Couldn't agree with you more! Have you tried Oompa or Moolka? I love both sites...

www.oompa.com

www.moolka.com

Good luck!

We wanted to limit the amount of plastic baby toys, too, but I would say that 99% of our son's toys were purchased by other people. If you really don't want plastic, make that abundantly clear to your family members.

I ordered this rainbow from Etsy and little one loves it. The seller has some other great things.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Imaginationkids

Also love these blocks:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43077072

And these gnomes/dolls:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SewnNatural?section_id=5786795

Or these rattles:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/chunkychooky?section_id=6285947

I am an etsy addict.

There are a TON of great green toys makers now. Some big names ones are Haba and Plan Toys: http://www.plantoys.com. Childtrek is great too: http://www.childtrek.com

Lots of the perennial favorites here are eco-friendly. Sophie Giraffe is natural rubber and the Skwish is made of rubberwood.

Under the Nile makes organic cotton clothing and a great line of toys.

http://www.underthenile.com/underthenile/categorybyDept-196.htm

Magic Cabin's catalog, Nova Naturals, The Playstore are a few places with great wooden & natural toys. If you live in an area with a Waldorf school, they often have their own stores that carry tons of great stuff. Let your relatives know early on that you'd prefer a certain type of toy. Natural & wooden toys are often more expensive, but my family will chip in to buy one great gift (such as a wooden play kitchen) as opposed to lots of smaller, junkier items. I'm expecting my 4th child and can vouch for the long-lasting qualities of these toys even after they've been played with for years and years.

Make sure you get Sophie the giraffe, made out of natural rubber. All babies love Sophie, as far as I can tell. She's not cheap, but she's worth it. Read all the glowing reviews on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Vulli-Sophie-Giraffe-Teether-Brown/dp/B000IDSLOG We ended up buying three Sophies after a couple got lost (one turned up again so we currently have two Sophies) because she's the perfect teething toy. And our daughter is attached to her.

And, BTW, someone on Etsy sells "Sophie Savers"--they're similar to pacifier leashes. And they work, we haven't lost a Sophie in a while.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sophiebelle

I highly recommend A Small Green Footprint:
http://asmallgreenfootprint.com/

You can sort the toy section by age. All of the toys are safe/environmentally friendly, so you don't have to try to cross-reference what is both safe and age-appropriate. It's nice when someone else does the work for you.

We've been thrilled with everything we've received from the store.

We bought TWO Sophie's..... that's how much she was loved & how LONG she was loved (at first i was afraid we'd lose her and then her ear got sliced... think it was draining and got clipped by a knife).

etsy is a WONDERFUL resource for fabric & wooden gifts. We got fabric blocks, and small round balls w/bells inside... those were well loved & washable.

as much as you dont WANT plastic toys... you'll get them. it wasnt until i made my mother READ an article about the dangers of bad plastic (www.thesoftlanding.com had a great pamphlet and is an EXCELLENT source for safe things).

best of luck!

dandelion (http://www.dandelionforbaby.com/) has a lot of organic toys as well as other things for babies. :)

ksg, thanks for the link. I just bought a little stuffed mushroom and stuffed purple cow for my nephew-to-be. So cute!

i think nova natural is a really good source of *ideas* and then i go searching for that concept on etsy. not that i've never ordered from nova natural - i have, and i've been really happy with what i got. i just love etsy.

if you need gift ideas for people who are not going to go to these websites, though, there are some non-plastic things they can get at whatever store they're used to shopping at. board books, wooden alphabet blocks, stuffed animals, finger puppets, tinker toys. plus you can get wooden versions (like melissa & doug) of the standard plastic crap pretty much anywhere these days because it's "trendy".

I had an excellent experience with buying wood toys at Livingplaying.com.

FYI, our son hated his organic wood-and-fabric teether; it's a good idea to have a couple of different types on hand (fabric, wood, rubber, whatever).

