In the past two months, Mattel has issued recalls of 21 million toys manufactured in China. The recall reasons included high levels of lead in the paint and powerful magnets that posed risk of intestinal blockage and infection if swallowed. If you check out the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission you’ll see a catalog of toy recalls longer than a kid’s Christmas list and many of the recalls listed are due to dangerous materials used in the products. It’s a sad world when not even your toddler’s playthings are safe! Luckily, there’s a new movement of people making eco-friendly toys for your tots. With the holidays growing nearer, here’s a list of some online retailers you might want to check out:

Tumbleweed Woodworks makes a line of handmade wooden puzzles that are both fun and educational. Perfect for boys & girls aged 3 to 8.

Etsyis a great site to find handmade items from blanket to ceramics as well as toys! You can browse all toys or search. I ran several searches like “recycled, toy”, “organic, toy”, & “eco, toy” and found hundreds of unique and earth friendly toys for young children like stuff animals and other crazy looking creatures made by artists using recycled & organic materials.

Eco Toy Town carries a variety of different toys for kids from infants through pre-teen. They sell organic teethers, soft stuffed animals and blankets for babies. For the older child, they have dolls & accessories, trading cards, puzzles, wooden toys and more!

Treeblocks harms no living trees in the making of their wooden toys, rather than work with orchards who have trees that are ending their lifecycle.

By choosing toys that utilize the environment in an ethical and safe manner, you can teach your children early about the importance of reducing waste and recycling materials to give them new life.