Last Updated on November 30, 2021 by Sarah
Disclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Looking for the best non-toxic toys and eco friendly toy brands?
Whether you’re looking for non-toxic toys for babies, eco friendly play mats or natural bath toys for toddlers and beyond, here’s all you need to know in order to make safer & more ethical choices for your little one.
Why Choose Non-Toxic Toys?
Whilst today’s toy safety legislation is much stricter than it once was, many of today’s toys still contain chemicals of concern. These include:
BPA/PVC
Plastic toys containing BPA or PVC often include phthalates, a suspected endocrine disruptor. Soft plastic toys such as bath rubber ducks, plastic dolls & inflatable toys are often made from PVC. Be wary of products labelled solely as ‘BPA free’, as recent research suggests BPA alternatives may not be any safer.
Plastic is also categorised with a number between 1 and 7, depending on the types of resins used. Plastics classified as #2, #4 & #5 are generally considered the safer options.
Toxic dyes, finishes and glues
Many toys are finished with paints, dyes, varnishes or glues that contain harsh chemicals. Some paint still contains lead and glues may contain formaldehyde, a common VOC. Toys made from manufactured wood, such as MDF and Ply-wood, are commonly bonded using toxic glues and other adhesive materials.
Keep in mind as well, ‘toys’ such as metal jewellery and play make-up are often not subject to the same safety regulations as regular toys & may contain chemical heavy fragrances, lead or other heavy metals.
Flame retardants
Some toys and baby products may contain flame retardants, some formulations of which have been linked with serious health concerns. It’s not always easy to tell when chemicals in flame retardants are present, but soft toys and toys containing foam often contain them. If unsure, check the product details or contact the manufacturer.
Second hand toys
Recent research has also found that older toys (especially pre-90s ones) may contain higher levels of hazardous elements, such as lead. Toys from this era are also less likely to conform to current safety standards, so may be best avoided.
Non Toxic Toys For Babies
A few well chosen toys are a great tool to help babies learn about their surrounding world. From providing sensory stimulation to developing fine motor skills, baby toys & activities help nurture early learning & development.
Babies also have sensitive, porous skin & developing immune systems, so where you can, it’s pays to invest in eco friendly, non toxic toys to help limit exposure of unwanted chemicals on your babies skin. Below you’ll find some suggestions for non toxic baby toy brands, as well as toys as non toxic toys for toddlers and older children.
Non-Toxic Plastic Toy Brands
Plastic is well known for being environmentally unfriendly, so natural wood is often a better choice. Wooden toys can prove more costly though, so if you do consider plastic, look for toys labelled ‘BPA, Phthalates and PVC’ free. If the product details lists it, toys made from plastics #2, 4, and 5 are also generally considered safer choices.
Green Toys
One of the best choices for non toxic plastic toys is the eco friendly Green Toys. From tea sets to ferry boats, toys are made from recycled plastic, (primarily #2 plastic milk jugs) & mineral based color dyes.
There’s loads of choice, toys are award winning & packaging uses 100% recyclable cardboard.
Non-Toxic Wooden Toy Brands:
Wood is both natural and tactile, making it great for little exploring hands.
Not all wooden toys are made the same. So look for toys made in unfinished natural wood (i.e not manufactured wood such as MDF or plywood), or with non-toxic clear finishes, such as beeswax or food-grade oil, like linseed. Also look for wooden toys that use solvent-free, water or plant based paints & non toxic glues.
Here are some of the best toys brands that produce non-toxic wooden blocks and toys.
Plan Toys
Eco friendly Plan Toys use sustainable materials, as well as non toxic wood & finishes.
Toys are made from natural rubber wood or a trademarked PlanWood. Both are high quality & safe. Glues are non formaldehyde & dyes water based. Packaging uses recycled paper & soy ink.
From baby toys to tea sets & doll’s houses, there’s loads of choice.
HABA
German based Haba have been making natural wooden toys for over 80 years. With a child’s development firmly at their heart, Haba have won a number of awards.
Toys are made from PEFC certified beech & maple wood & non-toxic, solvent free, water based lacquers are used instead of paints.
Choose from the popular animal stacking game, classic wooden blocks, puzzles, shape sorters & lots more.
