Eco-Friendly Gifts for Babies

When it comes to eco-friendly gifts for babies, the holidays are a great chance to gift items your little one needs since they don’t have too many wants at this age.

After 14 years of putting together our annual green gift guides, we know how to find the brands that make high quality, sustainable, and safe toys. The same goes for baby care items and nontoxic gifts for babies.

Your baby’s body and brain are constantly developing. And because they are smaller, toxins and chemicals have a stronger effect on their little bodies. You want to be cautious to surround them with safe, natural items.

Every time we recommend a baby gift or gear item, we try to make sure it meets as many of these criteria as possible:

• non-toxic so it’s a safe choice for your little one
• eco-friendly so there’s minimal impact on the planet
• ethically made so the people who produced it are treated well and paid fairly
• long lasting or high quality so it doesn’t break an end up in a landfill anytime soon AND so you get the most out of your money
• low tech toys so your child’s attention span can stay in tact for as long as possible
• and fun – because that’s what toys are all about

If you need help selecting the right gifts for the right age, check out this guide on how to choose age-appropriate toys.

With that in mind, here are our top picks for safe toys and eco friendly gifts for babies.

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Eco Friendly Gifts for Babies

Baby’s first Christmas is an excellent time to opt for some practical gifts like grooming essentials, a crib or toddler bed mattress, or clothes. They’re not really old enough to grasp the excitement of opening toys, and the bag or paper might be more fun than the gift.

While the “baby” classification is generally just the first 12 months, you’ll find a little overlap with toddler in a few of these nontoxic baby gifts. If your little one has already celebrated their first birthday, be sure to check our toddler gift guide too.

Elephant Teething Mitt

These adorable food‑grade silicone mitts slip over baby’s hand and invite gentle gnawing and teething. Textured surfaces soothe sore gums and encourage tactile play. Freezer safe, dishwasher safe and made with non‑toxic, water‑based dyes for effortless clean‑up and peace of mind. Also comes in other animals like giraffe, bunny, lion, and llama.

Sensory “Tissue” Box

Endlessly engaging, this simple “tissue box” makes a vibrant play experience with high‑contrast fabrics and a stash of crinkly scarves for little hands to pull, swish, and explore. Designed to nurture early motor skills, color recognition and imaginative play, it’s a versatile gift that grows with your baby. 

Nontoxic Play Gym

Elevate playtime with a stylish, eco‑conscious activity hub made just for baby. This adjustable‑height A‑frame features a 100% birch‑wood frame treated with non‑toxic, ultra‑low‑VOC finishes and comes with attachable toys crafted from untreated Indian hardwood and organic cotton knit. It’s a beautiful, safe space to help little ones explore and grow. 

Sophie la Giraffe Reversible Playmat

This lovely reversible playmat features a “play” side with arches, a mirror, teether and rattles to support baby’s early sensory and motor development, and a “photo” side to document milestones week by week. Soft, padded, and suitable from birth, its neutral color palette blends into any nursery or living space – making it a truly special natural baby gift. 

Linen Ruffle Bonnet

This bonnet is linen, so it is breathable in summer and still warm enough to protect those little ears in spring and fall.

Soft Blocks

These colorful, lightweight blocks are perfect for little hands—supporting early motor skills, color and shape recognition, and gentle stacking play. Made of food-grade silicone and BPA-free, they’re safe to chew and help soothe sore gums during teething.

Organic Crib Mattress

Another amazing practical baby gift idea! Perhaps you’ve learned about the dangers of conventional mattresses and are interested in the essential benefits of a nontoxic organic crib mattress.

Naturepedic crib mattresses meet GOTS, GOLS, Non-GMO, Greenguard Gold, and Green America certifications. These certificates are issued to Naturepedic themselves – they don’t just pass along their supplier credentials as their own.

You can use code GREENCHILD15 to get 15% off the purchase of Naturepedic top-rated, Greenguard gold certified organic mattresses and accessories. 

Macrame Baby Swing

The perfect natural baby gift that looks amazing in your home! This darling swing is handcrafted with 100% organic cotton rope and a solid wood support bar, offering a cozy, safe swing spot for infants and toddlers up to 40 lbs. Whether hung indoors or outdoors, its boho‑chic design blends beautifully into any nursery or patio space while supporting calm, gentle movement and connection.

Sunshine Baby Activity Walker

A great sitting or walking toy, this baby walker has a sun that flips to a mirror, a windmill that turns, a rainbow wire toy with beads, a clacking crescent moon on a cloud, a small snow sound maker, a flipping polar bear face and snowflake, and a window that opens to a snow bunny. There’s also a great storage space in the back.

Tiger Tunes Wooden Activity Toy

The tiger-themed musical activity board features 5 musical toys in one: 8-key xylophone, drum, cymbal, mushroom clacker, and washboard sound maker.

Musical exploration encourages cause-and-effect learning and motor skill development. Mounting hardware is included so your child can enjoy this busy board on the floor or mounted to the wall.

Wooden Baby Hair Brush Set

Another practical gift for baby! Fephas’ set of three baby grooming tools includes a soft brush made with natural goat hair bristles and a massaging wooden bristle brush of natural wooden bristles. Both have beech wood handles. It also includes a maple wood comb.

Hide and Seek Beehive

Little hands learn big concepts with this soft hive and five playful bees that jingle, rattle, crinkle and squeak. Built to support emerging object permanence, children pull the bees through a peek‑a‑boo door for curious‑minded, screen‑free play. It’s also machine‑washable.

This classic Montessori toy is perfect for babies 7 months and up because this is about the time when babies are naturally interested in fitting things together.

Each individual piece is about 2 inches tall and finished with a homemade natural beeswax and olive oil blend.

Classic Oball

We rarely recommend plastic toys (this one is BPA free) but the Oball is a classic toy for babies and toddlers. It is lightweight and super easy for little hands to grip. It also encourages development of motor skills.

A great ball for learning how to toss and catch, it’s also light and soft enough not to hurt if it hits baby (or you) in the head or face.

You can learn more about how to choose safe plastic toys here.