Ditto what neenotchka said: others will give you plastic toys. If you really don't ever want them in your house, be very, very clear.

Oh, and we used a pacifier "leash" that had velcro on one end (from MAM?) that we looped around all sorts of little toys in the early months.

I agree it's the gifts that are the hardest part - the toughest challenge we've faced is with my in-laws who keep buying our kids loads of plastic toys. Literally, they only seem to buy toys that break in five minutes and everything is large and plastic.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I have seen cloth and wooden toys for toddlers, but I appreciate all the help finding toys for babies under 2!!

We have made it pretty clear to our families that we would appreciate either handmade gifts or gifts that support the atmosphere we are striving for in our home, and even though we are the only ones out of BOTH sides of our families who are even remotely familiar with the term "eco-friendly" (crazy, I know) everyone has been happy to gift by our terms. I know that some plastic toys are inevitable as baby showers approach, but we have already committed to donating to charity what we can't return.

As far as organic and sustainable toys...I've noticed that most of them are fairly monochromatic. Has anyone noticed that babies are less engaged with these toys that look a little bland?

HollyDolly--it is my personal experience that it is not sufficient to be "pretty clear"--you must be abundantly, forcefully, painfully clear. We were very direct with our families before our daughter was born--we said something to the effect of, "if you want to buy the baby toys, please do not buy her anything that is plastic. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and gifts, but we really don't want a lot of plastic in our house--it is not healthy for the baby, and it is not good for the environment. We also do not want any videos, because the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children not have any screen time until they are 3 years old." Clear, right? Well, it worked for about 6 months, then everyone magically forgot. We started getting ugly plastic walkers (which aren't safe anyway) and singing plastic caterpillars and giant bouncing plastic zebras that make obnoxious noises and big plastic barns with insipid plastic animals and, god forbid, Elmo DVDs. Um, people? And after you get the gift, it's MUCH harder to tell the smiling relatives, so eager to see your child's eyes light up at the big hunk of plastic junk, that thanks but no thanks, please return it, this is not what I want for my child. You can try to gently remind them after the fact that you prefer natural gifts, but you start to look like a real jerk if you tell them that you hate the gifts they bring.

So my advice, again? Be EXTRA SUPER CLEAR up front, and every time you get a gift that follows your prior request, give a reminder along with the thank you ("oh, this is so wonderful. I know junior will love it so much, and I really appreciate that you got him something that is natural and not plastic, it's soooo much healthier for him and the environment, and really will stimulate his imagination and growth so much more than most toys you see in stores nowadays that have so many bells and whistles.")

I too wanted nothing but the most natural in my home. And if your pretty strict you can achieve it (and an under two will not notice the things you make disappear. . Though your MIL might.) We lived in 700 square feet when my first was born, so I often used the lack of space as an excuse to be demanding. Sure I got the reputation for being particular, but I don't have a house full of battery operated stuff either. Yay! What worked for me was to identify the "buyers" in my life (um, my in-laws who could afford it and wanted to be purchasing things) and to politely send them a few web-sites that we liked EVERYTHING on so they could go wild. (both clothing and toys). Sure I have a reputation for being "particular" but it is my home!

Oh and for brighter, more colorful stuff for the under 2s, I think you can't beat all things Haba. It's expensive but your grandkids will play with those toys, they are that solid and beautiful. (and we've found the rattles even look great up on shelves between babies in our home!)

Good Luck.

Oh, and the worst part? You can't give these giant plastic gifts away--they must become a permanent part of your home's decor. Just what you wanted, right? Because if you DO give them away, the next time the gifting relatives come to visit, and notice the conspicuous plastic crap conspicuously missing from your home (because there's unfortunately no place to store a giant bouncy zebra OTHER than in the middle of your living room, unless you have closets much bigger than mine), what will you say?

