The Good Play Guide has put together a collection of toys with a reduced environmental impact that it recommends for the more eco-conscious consumer, ready for the Christmas season.
This Christmas, many families are not only searching for gifts that spark joy, imagination, and hours of play, they’re also looking for presents that are kinder to the planet. The Good Play Guide team, in partnership with Products of Change, has hand-picked a selection of toys that combine fun, learning, and strong eco-credentials, from FSC-certified wood to recycled fabrics, plant-based finishes, and fully recyclable packaging.
Every item has been tested by children and reviewed by experts, ensuring you can give confidently and more sustainably. Whether you’re buying for a curious toddler, an emerging scientist, or a creative young builder, you’ll find something special that’s good for children and the environment.
The Good Play Guide was founded by Dr Amanda Gummer to help parents sift through the myriad toys available on the shelves and spotlight the ones that are expertly reviewed and best suited for childrens’ imagination and development.
Dr Amanda Gummer, founder of the Good Play Guide, commented: “Parents are increasingly looking for toys that don’t just entertain children on Christmas Day but also reflect their values, and sustainability is high on that list. Eco-friendly toys can still deliver all the fun, creativity and learning benefits families want – they just do so with a lighter environmental footprint. At the Good Play Guide, we review products independently so that parents can feel confident they’re choosing toys that are not only good for their children, but good for the planet too.”
Smoby Life Mud Kitchen
Age: 3+
Price: £64.99
Perfect for outdoor explorers, this sturdy mud kitchen invites children into messy, creative, nature-based play. The Smoby Life range includes recycled plastic elements, making it a more sustainable choice for budding chefs and gardeners. Great for supporting sensory play, role-play and early STEM learning.
🌿 Packaging is made from 100% recycled material
🌿 This toy contains at least 90% recycled material
Link: https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/smoby-life-mud-kitchen/
Hope the Sockette
Age: 3+
Price: £19.99
This vibrant, characterful puppet brings storytelling to life with expressive features and engaging textures. Kids will love using Hope for imaginative play, emotional expression, and developing communication skills. Durable and long-lasting, it’s a wonderful eco-conscious choice that encourages screen-free fun.
🌿 Eco-Friendly Play: Every part of Hope, from the fabric to the stitching, is made from recycled and reused materials, making this puppet as sustainable as it is cuddly.
Link: https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/eco-sockette-hope/
BRIO Lift & Load Warehouse Set
Age: 3+
Price: £99.00
The Lift & Load Warehouse Set is packed with hands-on fun, giving young builders everything they need to create their own busy railway world. With 32 pieces to mix, match, stack, and explore, children can build multi-level tracks, towering bridges, and exciting slopes for endless construction adventures. The real magic begins when the train glides out of the multi-storey lift and races down the tracks!
Link: https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/brio-lift-load-warehouse-set/
Made using FSC-certified wood, sourced responsibly to protect forests.
BRIO is committed to reducing environmental impact across production and packaging.
Dr Zigs Bubble Kits
Age: 3+
Price: From £13.99
Dr Zigs Bubble Kits, where every bubble holds a lesson, every play session sparks creativity, and eco-conscious design meets endless fun. Let’s create moments of joy, laughter, and discovery, because learning is always better when it’s bubbling!
🌱 FSC-approved wooden wands,
🌿 Plant-based Bubble Mix
📦 Boxes made from recycled and FSC paper
Link: https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/dr-zigs-bubble-kits/
LE TOY VAN FOREST STACKER
Age: 18months+
Price: £14.95
Step into the magical world of play with the Le Toy Van Forest Stacker, a charming woodland animal set designed for little learners. Crafted sustainably, it combines fun, early learning, and eco-friendly play.
Nine chunky, wooden animal blocks, painted with vibrant, non-toxic, child-safe colors, bring the forest to life. From curious foxes to graceful deer, each block is perfect for stacking, toppling, and exploring with little hands.
🌿 Made from FSC-certified wood
🌿 Decorated using water-based, non-toxic paints
🌿 Plastic-free
Link: https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/le-toy-van-forest-stacker/?
Wooden 5-in-1 Elephant Music Toy
Age: 18months+
Price: £38.45
Bring music, rhythm, and imagination together with the Wooden 5-in-1 Elephant Music Toy, a delightful all-in-one play center for little hands. This versatile wooden elephant offers five ways to play: clack the ears to start a beat, use the tail to play the xylophone, bang the drum, tap the cymbal, and sweep along the three guiros to discover their unique sounds.
🌿 Made from FSC-certified wood
🌿 Packaged with 75% recycled materials
🌿 Printed with water-based inks
Link: https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/wooden-5-in-1-elephant-music-toy/
Our Little World – Activity Walker
Age:6 months+
Price: £48
This activity-packed walker is full of hands-on learning and playful fun. The top features a character peg maze, while the sides include a shape sorter with matching colored blocks, a peg track, and flip blocks printed with numbers and letters on every side. A sturdy handle and smooth-rolling wheels help children build confidence as they walk, push, and explore.
🌿 FSC-certified wood
🌿 100% plastic‑free packaging
🌿 Recyclable cardboard box
🌿 Designed to last
Link: https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/activity-walker/?
Makedo Discover Kit
Age: 5+
Price: £41.99
Unleash creativity with Makedo Discover, the ultimate cardboard construction kit for young makers! Perfect for friends and families, it turns upcycled cardboard into forts, vehicles, costumes, and imaginative creations.
🌿 Eco-Friendly Play: Makedo Discover encourages upcycling and sustainability, helping children turn everyday cardboard into imaginative masterpieces while reducing waste
Link: https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/discover/?
EcoSplat Reusable Water Balloons
Age: 3+
Price: £13.00
Make a splash with EcoSplat Reusable Water Balloons,the ultimate way for kids (and grown-ups!) to enjoy endless water fun! No taps, no tying, and no mess, just dunk, throw, and repeat for hours of wet and wild play. Soft on landing and easy to throw, these balloons are perfect for little hands and big imaginations alike. Multiple splats from each dunking mean the fun never stops!
🌿 Eco-Friendly Play: Reusable and zero-waste, EcoSplat balloons mean no rubbish to pick up, so your water fights are better for the planet too.
Link: https://www.goodplayguide.com/reviews/ecosplat-reusable-water-balloons/
Superspace
Age: 3+
Price: £299.00
Build, create, and explore with Superspace, the ultimate magnetic modular play-set that lets children design life-size play spaces limited only by their imagination!
This innovative set comes with 24 panels in fun shapes, squares, squares with windows, triangles, trapezoids, and rectangles, giving kids endless possibilities to build forts, castles, secret hideouts, and fantastical worlds.
🌿 Eco-Friendly Fun: Superspace panels are made from eco-felt, crafted from recycled plastic bottles. Each set reuses approximately 135 bottles.
