Children love to play games! As adults, we still remember fondly the games of our childhood and the time spent with friends and family playing them. We learn to take turns, lose with grace, cooperate, and follow rules, yet games can also teach values. Here at Eco Child’s Play, we are super excited to discover the eco-friendly games by Adventerra Games.

What makes a children’s game eco-friendly?

The obvious answer is the game is made from sustainable, recycled materials. Adventerra Games are designed in Switzerland, plastic-free, made from FSC-certified materials, and 100% recyclable or compostable. Even the shrink wrap is made from sugar cane.

Beyond the green materials used to make these fun games, the theme of the games aligns with the United Nations’ “17 sustainable development goals”.

Combining these sustainability values with fun, educational games is a great way to engage young children with important ecological topics! Furthermore, Adventerra Games teach developmentally appropriate skills such as reasoning, collaboration, logical thinking, as well as math, science, and visual memory. They also rank in the 94th percentile by Stem.org!

We were sent two games to play:

Polar Adventure: Disappearing Ice • $24.99 • Ages 4+

This illustrated 3D game introduces children to the problem of climate change and how it endangers the lives of polar animals. After building the polar environment, each player takes turns to roll the die and move their adorable wooden animal forward, aiming to be the first player to lead it to the safety of the big glacier. Helps develop tactical skills; knowledge of the threat to polar fauna; and hand-eye coordination.

This super fun, 3-D game introduces children to the problem of climate change, melting ice, and endangered animals of the Arctic and Antarctic. It contains four wooden animals, a wooden die, five icebergs of various sizes, and two game boards. Players move adorable polar bears, seals, and penguins with the goal of being the first one to safely reach the glacier.

By playing this game, young children learn about the threats to polar wildlife, as well as turn-taking, rule following, and eye-hand coordination.

Animals at Risk! • Ages 2+ • $14.99

Eagles, elephants, and whales, oh my! In this memory game, children match animals with their babies, and learn about their habitats. This game introduces children to the concept of endangered animals and the importance of protecting them. Helps develop visual memory; knowledge of animals at risk; and mother-baby logical association ability.

This game features 32 cards and is played like a classic memory matching game. Memory games are great for increasing short term and working memory abilities. They also improve concentration and visual memory.

In this enjoyable, award-winning memory game, players match endangered animals to their babies. They are beautifully illustrated, and the cards are a large size perfect for little hands. This game is designed for children two years old and above.

Playing games with young children has countless benefits. They learn about rules, fairness, luck, as well as increase concentration, attention, and gain academic skills. The eco-friendly games by Adventerra Games do all of this, but they add important environmental concepts such as climate change and endangered species. They are made from 100% eco-friendly materials. These are games you will enjoy playing with your children, inspire conversation, and help children understand the importance of conservation beyond the time spent actually playing.