These toys that we are happy to see come into our home: suggestions for sustainable gifts

My emotional side, however, also understands the need to give them a gift that will make them happy for a moment. The problem is that very often, toys only make their eyes sparkle for a moment, precisely. They are quickly abandoned or dismantled too quickly and relegated to oblivion with all the other toys they have discarded.

This year, I want to suggest to my loved ones that we think about responsible purchasing together. Far be it from me to prevent them from giving something to my children, but I want that in addition to giving my children a gift, we also give them a value. The value of "not all consumer goods make me happy", the value of "abundance is not synonymous with happiness", the value of "I am not defined by what I own" and especially the value of "consuming less is better for our planet". Like most people in my family, I signed the pact, and under the title "Consumption", I promised to "Reduce my consumption, my waste production (reuse, recycle, compost) and waste in all its forms, especially energy; Reduce my plastic consumption, by choosing, among other things, products with the least packaging." At this time of Christmas, a consumer holiday, it's time to keep our commitments, isn't it?

Always with this in mind, I want my children to receive objects that will not only please them but will also last over time and, in addition, will help them develop their abilities to build themselves and understand the world around them. This is where it gets complicated! For those around me, this kind of talk can seem like a killjoy! If I give them this speech, they will certainly be very discouraged; it might seem a bit complicated to them. How to find the gift that will please both children and parents... So, dear parent, we have decided to help you help them! We have even prepared a small memo that you can give them and that they can slip into their wallet. This way, when they arrive at the toy store, bookstore, or sports store, the friendly sales clerks can help them with their choice.

What is a good toy? Here, according to Les Belles Combines, are the criteria that every good toy should possess!

• A toy that stimulates the child's imagination. A good toy has the quality of being changed, manipulated, transformed by children's imaginations. Building blocks, Legos, modeling clay, craft materials, figurines, and dress-up clothes are excellent examples. ALL my children use them, girls or boys. I can't tell you how many times I've been treated to a parade of costumed characters where I've heard "mommy, come see my construction!", where I've seen my children escape for very long minutes or even hours to create something and proudly show me their masterpieces!

• Toys that will last over time. We avoid toys that do too much and break quickly. They are often destined for mechanical failure. For the youngest, we favor wooden toys. They are beautiful and durable!

• Still with the aim of having durable toys, we try to avoid toys from Disney movies. Honestly, in two months, they won't even like them anymore. Lightning McQueen was super popular a few years ago. The kids had all the small cars from the series. Unfortunately, that quickly passed. It's funny, the little car they liked the most was the very ordinary one that came from dad's-toy-box-from-when-he-was-little!

• We avoid toys that are overstimulating, that produce a lot of sound effects, that have flashing lights, etc. In fact, just like screens, these toys make children spectators who do not develop their cognitive abilities. Anyway, once the novelty wears off, they very quickly lose interest.

• Children have a doll they love, five small cars they play with? Why buy them three more? We avoid duplicates and multiple toys. When they have too many toys of the same kind, they start looking for a particular item, emptying the toy bin on the floor and abandoning its contents without putting it away.

So, what do we buy them? Are you a parent and need to give toy suggestions to your loved ones? There's more than just toys to give as gifts. Find a project and ask people to buy things related to it. Children will love going home with everything they need to make this new project a reality. This year, we decided to transform the basement into an active corner. To do this, there are many things to get: a padded floor mat, exercise rings to attach to the ceiling, a punching bag, a wooden swing, a slackline, climbing holds to put on the wall, giant padded cubes for building, etc. We fully intend to ask everyone to buy one of these items. It will be great because we will receive almost everything we need and one person's gift can also be used by another. In the end, it's a family gift that we will receive!

We can also decide to create a craft corner for them. We will need a work desk, stools, small compartmentalized bins for storing materials, craft supplies, pens, etc. We can create a reading corner in the house with a beautiful rug, cushions, a teepee, posters, books, a bookcase, a beautiful pouf, etc. Perhaps it's time to redecorate your growing child's room? Think about bedding, cushions, a rug, posters, a new bookcase, books, etc. Your children don't go outside enough? Think about equipping them to play in the snow: snowshoes, shovels, buckets, material for building igloos, snow paint, sleds for sliding, etc. Perhaps you want to go on a family trip and it seems beyond your financial means? Why not ask family and friends to help you! They can offer money to the children to contribute to this project. To make the experience more fun, create a treasure hunt for the Christmas loot by asking the elves to hide bills everywhere in the house. The magic will still be there! You can also ask people to offer things related to the upcoming trip: passport, travel bag, swimsuit, diving mask, tourist information book, etc. We did this for our family trip. The children loved it!

And if this year you really don't want or need all that, let the people around you know that your children love one-on-one outings and that, due to lack of time or financial means, outings to the cinema, restaurant, museum, theater, Science Center, or Planetarium are rare!

Stuck for original ideas for non-material gifts for children? Find our suggestions here!

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