Toys and Children's Books

The holiday gift-giving season can inspire dread in even the most stalwart parents and relatives who want to find toys that are durable, encourage creativity and contain sustainable least-toxic materials. Too many of the offerings on store shelves are made with petroleum-based plastics that break easily but take decades to degrade in landfills. These toys can end up in children's mouths, exposing kids to hormone-bending phthalates and bisphenol A. Wooden toys made of pressed plywood can emit formaldehyde gas, linked to headaches, asthma and possibly cancer. They can also be coated with toxic paints and varnishes.

Luckily, there are plenty of offerings this year for parents looking for toys made from natural materials such as organically grown cotton and uncoated solid wood from well-managed forests. Many of these toys can be passed down to younger children and friends, thereby decreasing the amount of new "stuff" purchased each year.

The Green Guide's Picks
NunoOrganic offers a variety of wooden toys, organic cotton dolls and teddy bears for young children. Toddlers can practice motor skills and size relationships with stacking boxes made of birch wood in colorful water-based stains ($25; www.nunoorganic.com, 914-762-6159).

Counteract the rage for battery power with ride-on cars that use bodily momentum to propel themselves, such as The Plasma Car ($69.96; www.plasmacar.com, 877-289-0730). Another alternative is the Flying Turtle ($68.95; www.sensoryedge.com, 800-734-8019).

Nova Natural Toys & Crafts sells a variety of natural playthings. Your child can build elaborate tracks for marbles with the Castle Labyrinth Marble Run, made of SmartWood-certified birch wood blocks ($38.90; www.novanatural.com, 877-668-2111).

Help your child learn about preserving diversity with the Endangered Species Puzzle, a 26-inch, 100-piece puzzle with facts about each animal on the back. Made from recycled materials ($18; www.naturalplay.com, 608-637-3989).