BEST NATURE & ANIMAL
SUSTAINABLE STICKERS
FOR TODDLERS

ethically sourced stickers and eco alternatives
reusable/ easy peel off/ repositionable

Baby currently currently gets through one animal themed Usborne Sticker book a week.  Baby's favourite books comprise friendly, smiley faced animal stickers, and pages with background scenes of their environment to stick the animals onto.You do not need to put the sticker in a particular place, just find the right (or wrong) habitat.  I was initially pleased to see Baby learn concentration and fine motor skills, while studying environmental science (like me!) but then realised sticker books are not recyclable.  Since it is a bit embarrassing to have an eco website which promotes single use plastic, I set out to find an alternative.  I am now the world's leading authority on stickers.

I made myself this shopping list of titles which show animals in their natural habitat.  We avoid sticker books with: farms, zoos, aquariums and pets for vegan reasons.  For green reasons, I've found out about reusable, sustainably sourced stickers, and magnetic and felt sticker alternatives.  We also avoid books about cars.

We're on our third copy of Nature, by Federica Iossa; which Baby has been known to take to bed. It begins with a British woodland, and then invites you around the world, visiting many different animals at home and learning their names. Baby was particularly keen on the coral reef.  Baby also liked Seasons by Jean Claude, which has ducks.

When sticking, Baby often likes to arrange creatures into interspecies cuddle parties. The animals sometimes bounce around or eat bits of our dinner before settling on the page, or carpet.

MAGNETIC STICKER BOOKS

animal and nature magnet play scene sets

We were recently given some magnetic letters by a teenager who used them as a toddler- which demonstrates their durability.  They could be stuck around the house as well.

I'm waiting to receive our first magnetic sticker book.  My hope is that they will stay sticky for a long time, but not stick to my feet.  One benefit of magnets over felt is that the animals can be more detailed.  

I don't know how that metal is sourced.    Find second hand recycled on eBay.

FUZZY FELT STICKER PICTURE BOARDS

Nature and animal felt play sets and books.  Blogger 'doing my eco best' muses that fuzzy felt may be the oldest and most eco-friendly toy. They found out that fuzzy felt is made from synthetic fibre (oil), and that a box they bought in a charity shop was made in 1967. Since it lasts so well, fuzzy felt has the potential to be recycled by passing it down. It seems possible to get rolls of felt which are made from: recycled plastic, cork or bamboo.  However, beware!  Some felt is made from sheep's wool.

SUSTAINABLE REUSABLE CHILDREN'S STICKERS

eco nature and animal sticker scenes and alternativeslp

Reusable stickers are environmentally and financially better than single use stickers, but do not last forever- especially in our house.  Once carpet fluff/ food/ dribble gets to them they lose stickiness.  Where the stickers are not paper it is possible to wash them and regain the stick.  One benefit is that they are sometimes a bit thicker than normal stickers, and so easier to pick up.

THE LAKE DISTRICT/ YORKSHIRE/ COTSWOLDS/ DERBYSHIRE/ SCOTLAND

Sticker, activity, colouring book with fold-out scenes

Evelyn Sinclair, Inspired by Lakeland

Not advertised as reusable, but we found them to be.  Baby likes spotting things they've seen on walks, especially ducks.  The sticker pages are next to the relevant scenes, which makes it easy to use.  The only problem is the farm, but you could refer to it as an animal sanctuary!

'We print on paper sourced responsibly (FSC mix) and our Penrith-based printers plant trees (Woodland Trust) for each book printed... Printed in Penrith, UK'.  The Lake District Sticker book won a Beatrix Potter Award, and money from each sale is donated to Cumbrian Wildlife Trust.

200+ stickers and activities, 4 scenes

£6  

Sample

PONDS AND RIVERS/ GARDEN BIRDS/ GARDEN WILDLIFE/ SEASHORE/ WOODS AND FORESTS/ MINIBEASTS.

reusable Sticker Play Scene cards

Sticker Play Scenes series (reusable at first) and Stick and Play Books (not reusable) series by (Car Buckingham and Andrea Pinnington, Fine Feather Press- publisher specialised in nature books).

These compact and light cards could be good to play with on a train. Baby finished their pond in one afternoon in the Muddy Puddle cafe. We also combine the set with the Red Bubble stickers below. The Ponds and Rivers edition includes: Mallard ducks, Mandarin ducks, Swan, Coot and Heron. 

About 20 stickers, 1 scene

£3.50

DUCKS

Reusable vinyl stickers- sold individually

Baby has interests in: ducks, stickers, and new vocabulary.  Therefore, I set out on a mission to combine these hobbies; in order introduce the correct terminology for fresh water bird species from a young age. I'm still uncertain how to pronounce 'pochard'.

I bought a sticker for each of the birds found in Clissold Park from Red Bubble (made from plastic, carbon offsetting for delivery only). They remained reusable for a few days. We have been sticking these onto: household appliances, ourselves, and a map of the park.

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Here is where to find the stickers:

Cosmic Esoteric: Male Mallard, Team Coot Uniform, Rock dove love, Swans in the lake, Bird in flight stickers.  I'm a regular customer at Cosmic Esoteric canal shop, having also acquired a wedding dressand some children's bird t-shirts. The designer lives on the canal and is neighbours with the ducks.  Follow her to hear about floating and cyber markets.

Jaqui Tayor: Pochard duck sticker.  Mrs Foxy: Little Grebe sticker. Jessamy83: Egyptian Geese sticker.  elaine pearson: Canada Goose sticker.  David Knowles (Owl Occasions): Greylag Goose sticker.  Robert Carr: Moorhen sticker.

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The park map was made by Clissold Park Users Group, and can be purchased from the park cafe. It tells you the names of some birds, and has a picture of the lakes and the river, which we lay the ducks out onto. I baby-proofed it with sticky tape.

UNDER WATER

Giant reusable stickering poster

Makii

'Fisssh' is one of Baby's favourite words, but I think a poster might be more rippable at this age.

Eco: climate neutrally, with bio-inks, and solely using FSC-certified paper

double-sided, 50 stickers

£11.70

ALL AROUND THE WORLD
ANIMAL KINGDOM

Giant, fold-out panorama pictures with reusable stickers

Geraldine Cosneau, Tate Publishing

FSC or 'equivalent' paper

8 scenes, hundreds of stickers

£9.99

JUNGLE

Reusable sticker book

Usborne by Gareth Lucas 

A reusable addition to Baby's beloved Usborne series.  Small size, handy for little ones.  Fold out back cover to store stickers.  

Moving to only FSC paper for books.

16 pages, 300+ stickers

£5.99

'RAINBOW' FOOD CHART

Reusable vegan children's stickers

Liz Cook Wall Chart

Each family member gets a set of re-useable animal stickers so they can see their healthy fruit and vegetable food intake, aiming to get one sticker on each of the five rainbow colour food groups every day.

​£6.95

VEGAN STICKERS X 3 OR CHOOSE ONE | PLANT BASED STICKERS | FOOD HEALTH STICKER |

Vinyl Stickers

PlantBasedCards

​£4.99