We were very clear that we didn't want toys manufactured in China or made of plastic for our girls. Everyone seems to think that we mean "from people other than them." We've had to be gracious and then just donate the gifts to goodwill.
http://www.bellalunatoys.com/
and
http://www.thewoodenwagon.com/
have some great stuff. Check out the wooden ramp walkers from wooden wagon. Our 15 month old is amused endlessly by hers, as are any guests who see them.
http://thewoodenwagon.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TWW&Product_Code=BGF102

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the AMAZING Uncle Goose blocks, they are works of art and come in amazing types.
http://www.lindenwoodinc.com/UNCLEGOOSE/index.html

Haba Discovery Blocks. My daughter (now 8 months) has played with and mouthed these daily since 4-5 months.

http://www.amazon.com/Habermass-1192-Discovery-Blocks/dp/B0002HYFLG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1269485140&sr=8-1

Also highly endorse Sophie.

I've also found that around the age of 1, my daughters both preferred things that were NOT toys, ie dragging tupperware out of the cupboard was more fun than using the stacking cups in the toy box. A stick from the garden and an empty box were intriguing while the baby drum kit was a bore. My wallet was a better chew toy than the rubber ring I tried to give her. I have to say, its a bit frustrating to see a room full of expensive and beautiful educational toys gathering dust. Which is all to say, between what your family offers as a gift and what your child chooses to play with, you yourself have pretty limited input into the question!

Please don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer of "no plastic" toys - I try to limit them but not completely avoid them. please remember that sticking to this policy can also give a feeling of "being elite or haughty" or I am too good to play with "regular toys" and kids can and will pick up this sentiment and will transpose to a lot of other factors of life.

Basically - you want your child to be able to play with whatever is available - not say "uggh plastic" when you are over at someone else's house.

Another thing to remember is many of these environmentally friendly toys tend to be more expensive than other toys.

Having said this - I do sincerely hope that they cut down on those plastic monstrosities and come up with more affordable environmentally friendly options.

Oh, there are some BEAUTIFUL natural baby toys at Bella Luna Toys! I just bought the all natural Maple Teether and Cherry Rattle for my friend's baby shower. They also have wooden baby toys from Haba (imported from Germany). All the toys on this website are all natural and non-toxic. And their customer service is exemplary! www.bellalunatoys.com

Sorry, I didn't enter the link correctly for Bella Luna Toys. It's http://www.bellalunatoys.com

I avoid plastic if possible and only have a few toys, such as duplo which are made in Europe. I avoid toys and baby items make in China as well. Too, too many scandels. We also don't do tv or licensed characters, etc. Luckily, my family is really good about wish lists and my MIL only buys books and clothes.

Haba, Selecta, Plan Toys, Duplo, Uncle Goose (blocks), Landmark Timber (trains), Grimm's, and etsy are all good sources.

Moolka and Oompa both have beautiful websites with very good organization.

Some of our all time favorite safe toys that have played with over and over again:

Haba Rattles - the Kringelring is a perfect rattle as is the Razzle Zazzle
Ball Pounding Set - PT
Peg Pounding Set - PT
Nesting Cups - we use cheapo safe plastic ones from IKEA
Alphabet Blocks
Pegs (so great!) Escalier Couleurs from Haba
Big Blocks and also many of the fancy Haba blocks such as "Fantasy Blocks" or "First Blocks"
Duplo Blocks, plastic but made in Denmark
Puzzles
Trains - PT and Maple Landmark

Buy good toys, enjoy them, maintain them, and then sell them on Craig's List for half-price!

hey- just to add my two cents.
I love great wooden toys as much as the next person, but please- before i had my own kid and home- i was constantly buying gifts for others. And much thought went into it.
Some were plastic, some had batteries, but all were bought with the hope that the recipient will have a great time with it.

