Watching children open their gifts is one of the highlights of the holiday for many people. Shopping for children and imagining their excitement is part of the joy of the season. There are so many options for children’s gifts that it can be quite overwhelming! Whether you have infants, toddlers, or school-aged children on your list, we have some great, green ideas for you!

Gifts for Infants

One item that is always a hit for infants is clothing. Everyone loves to see babies in adorable clothing. Organic clothing is perfect for infants because their skin is so very thin and delicate. Skin absorbs everything put on it so you want to be especially selective with the clothing you put on babies. You can get some great outfits from Kate Quinn Organics or Nosilla Organics. You can get anything from onsies to rompers to pajamas to dresses. 

Another item you want to be careful in choosing is teething toys for baby. Selecting natural and safe items for baby’s mouth is vital. Ringley Natural Teething Toys are adorable and they are made from untreated maple and organic cotton terry cloth. The natural untreated maple wood is well-crafted and splinter proof. These teethers are available in straight or knotted terry cloth or adorable animals as well! These not only make great gifts, but are perfect in size for stocking stuffers! 

Bedding is a great option, too! Because infants spend so much time sleeping, it is important to surround them with organic, chemical free bedding. It is common knowledge that babies shouldn’t sleep with blankets or pillows so a simple organic crib sheet would make a perfect gift! Bambinoland has organic, Muslin crib sheets that are incredibly soft and comfy for baby! Not only that, but they have some of the best prints on the sheets! 

Gifts for Toddlers

Toddlers get so excited about Christmas! This is the age that they really start to understand what Christmas is. Well, maybe they start to understand that they get new toys and that excites them. Regardless, it’s such a joy to watch their excitement.

Imagination is vital at this stage. Toys that encourage imagination are great gifts. Recycled plastic milk jugs made into toys that encourage imagination are genius! Green Toys are just that. The main ingredient in their toys is recycled milk containers and to date they have recycled more than ten million in making their toys! 

Imagination isn’t the only thing important at this stage, education is equally important. Toddlers are like sponges and absorb everything so take advantage of that and teach them as much as you can! Begin Again Toys makes that task fun and easy with their Number Snail and Dinosaur and Butterfly A to Z puzzles. These puzzles are made from natural rubber wood and stained with child safe stains. 

Toddlers are fairly new to the walking world and need some reliable shoes to get around. Their feet are growing at a fast pace but you still want to put shoes on their feet that will keep their feet protected and healthy. Umi Shoes have some amazing designs and are made with strict guidelines for child-safe materials. They use non-toxic drum-dyed leathers and other environmentally friendly materials. They are also sure to package their shoes in recycled packaging. 

Gifts for School-Age Children

Trying to pick the perfect gift for a school-aged child can be rather stressful. Although they are challenging, their gifts can be quite fun! Encouraging imagination, creativity and change are great for this age!

The BFF Bracelet Starter Kit from Shains is a great item for gifting this holiday season. These bracelets are recycled accessories that encourage empower kids to make statements and also allows them to change messages as often as they wish. It’s great for BFFs to do together or even as a mother or father and child project to encourage quality time! 

The environment is something that kids need to learn about. It perfect when learning and fun come together as they do in the Thames & Kosmos  Sustainable Earth Kit. This kit gives the child the tools and information to learn firsthand about the problems our environment faces and how we can overcome the problems through sustainable practices and the sensible use of technology. 

School-aged children can be rough on their clothes so Christmas time is always a great time to replenish their wardrobe with a few items they may have worn through. Hanna Anderson offers fabulous organic clothing options including underclothes, turtlenecks, pajamas and more! Fun holiday prints make it even more enjoyable to “give green”! The kids will love the bold prints!

Buying green doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. Each of the above items is available for $60 or less! As you can see, whether you are buying for an infant, toddler or older child there are many, many “green” options. Why not take every chance you can to teach children about the importance of making green choices, including Christmas! Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays!

~April - Mama on a Green Mission

April blogs about parenting and going green. She and her husband have a 16 year old son, a 2 year old son and a nine month old baby girl who have all encouraged them to make greener choices in their home. Learn more at Mama on a Green Mission.