With the number of toy recalls that have happened recently, what will Santa be bringing your little ones this year? Lead contamination of plastic toys is a very real worry for parents. Last week I read a list of 350+ different big brand children’s toys that were being removed from the marketplace for this very reason. But what are the alternatives? For young children, wooden toys are an ideal gift. Wood has a texture that is engaging and invites further exploration, enhancing sensations and awakening their infinite imaginations. With a natural material you also have no need to worry about possible chemical contamination.

There is also an environmental advantage to using wood, a renewable resource, to make children’s toys. By giving a child a wooden toy you are not contributing to the environmental damage associated with the making of plastics and plastic products, thereby also protecting the child’s future.

Wonderworld Toys makes a range of wooden toys suitable for children from birth to around five years old. They are serious about protecting the environment, and only use rubber wood harvested from sustainable sources. Here is my pick of Wonderworld Toys, by age:

For tiny babies: The Huggy Bear Rocker is perfect for the tiniest babies and suitable for until baby can sit up. The bear seat is detachable from the rocker to allow you to cradle your baby, and he has crinkly ears, a rattly arm and tactile, multi-textured fabrics to keep baby entertained.

For 1 year olds: The Wooden Giraffe Walker is really cute and a great way to encourage little walkers. The giraffe’s ears are crinkly and his eyes move, and the toy includes a shape sorter with wooden shapes. As with all Wonderworld wooden toys, this walker is made of wood from a replenishable source.

For 2 year olds: This sturdy little Fire Engine is made of solid wood. It’s all terrain tyres make it just the thing to be enjoyed indoors when the weather isn’t good, and out in the garden and sand-pit on warmer days. The perfect size for small hands to play with and carry around. Almost every little boy dreams of being a fireman at some point.

For 3 year olds: Barny Farm is a cartoon-style farm made of wood with a rubber roof. The farm comes complete with tractor and tractor-driver, and there are plenty of additional farmy bits and pieces that can be purchased separately. Young children love playing at being the farmer and there are hours of imaginative play available from this toy.

For 4 year olds: 3D Traffic Dominoes requires children to match up parts of cars as they play. The pieces are made of chunky rubberwood and painted to depict a roadway.

PriceGrabber.co.uk has gone green, making it easier for UK shoppers to get the best deal while making the greenest choice. I’m delighted to introduce the new official BlogGreen blog where I’ll be blogging about environmental news, issues, and a veritable smorgasbord of green products.

To kick off, and because the season of excess is just around the corner, I will be offering up some green gift ideas for every member of the family. And I won’t stop there. The holidays can be done sustainably if you plan ahead, so we’ll look at reducing our food miles, increasing our recycling and letting Santa know that our little darlings’ stockings need filling with organic goodies this year.

You can also look forward to reading green living tips to take you into the New Year. If you haven’t thought about your carbon footprint before, now is a good time to start. Make your New Year’s resolution one that will not just be to your benefit, but to the benefit of the planet, your children (or nieces and nephews if you don’t have your own) and to humanity at large. Don’t worry, it’s not hard to do when you take it one step at a time.