Hape Toys
With a strong sustainable ethos, Hape produce wooden & eco friendly toys based on the concept of ‘Love, Play Learn’. Toys are made in China, but wood is sourced sustainably & toys made with ‘minimum ecological cost’. If you want 100% natural wood, check individual toy details, as plywood & MDF is sometimes used.
There’s a huge choice for a wide range of ages – from eco friendly bamboo toys to the Hape Penguin Musical Wobbler & popular wooden play kitchens. Paints are non-toxic & water based.
Maple Landmark
Maple Landmark have been making eco-friendly, non-toxic wooden toys & games, since 1979.
With sustainability at their core, Maple Landmark craft toys in Vermont, from rock maple, pine, cherry & oak.
From natural wood toddler toys to wooden board games, products have a hand crafted, natural feel. A number of products are available with no finishes or choose one of their coatings.
Uncle Goose
Wooden blocks are hugely beneficial for early development & Uncle Goose produce a range in 23 languages, including Braille.
Featuring hand printed letters, numbers & pictures, the blocks help children to spell, sequence, stack, sort, build & match.
Beautifully designed & made to last, blocks are made from sustainable Michagan basswood. Inks are non-toxic.
Non Toxic Toys For Babies – Organic Brands
Whilst many of the toys brands above produce non toxic toys suitable for babies, if you’re specifically looking for baby toy ideas, the following organic, wooden & natural rubber options should be suitable for most babies between birth & 6 months.
Under The Nile
Ethically focused Under The Nile produce a lovely range of organic cotton soft toys, suitable for babies & toddlers.
From a friendly octopus to cute stuffed animals, toys are made in Egypt using GOTS certified organic cotton. Dyes are low impact & non toxic.
Toys are also Fair Trade.
Apple Park
Founded by Mum, Angie Ting, Apple Park create eco friendly soft toys for babies & small children.
The adorable organic Farm Buddies range is a popular seller, with soft toys, teething rattles & baby blankets all available.
Organic Farm Buddies are made using GOTS organic cotton, corn fiber filling & natural dyes. Packaging is printed on recycled paper with soy ink.
Wee Gallery
Get ready for tummy time with the eco friendly Wee Gallery woodland & safari themed play mats & snuggle blankets. Both are made with GOTS organic cotton & the non toxic play mats also feature an Oeko-Tex polyester fill & a sustainably sourced wooden teething ring.
There’s also an FSC certified nesting block set on offer, as well as eco friendly bamboo numbers.
Petit Collage
From soft organic cotton bunny baby blankets to baby rattles & soft chime baby balls, Petit Collage soft cotton toys are made using GOTS certified organic cotton (stuffing is recycled polyester).
They also print with vegetable based inks and water based paint. Packaging is minimised & priority is made to responsibly sourced materials.
If it’s a gift you’re after, check out their cute baby gift sets.
See our natural & organic baby toys guide for more eco friendly baby toys.
Natural Wood Baby Toys
This sensory tumbling set from eco friendly Plan Toys includes 3 different sensory tumbler toys.
A red tumbler with a fluffy texture stimulate’s baby’s sense of touch, a blue tumbler with rattling balls inside stimulates hearing and a yellow tumbler with a mirror stimulates vision.
Made in Thailnad from sustainably sourced rubberwood trees, formaldehyde-free glues, organic pigments & water based dyes.
Natural Rubber Baby Toys
Vulli
Still the teether of choice for many babies, after 60 years, Vulli’s Sophie The Giraffe is made from 100% natural rubber. Sustainably sourced from the Hevea tree, it makes a great first baby toy or eco friendly baby gift.
A much more sustainable choice than plastic, natural rubber is also biodegradable, as well as BPA phthalate & lead free.
Dyes in Sophie are all natural.
Tikiri
Tikiri’s My First Safari Rattle collecton are all made from 100% natural rubber. Tactile & squeezable, these cute creatures also make a gentle sensory sound when shaken.
Whether you choose the elephant, hippo or lovable lion, these non toxic baby toys are designed to be gripped by little hands & are BPA, phthalate & PVC free.
Hevea Planet
If it’s water fun you’re after, Danish based Hevea Planet produce a fun range of natural rubber baby bath toys, as well as non toxic pacifiers & teethers.
From classic ducks to eco friendly whales, toys are made in Malaysia from sustainable Hevea tree rubber.
Colours are plant based & toys phthalates, PVC & BPA free.
