In this kids vegan gift guide you can find:
vegan play food,
toys with animals in their natural habitats,
plant based art materials,
vegan children's books,
and stocking- filler toiletries, shoes and coats, which you might have planned to buy anyway.
We buy vegan versions of books and toys to counteract the messages we encounter in the predominantly not-yet vegan world. It helps to demonstrate gentle, outwardly focussed and responsible values in our home, even if we don't always live up to them. General gifts can often be found in second hand shops, or in a library; but specifically vegan things are easier to buy from the internet. I also liked these seasonal articles from George Monbiot and Humane Education.
Buying nothing
We believe spending time with loved ones can bring more lasting memories, and bring you closer together than presents. It also saves the planet's resources and our home storage space. This is why my partner, brother and I agree not to buy one another presents. My child is also not yet of an age where they request presents; we are savouring this time and not buying them anything either. We don't want Baby Vegan to evaluate love based on things... But since I don't have proper job I thought I'd cash in on Christmas anyway....
Go on an outing
At the present moment it is not always easy to see people! So why not chat and play with a video call? If you are able to meet, then you can find eco attractions around the country, and places to go in London and Lancaster in Vegan Family Guide. The Ordnance Survey downloadable map app could be a good present, or family English Heritage membership.
Holiday in a vegan place
Booking.com is offering 30% off certain stays until the 31st December, which you could use to book Stonewater house. Hotels.com sell gift cards, which can be redeemed at La Suite West, or Kings Reach. You can find more vegan, family friendly places to stay in Vegan Family Guide.
Donate to a vegan cause
You could sponsor an animal in a sanctuary, or visit a sanctuary one day. Alternatively, you could make a donation to a vegan development charity, do something like Oxfam Unwrapped, or find another cause the individual in question cares about. While your at it, you could sign one of these vegan parent's campaigns.
Recycling by buying second hand
Save the Earth's resources, and your pocket by not creating yet more unnecessary clutter. Here are some second hand shops to try: Oxfam Online, Preloved, and eBay. In eBay, you can can find second hand things by selecting 'used' under the 'condition' tab on the left. Find more second hand shop ideas in Vegan Family Guide.
Digital vegan gift voucher cards
A digital gift card allows someone to buy what they need, such as some groceries. This could be handy for a new parent. For example, the newborn Baby Vegan was given a lot of hats, but never wore them since they had a hood. Of course, we were very grateful, but had we been given vouchers we could have added some variety. Equally, we would have been happy with not to hear from people at all, or to have no presents, or to be given some tinned food so as we didn't have to shop or cook.
Vegan vouchers: TheVeganKindSupermarket, GreenBay (supermarket), Wearth London (boutique), Balade en Provence (toiletries), (use code PROVENCE10 for 10% off), or LaBante London (handbags).
Ethical gift cards: Ethical Superstore, Natural Collection, Social Supermarket, or Funky Skincare (use code LWW10 for 10% off).
Book tokens: Foyles, Waterstones.
Baby shopping vouchers: Bebemoda, Scandiborn
Vegan play food toys and real children's safety knives
Here's where to find plant based pretend food to complement your real life diet, including: printable wholefoods, play vegetables, play fruit, and a vegan foods card game. The safety knife and learning tower can be used to make edible food. Find more ideas in the Vegan Family Guide toys, dining, and picnic pages. Click the images to visit the shops.
Toy animals in their natural habitats
In these play scenes, animals are in the places they like to live; as opposed to farms, zoos or aquariums. In this way, natural ecology is normalised, as opposed to animal captivity . More play scenes can be found on the reusable stickers, felt and magnets page. Click the images to visit the shops.
Vegan art materials for children
Non- vegan art materials can contain ingredients such as: bone, bladders or insect secretions. This is a list of plant- based and plastic- free alternatives from the Vegan Family Guide art page. Click the images to visit the shops. The Art Discount shop also includes a vegan section with various tins of professional coloured pencils, and recycled sketchbooks. You could combine vegan art materials with a vegan colouring book or vegan colouring sheet.
Vegan books for children
Vegan Family Guide organised vegan children's books into age and topic categories, including different types of stories, colouring, poetry, and recipes, so as you can chose the book which is most appropriate for you. Vegan kids books feature gentle role models who have the strength of character to show how humans and animals can get on. Unlike mainstream children's books, they do not present farms as friendly places.
The Vegan Kind vegan shop stocks some vegan children's books, vegan children's colouring books, parenting and cookery books.
Free vegan kids books
Vegan Family Guide has a dedicated page for free vegan children's colouring sheets to download. You could use this to make your own book. These vegan children's books are available for free download too: I Live in a Hut, From my Little Hut in the Forest, Violets Vegan Comics, Lilly Bowers and the uninvited guest, I Don't want to Eat Animals Anymore. Vegan Family Guide also has a free playlist of vegan children's videos.
Vegan Children's Toiletries
Find more vegan children's toiletries and vegan baby balms in Vegan Family Guide. These products contain no beeswax (cera alba) or sheep's wool (lanolin). They are packaged without plastic, and made from natural, edible ingredients.
Get 10% off Truthpaste 10% off with the code LivingwWarmth.
Get 10% off €25 at Balade en Provence with the code PROVENCE10.
Get 10% off etico with the code LIVINGWWARMTH10.
Get 10% off Funky Skincare with the Code LWW10.
Vegan Shoes for children
Vegan children's shoes are ones which do not contain leather or animal based glues. Ideally they are made under good labour conditions, and with sustainable fabrics. Find more vegan children's shoes in Vegan Family Guide.
Evercreatures have 70% off black vegan ankle wellies until 30th January
Vegan Coats and Clothes for children
Vegan coats are ones which are not made from leather or wool. The coats in the pictures are made from recycled plastic. Find more vegan children's coats and clothes in Vegan Family Guide. Click the image to visit the shop.
great article..very useful