Plastic Free Gift Ideas for Kids

When it comes to gifts for our little people, there’s so much plastic involved isn’t there?

I’ve rounded up my favourite small businesses that sell plastic free gifts for little ones.

Expecting everyone to go completely plastic free at Christmas is unrealistic, but if many of us make just one swap from a plastic gift to an alternative, we can collectively make a big impact. 

Eco conscious stocking fillers

I’m not a huge fan of the term ‘stocking fillers’ as it makes it sound like you’re buying things for the sake of filling a space. But I do have very fond memories of finding and opening my stocking on Christmas morning when I was a child and love recreating that for my children. I’m determined to do in in a way that’s not going to cost the earth though and with things that will hold their attention for more than a few minutes...

I’ve had my eye on Playinchoc for a while! I had bookmarked them for my daughter’s party bags but she didn’t end up having a party this year. A little box with organic chocolate, a 3D puzzle and a fun facts card. And better yet, they’re vegan as well as nut, gluten and plastic free! These will definitely feature in my children’s stockings this year! They also have some great Christmas themed bundles, including an advent calendar.

Also on our list for stocking fillers are craft kits at Cotton Twist, I know both my 6 year old and 3 year old will love creating their masterpieces with these! Crafts at Cotton Twist are carefully designed to spark learning & play in a fun & imaginative way.

Toys for the youngest ones…

This Counting Peacock sold by minisenses.co.uk looks great for my almost 3 year old. Fun, educational and no plastic in sight! With a background in teaching, owner Lisa set up Mini Senses to provide sensory products and encourage sensory play at home. There are some lovely options on the site for ages 0-6

The Play Pantry, creators of open-ended play kits, offer beautifully curated boxes that set the scene for your little ones to make their own stories and explore the world around them. Packed full of  tools and tips to provide the spark they need to get creative. The Oceans play box looks amazing with a puzzle, colouring sheet, playdoughs, spinning top and much much more.  

For the tiniest ones, I've recently found LIttle and Eco, selling the loveliest eco-friendly new baby gift sets. I just need someone to have a baby now so I can buy one! 

And for the slightly older ones…

I must admit that, although it’s been fairly easy to find plastic free gifts that my almost 3 year old will love, it’s not been so easy for my 6 year old! A couple of great finds though which look amazing…

The Roald Dahl Splendiferous Storytelling Dice at ethicalsuperstore.com looks great. Immy loves telling a story and is very much into the Roald Dahl stories at the moment, so I think this will be a big hit!

Another awesome find is The Box of Books Company, who curate book boxes with high quality books and related resources and planning sheets to encourage learning and exploring through play and creativity. The Born to Dance book box  looks great for older girls, but they have an amazing range of books for children of all ages. They have subscription boxes too, for a gift that can be opened again and again. 

If you need some eco-friendly gift wrap inspiration, check out my blog post from a couple of weeks ago. 

And of course, for plastic free treats for grown ups and teens, don't forget to check out our gift boxes or Build Your Own Gift Box.

I have older nephews to buy for too…so please send any suggestions for plastic free toys for boys aged 8-12  my way!

I hope you've found this guide useful and it's sparked some ideas! I'm always keen to hear about other small, eco-friendly businesses so please let me know in the comments if you know of any that I've missed.