See our non toxic bath toy guide for more rubber & eco friendly bath toys. Etsy is also worth exploring for non-toxic, eco friendly toys.
Montessori Toys For Babies
Maria Montessori is famed for her child centred approach to learning through natural play. Promoting independence & growth at a child’s own pace, the Montessori method encourages a few age appropriate toys that a child can readily (& independently) choose from over an abundance of over stimulating toys that may lead to overwhelm or boredom.
Whilst technically there’s no such thing as a ‘Montessori toy’, it generally means a toy that stimulates the senses & encourages learning through holding, touching & manipulating objects in a free, open ended & independent way. The parents role is to observe & guide rather than direct this play.
Generally made from natural materials, such as wood, which feature a wider variety of textures & tones, common examples of Montessori toys are wooden puzzles, wooden stacking rings, baby gyms or any toy that embraces the senses & helps promote independence, critical thinking & fine motor development. Montessori toys also tend to be based in reality with a real purpose.
Montessori toys often go hand in hand with non toxic based toys, as both tend to favour tactile wooden or natural materials which inspire natural, sensory play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions on non toxic toys & toy safety? Here’s some further information you might find useful.
Non-toxic Toys – Conclusion
One of the best gifts we can give our child is an environment where they’re free to explore their surroundings. It’s how children make sense of the world and it’s how they learn. And, of course, playing in dirt and exploring the world from a, slightly less than pristine, floor will always be a natural part of this.
However, if you want to reduce the amount of man made chemicals and toxins your child is exposed to via their toys, there’s now a much wider choice of non-toxic & eco friendly toys to choose from.
From natural wooden toys to rubber toys made from the sustainably sourced Hevea tree, soft toys made from organic cotton & plant based paints & finishes, choosing toys that have been made without the use of harsh chemicals helps ensure a healthier start for your little one.
You’ll also, of course, be helping the planet.
Hi Sarah,
Great article!
When my kids were babies, I used to buy them only wooden toys because they were non-toxic and also because they last longer than plastic toys. Now my sister has a cute little boy, and soon he is going to turn five years old. I will definitely buy him wooden toys too for his birthday. I really like the Camden Rose toys; I’ll take a look further on Amazon. Great to know all these important info!
Thank you for this excellent post!
Yes, I’m a big fan of wooden toys too! Glad you found it helpful…
Wow- what an eye opening post you have written. I am embarrassed to say I have never given much thought to toxin in toys until now. You have outlined such a thorough break down of things to be aware of and considerations to make when purchasing toys and it is greatly appreciated.
The recommendations and links you have provided are also extremely helpful for consideration. I love the idea of buying wooden toys because in addition to them being non toxic they often last a long time. I have many wooden toys still from my childhood that my children now play with. Again, thank you so much for your recommendations!
Thank you Jennifer…:)
Wonderful article . Very helpful for new mums ..,sophie toy is Really an wonderful product. I got it on my baby shower 🙂 this one ( https://www.sophielagirafe.ca/elegance-creation-composition-1.html.html )my Baby loves chewing on this with the ears, legs and body there are lots of different places to chew. Our squeaker broke, so that is disappointing, but our baby didn’t really care about the squeaker anyway.The quality of the rubber and paint are great, they’re holding up really well, even after months of use.
This is a great guide! Thank you! This info is too hard to find!
Have you heard of Janod? What are your thoughts on that one? Looks pretty clean, but didn’t make the list. Thanks!
Hi Kaycie, I haven’t personally researched Janod in depth I’m afraid, but their website offers some info about materials used, which states their toys use water based paints and sustainable wood. https://www.janod.com/conseils-experts/en/the-world-of-janod/products-quality/
How do you feel about bigjigs toys? They seem pretty “natural” but I’ve had a hard time finding definite information on wether or not they’re considered “non toxic”. They seem to be similar to plan toys and that kind of brand, so I’m hoping they’re “safe” but I’ve had some trouble confirming that. Thanks!
Hi Kitty, you’ve probably seen this link but incase not, it details (to some extent) the company approach to making toys. I haven’t researched Bigjigs in detail, but from their information, they do seem to have a sustainable non toxic approach, but specific information on what exactly ‘child friendly paints’ etc means isn’t elaborated on. I always find emailing a company direct can be helpful if you have further questions. If a brand is truly taking a ‘non toxic’ approach they are usually very happy to offer more in depth info about products used etc.