Ethically-made toys can be challenging to find, but these companies make toys in an ethical manner. 

Browsing the internet and flipping through catalogs, I sigh and frown. I wonder if the toys I’m buying my kids for Christmas won’t just make them happy, but will also do good in the world. While I want them to enjoy them, I don’t want their toys to cause toxic pollution or be made by people who are underpaid and treated poorly.

Ideally, I’d love to buy perfectly ethically-made toys, with workers paid well in safe conditions, materials that are sourced in environmentally-friendly ways, and production that supports local economies. Of course, I also want them to be high quality, encourage creative play, and be usable over a long period of time.

While there’s no such thing as a perfect product, the companies that produce these ethically-made toys get about as close as possible. This post is not sponsored and I do not have affiliate links with these companies. I just personally like them and want to encourage ethical shopping.

Etsy

If you’ve never explored the grand world of artisan-made crafts, Etsy is a treasure trove. Through this website, crafters and artisans sell directly to consumers, giving them a platform for their wares and allowing them to set their own prices. However, it can be overwhelming to navigate because of the sheer number and diversity of producers and shops. Here are a few of my favorites:

• CreativeCapes: Custom-made superhero masks and capes
• Little Sapling Toys: Beautiful wooden toys, with teethers in the shapes of different states. We have the rocket ship one and it’s awesome.
• Mama Made Them: Loads more fun wooden toys, including some really nifty and affordable trucks.
• WeeKnit: Loads of finger puppets with a huge variety of themes, including pirates, monsters, and farm animals

Little Tikes

Little Tikes is a classic producer of children’s toys. In fact, more Cozy Coupes are sold than any individual vehicle model in America! But besides being well-known, they also produce a surprisingly large number of their toys in the U.S. Workers producing products in the U.S. are at least making the minimum wage and fall under American health and safety regulations. Little Tikes used to have a separate “Made in America” section on their website, but now you just have to look at it per product.

My mom had my play kitchen in her classroom for more than 30 years and it held up beautifully! She left it at school, but we have our own now that our kids love.

Green Toys

Green Toys makes all of their products in the U.S. and produces them using food-grade recycled plastic. From tea sets to stacking cups to recycling trucks, they have a large and expanding variety of make-believe and spatial toys for very reasonable prices. We could outfit an entire play city with our Green Toys transportation fleet.

Uncle Goose

Sprout’s first Christmas, I wanted to buy him wooden alphabet blocks. Unfortunately, all of the handmade sets were more than $50, which was simply out of my price range. That was, until I was browsing at my favorite local toy store (Barston’s Child’s Play) and discovered Uncle Goose. They make beautiful wooden blocks in Grand Rapids, Michigan on a variety of themes: the alphabet, the periodic table of the elements, nautical signs, nursery rhymes, even the presidents of the United States. Along with letters, the alphabet blocks also have numbers, mathematical signs, and animals on them. Uncle Goose even makes alphabet sets for non-Roman alphabets, including Arabic, Cherokee, Chinese, Greek, Hindi, and Braille. While the prices vary by set, the alphabet ones are only $36, a stellar deal for sturdy, lovely blocks that hold up beautifully.

Manny and Simon

If you’re looking for old-fashioned wooden toys that are made in the U.S., this company is for you. They produce a variety of wooden critters on wheels, as well as cars, banks, and even furniture. One word of warning – their tall dinosaur is a bit unstable for babies and likely to fall over. In fact, the toy is so sturdy that it may dent your hardwood floor. I speak from experience.

Ten Thousand Villages

Ten Thousand Villages specializes in Fair Trade certified items, which means that the people who make them receive a just wage and are able to make their voice heard in the production process. The process of getting certified is actually quite rigorous and trustworthy. While Ten Thousand Villages specializes in home goods and fashion accessories, they also have a number of items that can be used as toys, including games and musical instruments. They’re also a great place to buy stocking stuffers, with wonderful Fair Trade chocolate.

Fair Indigo

Fair Indigo also specializes in Fair Trade goods, with an emphasis on clothing. They carry the delightful Joobles collection, which offers baby clothes with matching stuffed animals. The monkey sweater was definitely one of the cutest things Sprout’s ever worn.

In addition to these, some websites that specialize in “green” or artisan products have items that are ethically sourced, such as Mighty Nest and Uncommon Goods. It’s also worth checking out locally owned toy stores and bookstores, who give back much more to the community than corporate retailers.

Finally, there’s always the option of giving fewer gifts altogether (like the Four Gifts Philosophy) and/or giving experiential gifts like concert tickets. Purchasing gifts as a family for other people also sends a great message to children, like buying gifts for local kids through an Angel Tree program or development organizations like Oxfam and Heifer International.

For me, gift giving at Christmas is about demonstrating a spirit of generosity. By buying ethically-made toys, I hope to share that spirit far beyond my family.

For other gift guides, check out Outdoor Gifts for the Big and Little Kids in Your Life! Be sure to follow us on Facebook.