With additional reporting by Chris Lundy and Brenda Ruggiero
This Spring, get green! Eco-friendly toys are the perfect way to get into the spirit of the season of regrowth, and we've got the scoop on the best.
TDmonthly interviewed specialty retailers about their best-selling "green" toys - you can see their top sellers below.
*No manufacturer paid to be included in this list. All products listed were designated by editorial staff without regard to the company's relationship with TOYDIRECTORY.com/TDmonthly Magazine.
Train by GREEN TOYS INC.
All aboard! The Green Toys® Train is pulling out of the station! This sturdy locomotive is ready to chug along from one eco-friendly adventure to the next. Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the brightly-colored steam engine pulls two additional cars that link together to form a long train, or easily unhook for stand-alone play. The open wagon is perfect for hauling all kinds of sustainable cargo, while the caboose features a spacious interior and removable roof. Two conductor bear figures are included with the set, encouraging open play as little engineers' imaginations lay the tracks for all sorts of creative narratives. With no metal axles or external coatings, the Green Toys® Train is safe and versatile for both indoor and outdoor play, and is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. No BPA, phthalates, or PVC. Packaged using recycled and recyclable materials and printed with soy inks. — In a March 2015 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Green Toys is their best-selling brand of eco-friendly toys.
Use a recycled soda can to make a fun and educational motorized gondola cable car. Assemble the support and motor, attach a soda can and decorate it with the included stickers. Set up the cable string and watch your gondola travel along the cable. Requires 2 AAA batteries, not included. Made by 4M - Toysmith. — In a March 2015 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that 4M from Toysmith is their best-selling line of eco-friendly toys.
Here's everything a mini chef needs to make and serve a favorite meal. Pasta Set is from the Playfully Delicious range of the Hape Collection. The Pasta Set is age graded for children 3 Years +. The toy is beautifully crafted of FSC certified wood from sustainable forests and colored with safe water based paint. Launch date: July 2012. — Denise Magstadt from Imagination Station in Whitefish, Mont., told TDmonthly in a March 2015 survey that Hape is one of their best-selling lines of eco-friendly toys.
Stay pretty in pink while getting down and dirty helping to save the planet. Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers, the Green Toys™ Pink Dump Truck is ready for any task, hauling sand and rocks or dolls and diamonds with ease. This durable, eco-friendly rig is both safe and stylish, with no metal axels and a workable purple dumper. No BPA, phthalates, PVC, or external coatings. "The Green Toys™ Pink Dump Truck is an innovative twist on a longstanding classic: USA-made, 100% recycled, high-quality design and construction -- and stylishly colored for even the most particular palate," Cameron Passmore, marketing manager at Green Toys Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: August 2011. — In a March 2015 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Green Toys is their best-selling brand of eco-friendly toys.
Tegu's patent-pending blocks cleverly incorporate magnets inside sustainably harvested wood, offering gravity-defying blocks that show no visible point of connectivity and enable multi-dimensional building experiences. Available in the following honduran hardwood finishes: natural, mahogany, tints and jungle. "We utilize eco-friendly hardwoods, making them both durable and friendly to the forest," a rep for Tegu Inc told TDmonthly. Awards: 2010 Parent’s Choice Award, 2010 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys and Children’s Products, 2010 Oppenheim Gold — David Stelzer, owner of Shananigans in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly in a March 2015 survey that Tegu blocks were one of his store's best-selling eco-friendly toys.
Celebrate all the special memories of your child’s life — and create new ones — while making a personalized, environmentally friendly scrapbook! Eco Crafts Scrapbook includes all the materials you’ll need to design and decorate a colorful, visually inspiring scrapbook. Fill all the pages of this hardcover, spiral notebook with photos, stickers, drawings, wooden buttons, string, colorful ribbons and more. Use cardboard paper frames to highlight photographs and use the letter stickers to call out special moments and names. So much fun for a family to create together! Includes over 300 pieces, zig zag scissors, stickers, paper shapes and frames, printed paper, buttons, craft sticks, glue stick, ribbons, twine cords and easy to follow instructions. Awards: Creative Child Awards, Eco-Friendly Product of the Year; Dr. Toy's Best Green Toys; NAPPA Sliver Educational Tools for Parents and Children, Arts & Crafts — Bebe Feimster, manager of Big Smile Toys/Hardware Center in Paoli, Pa., told TDmonthly in a March 2015 survey that the Eco Crafts scrapbook from Alex is one of their best-selling "green" toys.
