The Plastic-free Toybox

Plastic toys are everywhere. They are inexpensive, vibrant and heavily marketed so no wonder our kids are drawn to them. They are destined for landfill as they are typically composed of other materials too, like metals, rendering recycling almost impossible. Toys typically serve one role and can’t be repurposed. My other issue with plastic toys is how short lived they are. They turn up at birthdays and holidays, in gift bags at parties and even inside cereal boxes. These types of trinkets often occupy our child’s attention for a short amount of time and then get discarded. Or, the playthings are made from such insufficient materials that they’ll fall apart after just a few uses and quickly wind up in the bin.

Less is more

Obviously, my kids love toys and we don’t want to deprive them of play. We adopt a ‘less is more’ approach to prevent overwhelm. There are studies that confirm our decision – one states that, “fewer toys can lead a young child to focus and engage in more creative, imaginative play.” I’ve witnessed that. I’ve watched my kids play happily at home with one or two toys then seen them distracted and overwhelmed by choice at a soft play area, or a Montessori class, where toys are in abundance. Having fewer toys means playthings are enjoyed for longer. We encourage our kids to focus better, explore and play more creatively. We rotate toys by storing a box in the attic for a couple of months and then switching it around. Another study explains, “if we rotate toys and books, the brain is given the opportunity to engage fully in what is available without being over stimulated.” We also ask family members to only gift secondhand toys, or experiences over physical toys.

Stocking up

We do have some plastic toys but they are bought second hand 90% of the time. We are in a (maybe lucky?!) position of living next to three charity shops overrun with toys. I usually pop in once a week or so to scout for Christmas or birthday presents. Once or twice a month I go with my children and they can choose something themselves.

When buying something new I always think of transportation, labour, energy, packaging, resources and all that goes into production. While I like the idea of ethically made toys, we mostly opt for second-hand ones disregarding what they are made of - plastic, wood or metal. Same goes for clothing, kitchen appliances, books or any items we ever need. Charity shops can be hit and miss so when looking for something specific, I search on eBay or Facebook marketplace. The 10% toys we have which aren’t plastic are made of wood. Toys made of wood are timeless, durable and encourage imagination. A firm favourite is our balance board from creatimber.

Using nature

During our walks in the woods we collect leaves, stones and sticks to take home. A long branch becomes a dinosaur tail and stones are parts of the construction toy set to build roads and houses. These items are also perfect for arts and crafts like painting or gluing. Using natural items creates less waste and teaches resourcefulness and helps develop creativity. Crafting creates confidence, knowing they can use their bodies with practical purpose, being able to act on their ideas with confidence in their belief system of “I can do things”. Developing an inner awareness that good things often take time to create, and that the process of making is every bit enjoyable as the product once it is finished.

Making memories

We are a huge believer of memories over things. When it comes to building family happiness we spend time with our sons over buying them new things. We work to create bonding rituals and traditions so they can look back on and cherish these memories instead of automatically heading to the shop to buy another toy or gadget. We have monthly library visits, fortnightly baking and weekly cycling adventures as well as daily reading and puzzle or lego building.

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