

 

A hammam towel by Luna & Fern

One of these hammam towel gift sets would make a great gift for the teen or tween in your life. Versatile, compact and quick drying, they're perfect for a wide range of activities such as swimming, the gym, camping, festivals, water sports, surfing, yoga, the beach and more.

 

Book subscription from Parrot Street Book Club

It goes without saying that we think a book subscription makes a great gift! Read more about why we think subscriptions should be top of your shopping list this year (and every year!) here.

Our subscription boxes never contain any single-use plastic. Our activity cards and packaging are all recyclable, making one of our subscriptions a great eco-friendly gift option. Plus, for every subscription box we ship, we donate 50p to Coram Beanstalk, a wonderful UK charity that places reading helpers in schools.

Browse all our subscriptions, chapter books and gifts here.