While it's great for us as parents to set our own standards, we do still need to be careful with other people's feelings. These people went out on a limb to buy OUR kid a present.
Not our style? Or to our liking? our problem.

as a side note, we love Melissa and Doug :)

many in our immediate family have amazon wish lists to offer some gift-giving help around birthday & holiday time. so, I've created one for our little one. with the "universal wish list" button, you can add things to the wish list from other sites (e.g., etsy) even if it's not sold through amazon. while this hasn't prevented grandma and grandpa from buying the occassional big plastic toy, it has helped direct the aunts and uncles to buy gifts that are the kinds of toys (wood, fabric, handmade, etc.) -- or in lieu of toys, books! -- that we tend to prefer.

Also, Nova Naturals

These elements have been played with in more ways than I can count. We received the large rainbow first and have gone on to collect them all. Simple, pure genius. They get played every day and in every way and have since my toddler got the first one at 18 months.

http://www.novanatural.com/woolens?search=four elements set

I second the vote for Nova Naturals!

http://www.novanatural.com/

My son still plays with everything we received from there. I also cannot stress a good solid set of wooden blocks. My son received his at 18 months and still loves them (he's 5 1/2). They are one of the best open-ended, imagination-filled toys you can buy. And, while our set was expensive, they will last forever. My mother still has the set we played with as kids and it's the first toy that the grandkids go for because they can be turned into anything!

Love Dress Me Up, her toys are organic handmade beautiful and useful. Check out her ball (doubles as a nursing aid), bunny rattles, teething bonbon.
http://www.bundlebabyshop.com/p-25-organic-teething-bonbon.aspx
I also like to ask for hand-me-down gifts. These are the special treasured 2nd or 3rd generation toys.

Rather than demanding that you not receive plastic toys, you can guide family members toward books, especially books that have a special meaning to them; if they read "The Runaway Bunny" to their little ones, then would they consider buying a hardcover copy and inscribing it with the occasion and their name or hopes and wishes for the baby. Books are much more keep-able than most toys anyway, So there's that whole heirloom aspect.

Etsy Addicts unite!

I love needle felted wool toys, and these are two great shops. They are both currently on vacation, but sign up for a notice & check out their "sold" items:

http://beneaththerowantree.etsy.com
http://asherjasper.etsy.com

I also got a cute wool bunny from here, and they carry Waldorf dolls and other wool items:

http://oritdotandolls.etsy.com

My daughter LOVES her wood toys (rattle, stacker, blocks) from here:

http://littlesaplingtoys.etsy.com

This shop has more cute stuff including shaker blocks and eggs, which I may be purchasing soon:

http://littlealouette.etsy.com

Beautiful wood rattles:

http://earnestefforts.etsy.com

Cute crocheted rattles, some organic cotton:

http://bornwithit.etsy.com

Plush toys:

http://ecoleeko.etsy.com

Mostly toys for toddlers, but a few rattles:

http://palumba.etsy.com

Many of my daughter's favorite toys are not brightly colored, so I don't think this is a problem. Also, things may be more expensive, but they will last, are gorgeous, and it is supporting handmade.

Check out www.NonToxicTots!

I am a small webstore and I only carry items that I would feel comfortable buying for my own kids. Many brands are eco-friendly, such as PlanToys which uses renewable rubber wood and Green Toys who use recycled materials in their toys.

oops forgot the .com

http://www.NonToxicTots.com

Your house is already full of fun stuff, there is no need to buy "toys". Our one year old is much happier with the pots, pans and wooden spoons than any piece of plastic the grandparents buy. Get out the utensils, cardboard boxes, baskets of fabric scraps; you name it, you already own it.

I'm a big fan of returning stuff that you don't want to the store for stuff that you do want. What to do with it if you can't return it is a more difficult problem, because it's not really cool to give that stuff to charity.

The whole point is that plastic toys are dangerous and something you don't want around your own kids--so if they aren't good enough for your own kids, why would you give them to other peoples' kids?

I don't know what the answer is, though.

I'm going to a two year old birthday party next month. My gift is a little broom and dustpan set. The kid's mom won't get it--she'll probably think it's a joke or something and I'm sure she'll give me the side-eye, but I'll be interested to see how much her little girl plays with it vs. some of the other stuff she gets!