School's in session with the planet's favorite new kid in class - the Green Toys™ School Bus. Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this sturdy bus is ready to be loaded up for an earth-friendly ride to the classroom, a field trip, or whatever excursion little scholars see fit. The Green Toys School Bus goes to the head of the class for safety and eco-design, with no metal axels or external coatings. No BPA, PVC or phthalates. Packaged using only recycled and recyclable materials. "The Green Toys™ School Bus, like all Green Toys products, is made responsibly in the USA from 100% recycled plastic, and is still fun and appealing to youngsters of all ages," Cameron Passmore, marketing manager at Green Toys Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2011. — Bebe Feimster, manager of Big Smile Toys/Hardware Center in Paoli, Pa., told TDmonthly in a March 2015 survey that the Green Toys School Bus is one of their best-selling "green" toys.
5.5” Rubberwood stirring xylophone. Wooden mallet stirred inside xylophone creates soothing soft sounds. Includes hanging header card. — Crisi Chapman, co-owner of Dear Friends & Children in Duncan, Ok., told TDmonthly in a March 2015 survey that wooden instruments from Hohner are her store's best-selling eco-friendly toys.
Take the helm of the Green Toys™ Submarine for a nautical journey to help protect the planet. Submerge it underwater to explore the terrain at the bottom of the tub, and let it resurface to scan the horizon in search of the next earth-friendly adventure. Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this sturdy watercraft features a spinning rear propeller, a flat bottom for added stability, and the classic handle and wide-mouth opening combination for plenty of scoop-and-pour fun. The cabin can be opened for easy cleaning, while the whole vessel is also dishwasher safe. No BPA, phthalates, PVC or external coatings, and also meets FDA food contact standards. Packaged with recycled and recyclable materials and printed with soy inks. — Teresa Derry, owner of Annie's Toy Chest in Cocoa, Fla., told TDmonthlyin an April 2013 survey that this was the store's best-selling bath toy. — In a March 2015 survey, two out of 10 retailers told TDmonthly that Green Toys is their best-selling brand of eco-friendly toys. — Taka Andrews, owner of Miller's Toys in Mamaroneck, N.Y., told TDmonthly in an April 2015 survey that the Green Toys submarine was one of their store's best-selling bath toys.
Slice and Bake Cookie Set - Wooden Play Food by MELISSA & DOUG
This colorful wooden set includes 12 wooden, sliceable cookies and 12 toppings, wooden knife, spatula, cookie sheet and a kitchen mitt for safe, "low-calorie" play! The cookies store in a durable dough tube. — Molly Hungerford, manager at Leapin' Lizards Toy Company in Bend, Or., told TDmonthly in a March 2015 survey that Melissa & Doug's wooden play food is one of her store's best-selling eco-friendly toys.
Writer's Bio: Justina Huddleston graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing in 2009. After graduating she was the on-site director of the Boston Children's Museum gift store for a year, selling educational, developmental, and creative activity toys that tied in with the museum's exhibits. Justina also interned at children's book publisher Candlewick Press before moving from Boston to Los Angeles, where she is now Editorial Director of TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author
Writer's Bio: Justina Huddleston graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing in 2009. After graduating she was the on-site director of the Boston Children's Museum gift store for a year, selling educational, developmental, and creative activity toys that tied in with the museum's exhibits. Justina also interned at children's book publisher Candlewick Press before moving from Boston to Los Angeles, where she is now Editorial Director of TDmonthly Magazine. Read more articles by this author
