The 10 Best Eco-Friendly Toys Hitting Shelves in 2012

The best eco-friendly toys hitting shelves this year...
The best eco-friendly toys hitting shelves this year...

Of course there were a lot of outrageous electronic toys and plastic on top of plastic at the New York Toy Fair,

but we also found plenty of safe, thoughtful, eco-friendly new toys about to hit shelves this year. All of these toys have something about them that's great for the environment - some are 100% biodegradable, even more are made from all-natural products, and some even go as far as to be made from sustained food products! Whether you're looking for fun bath toys for your little rugrat or life-like food for your tyke's play kitchen - these eco-friendly toys are just the ticket! Take a look at our favorite "green" toys of 2012:





Scented Scoops
Scented Scoops


1. Scented Scoops | Ages 3+
One of my favorite Toy Fair finds was the new company BeginAgain toys, which - beyond using natural rubber and sustainable wood - is pioneering a new material called Green Dot. Green Dot is a cornstarch bio product that's 100% compostable, and will be used to make the scented scoops that sit on top of wooden cones in this role-play toy.
Coming Holiday 2012


Bathtub Ball
Bathtub Ball


2. Bathtub Ball | Ages 3+
Made from (dishwasher-safe) natural rubber, this bathtub ball is perfect for both the bath or the pool.
Buy from BeginAgain Toys

Related: The 10 coolest cardboard toys for kids


Treasure Hunt Game
Treasure Hunt Game


3. Treasure Hunt Game | Ages 3+
This game comes with a natural cotton game board (double-sided for checkers or the Treasure Hunt game) and natural rubber treasure coins. There's actually 5 different games to play with it - teaching shapes, objects, matching, and role playing.
Buy from BeginAgain Toys


Green Ring Teether
Green Ring Teether


4. Green Ring Teether | Ages 0+
This eco-friendly wooden teether is completely 100% compostable - cradle to cradle - partly because of the Green Dot material that I mentioned before.
Coming in Summer 2012


miYim Good Earth Mermaid
miYim Good Earth Mermaid


5. miYim Good Earth Mermaid | Ages 0+
The newest rag doll from MiYim is this precious mermaid - made from all-natural cotton and non-toxic, low-impact dyes.
Coming in Fall 2012

Related: The hottest new toys that kids will love - and parents will hate


My Natural: Activity Bunch
My Natural: Activity Bunch


6. My Natural: Activity Bunch | Ages 6 months+
Besides using certified non-toxic, eco-plush fabrics, My Natural is adding a hard, tactile teething element to their activity toys - a biodegradable plastic polymer (called MySpud) that's made from reclaimed potato starch.
Coming in Fall 2012


MiYim Dr. Seuss Lorax
MiYim Dr. Seuss Lorax


7. MiYim Dr. Suess Lorax | Ages 0+
Seeing that the new Dr. Suess Lorax movie is destined to be a big hit, we love that there's an affordable plush toy that's also eco-friendly - made from natural cotton and colored with non-toxic, low-eco-impact dyes.
Coming in Spring 2012

Related: The 25 best new toys of 2012 for under $10


Build-a-Boutique
Build-a-Boutique


8. Green Toys Build-a-Boutique | Ages 2+
One of the new Green Toys launches in 2012 (set to hit shelves in June) is this 44-piece mix-and-match flower set. And like everything from Green Toys, this is made from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs (saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions) with no BPA, phthalates, PVC, or questionable chemicals whatsoever. It's even packaged with recycled and recyclable materials, and printed with soy inks.
Coming soon at Green Toys


Mini Vehicles
Mini Vehicles


9. Green Toys Mini Vehicles | Ages 1+
An adorable and affordable vehicle collection from one of our favorite "green" toy companies, coming in Spring 2012.
Coming soon at Green Toys


Salad Set
Salad Set


10. Green Toys Salad Set | Ages 2+
Because last year's pizza set was such a huge hit for Green Toys, they decided to introduce another pretend play set - this time a little healthier. This 20-piece stackable salad set (coming in March) is made from food-safe, 100% recycled plastic milk containers, and includes a serving bowl, salad plate, serving utensils, and a whole bunch of veggies. They even include oil, vinegar, salt and pepper (made from cardboard) to go along with it.
Coming soon at Green Toys

- By Michelle Horton

For 15 more eco-friendly toys hitting shelves this year, visit Babble!

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