Toy Teachers: Eco-Friendly Toys Teach Kids to Care

Toys are your child’s constant companions, and they can also prove to be their greatest educators. For instance, My Sibling Dolls owner Loretta Boronat makes dolls that not only teach kids to look after the environment but also care for other people, particularly their brothers and sisters with disabilities. These dolls come with their own story booklets that revolve around certain themes and enable children to see the world from the perspective of their siblings with disabilities.

To help inspire kids to be more sensitive to Mother Nature, these dolls can be dressed in compatible 18-inch doll clothes recycled from real garments made in the United States. By choosing toys made from repurposed materials, parents can do their part in minimizing pollution.

More importantly, however, good toys not only amuse but also enable children to learn the right values. Whether it has to do with gender sensitivity or the importance of caring for the environment, multiple studies have confirmed that toys are effective tools for imparting values at an early age and enabling kids to nurture those values as they grow.

Charities and advocates are quite aware of this fact. In 2012, Toys "R" Us helped households celebrate World Autism Day by selling blue lights and other themed toys. There have also been efforts to teach young girls about breast cancer by giving them 18-inch dolls in pink clothes.