Published 3 December 2015 ● Last Updated on 8 October 2020
It’s all Santa’s fault! He and his sleighful of toys is hard competition for all of us who want to be the the ones the good kids flock to (and they are always good this season!) with shining eyes and sighing thank-yous! If you want to be the grown-up who gets gifts right: here’s our holiday guide to buying this season. Not only will you bring joy to the lucky kid – you will also be supporting ethical businesses and minimising waste with these eco-friendly products!
Tea set by Green Toys
SG$ 32 for the tea set of 17 pieces which includes: tea tot with lid, sugar bowl with lid, creamer , 4 cups, 4 saucers, 4 spoons
Age range: 2 – 5 yrs
Buy in-store at Motherswork outlets [112 Katong, Tanglin Mall & Marina Bay Sands, Singapore] or Motherswork online.
Young ones love attending tea parties more than the Mad Hatter ever did! This tea set is sure to be a hit with toddlers and pre-schoolers. It is hardy, comes in multi-colour light pastels, doesn’t leak (unlike the eco-friendly wooden sets), and there are enough cups and saucers to make sharing a possibility on playdates! Meantime, grown-ups can pat their own backs for encouraging creativity and imagination through pretend play. This product is food safe and made entirely with eco-friendly materials.
Natural play make up by Pure Poppet
AU$ 24.95 / SG$34 for a set that includes powders, applicators and stencils for detailing
Age range: 3+ yrs
Buy online at Pure Poppet (Australia) or Shop Beba (Singapore). Also available in-store at 1010 Mother and Child (hurry, stocks running out fast!)
Halloween, theme parties, theatre, fairs… face painting is a recurring theme in all things fun! What’s not to love in a dash – or jar full- of colour? We particularly fancy this set by Pure Poppet that includes stencils, applicators and a selection of 3 colors. The pigments are non-toxic mineral powders derived from natural ingredients that can be applied dry, or mixed with water to create face paint. A sure hit with boys and girls of all ages, and even young-at-heart adults.
Reusable snack baggie by Keep Leaf
SG$ 12 for a large size bag
Age range: 5+ years
Buy at Redmart or Neis Haus
Even fussy eaters will enjoy food if the lunch bag is this funky! Keep Leaf has a range of reusable snack baggies that are a great alternative to disposable plastic. They are made of a cotton exterior – with cool prints like robots and planes, and have a waterproof inner lining. They secure with Velcro for an easy close, creating a modern, stylish accessory that school kids would be eager to grab! Ideal for packing vegetable sticks, sandwiches and various finger foods.
Parents can rest assured that materials are lead, phthalate and BPA free… and hand/machine/dishwasher friendly!
Animal-print pencils by O’Bon Stationery
SG$ 7.50 for a set of 5 twin packs
Age range: 4+ yrs
Buy at The First Green Store
Know any kids addicted to channel Nat Geo or Animal Planet? This gift is perfect for the young nature lover! The pencils, made of recycled newspaper, showcase five different endangered animals: chameleon, cheetah, panda, poison dart frog, and woodpecker. We tried them and the lead is strong, the writing is dark – and the shavings are firm (not brittle) making them a perfect ingredient for arts and crafts!
DIY Snow globe by Seedling
US$ 17.54
Age range: 8+ yrs
Buy at Good things for Kids by Seedling or at Childrens Showcase in Tanglin Mall.
This award winning kit can be used by kids 8 yrs and over to create their own snow globe in warm and sunny Singapore. Priced at US$ 17.30 excluding shipping, this is a perfect gift for your nephews and nieces who live on the equator here in Singapore but crave for the white winters of the West! Creating an illusion of snow without actually feeling cold is well achieved with this D.I.Y. gift!
Natural mineral make-up kit by Luna Star
US$ 29.75
Age range: 9+ yrs
Buy at iherb.com
Who ever said make up is only for grown ups? If you have a 9-yr-old niece or daughter, by now she will be interested in your make up accessories and will be expressing an interest (in all likelihood) to try them out. We thought that this all natural mineral make-up kit would be the perfect Christmas for such precious little girls. Priced at US$29.75, this 7-piece kit comes with nail polish, eye shadow, blush, body shimmer, lip balm and a bamboo brush. All items are proven to be easy on the delicate skin as they are made 100% from natural minerals.
Organic cotton tee-shirt by Baby Hero
US$ 29.95
Age range: 1-3 yrs
Buy at Phatrice.com
This 100% organic cotton, fair trade certified tee is named “HERO” as a testament to the hero in every child – the spirit within that creates explorers, inventors, acrobats, survivors! Priced at US$29.95 and available in three colors- blue, orange and pink, each tee comes in an organic cotton bag perfect to be reused for the storage of knick-knacks. Moreover, every tee purchased can save a life, as a part of the sale proceeds are used to fund a neonatal survival kit for a mother and new-born baby in need. The manufacturer can even include a personalised gift message from you and include a note about the neonatal kid it funds using the sale proceeds. The product is sold online on Phatrice.com and they ship to Singapore too.
100% cotton clothes for mommy and her girl by Commemaman
Price Range: US$27 onwards, depending on selection
Age range: New born to 8 yrs
Buy at Commemaman online store
If you want to buy a gift for the special girls in your life this Christmas, have a look at this store. You can choose to buy a set of clothes for mommy and baby or even just clothes for one of them. We love almost everything on the store, hence we have included the entire store directory here :-). Designed by talented Quynh Anh Duong, the Commemaman collection is a treat for the special girls in your life. The designer plays around with fabric (all of which is 100% cotton) and styles to create one-off pieces which can be worn by a mother daughter pair or just by any girl really! She has recently added bow ties for the boys to her range. Have a look if you want picture perfect and co ordinated clothes for the family Christmas dinner.
Gift an experience by Small Space Sprouts
Price: Sg$ 26
Age range:7 +
Buy at Small Space Sprouts
If the kid you are buying the gift for loves nature and has an inquisitive bent of mind, you can gift him or her an experience. This experience from Small Space Sprouts is one where the child can grow medium-sized fruiting vegetables like tomato and eggplant and is perfect for the relatively small homes in Singapore. The Medium DIY Fruiting Veggie Kit comes with lucid instructions, seeds, a fabric pouch, organic fertilizer and organic potting mix. You can choose between tomatoes, peppers and eggplants for them to grow with their own hands.
Related Posts:
When older is better! Christmas gifts ideas that celebrate the test of time
Gifts for Him|10 Eco-Friendly Buys and DIYs
Gifts for Her |10 Eco-Friendly Buys
– Mili Nath, with inputs from Team Secondsguru
Mili is an expert on sustainable sourcing. She is the founder of The First Green Store, an online shop specializing in eco-friendly products. She also runs a sustainable marketing consultancy – helping companies ranging from Body Shop to L’oreal to source their marketing and entertainment purchases from sustainable sources and Earth-friendly brands.
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