I am lucky to have lots of little people in my life, and these little people have birthdays. When their special day comes around I become very aware of how much ‘stuff’ most kids have. Yet, my urge to give them something to show them I adore them, is huge.

The Natural Co. is my go-to for kid’s presents. Run by a mother of two, their kids range is thoughtfully curated and incredibly helpful.

Water colour paints, crayons, soaps, balms, wooden animals, containers, kitchen sets, and blocks. The range of items The Natural Co. offers for kids are epic for many reasons:

Sustainably made (from things like offcuts and/or natural materials)
Practical items - not more junk to fill playrooms
Creative ideas - items that require the child to think outside the box
Consumable items - gifts that are useful and can be used up (e.g. soaps, balms)

If in doubt, I buy a gift voucher so the gift-receiver or their parent can choose what they want.

Not just for kids, The Natural Co. offer all sorts of home and lifestyle goods, but with parents constantly asking me for recommendations, I thought I’d oblige!

My nieces, Ella (6) and Grace (4) are the two main kids in my life. We have a basket of toys they play with when they come to visit ‘Aunty Kate and Uncle Tim’. They were incredibly excited to hear we had two new toys to add to the basket, and Uncle Tim took some snaps while we played.

Here are their reviews and some snaps of a fun Saturday morning.

Honeysticks Natural Crayons

You know how kids under the age of three are known to eat toys they shouldn’t? That’s me when it comes to these honeysticks. They smell like honey clover and I might actually place them around my home as a natural air freshener! See us smelling the crayons above? They are delicious.

Honeysticks are made in Aotearoa New Zealand from 100% pure beeswax and food-grade pigments - so if you did eat them, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Their production is low impact, and they are packaged in recycled cardboard that can go in the compost once they’re all used up.

The pack we used are the short/stubby ones, with 12 long lasting colours: green, red, orange, dark blue, white, black, mustard, pink, brown, yellow, dark green, blue.

Crayons are a staple item in most kid’s worlds, so choosing a sustainably made crayon is a great idea and the ideal gift for when you don’t know what the child’s exact interests are.

Wooden Blocks

A personal favourite, these blocks are made from offcuts from NZ grown pine and macrocarpa. They’re finished with vegetable oil, and come in a cotton drawstring bag.

My favourite things about these blocks is their simplicity and variability. It’s like playing with nicely sanded sticks - no colouring or dyes, and no piece the same. The three of us made an airport, an airplane, and a runway.

When I asked them why they liked the blocks, they said:

“They’re different shapes.” - Ella.

“I like the blocks because you can make stuff out of them.” - Ella.

“I think I like this piece because it can go here.” - Grace.

Personally, the blocks are my favourite kids toy because they’re super fun to play with as an adult. I’ve been a nanny and babysitter for well over a decade, and playing with kids is so much more fun (and doable) when the activity is enjoyable for EVERYONE. I’m glad these toys are not a gift and will stay in our toy basket… I’ll definitely be having a play without any children present.

So, if you have little ones of your own, or are lucky enough to have them in your life, The Natural Co. is a great resource for gifts and practical items to treat them with!

Shop The Natural Co. here.

Use code ETHICALLYKATE for 10% off.

P.S. Huge thank you to my wonderful nieces for being part of this!!

As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. I send the brand a large list of questions to answer first, and trial the product properly before saying yes to anything. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.