Sustainable shoe gifts that we give for Sinterklaas (+ in recent years!)

The holidays are coming, and that means Sinterklaas is just around the corner! To help you choose sustainable shoe gifts this year, I'll share in this blog post what we've given this year (and in previous years) in sustainable shoe gifts for Sinterklaas. And in this blog post, you'll discover eco-friendly tips for celebrating Sinterklaas more sustainably.

5 tips to celebrate Sinterklaas more sustainably:

1. Decide in advance when your children can put out their shoes.
2. Make a list of Sinterklaas gifts in time.
3. Buy secondhand shoe gifts.
4. Order shoe gifts at the same time as the Sinterklaas gifts for Christmas Eve.
5. Distribute gifts over multiple shoe-setting moments

Determine in advance on which evenings the shoe will be placed

There are two advantages to determining in advance when and how often your child can put out his shoe:

1. You know in advance how many shoe gifts you need, so you won't be tempted by all kinds of last-minute cheap deals at Kruidvat.

2. It's difficult for children to understand when it's okay and when it's not. Talking about this and possibly using "shoe-setting" calendars makes it clear and visual.

Make a list of Sinterklaas gifts in time

The advantage of making a list of Sinterklaas gifts ahead of time is that you have time to keep an eye on special offers to save money. Because you already know what you want, you're less likely to be influenced by offers on other toys you don't need. And you won't have any last-minute stress, because you'll have made your list on time and all the Sinterklaas gifts will arrive before PostNL experiences any delays.

A sustainable Sinterklaas with second-hand gifts

By making a list ahead of time, you also give yourself some time to buy secondhand toys. There are already so many toys in the world that it's not necessary to always buy something new.
Is there anything on your Sinterklaas gift list that's easy to find secondhand? Then buy it on Marktplaats or Vinted. This way, it doesn't have to be remanufactured, and the toys will be used by multiple children. A very sustainable and environmentally conscious choice!

Order the environmentally friendly shoe gifts by ordering the Sinterklaas gifts at the same time

Couldn't find the shoe gifts secondhand? Then order them at the same time as your other holiday gifts. If you buy what you happen to stumble upon in the store, you often end up buying more and making less sustainable choices. By ordering Sinterklaas gifts together, you avoid double shipping costs and the postal service has fewer trips. Better for the environment and your wallet.

Distribute gifts over the shoes or shoe-setting moments

Do you have a shoe gift for Sinterklaas that consists of multiple pieces? Then divide it up! For example, if you're giving beanbags and you have more than one child, you can divide the beanbags among your children's shoes. Give them 2 or 3 beanbags each. If you have only one child, you can even divide the beanbags over the days. You can do this with all toys that consist of multiple pieces, and children will still enjoy unpacking and playing with them.

The sustainable shoe gifts of 2024

Chloe (almost 6) - Olivia 3.5 years

• Grapat lucky surprise set €9.00
  Grapat has lovely surprise boxes containing loose parts. Since not all shoe gifts cost money, I think this is a great price. They each get one box, and they often love both the contents and the box itself.
• Special edition bean bag €6.00
  The special Christmas edition includes a silver holographic beanbag. They'll both receive this beanbag in their shoes as an addition to our beanbag collection .
• Compiled craft kit €2.00 (I only buy a new sheet of stickers or something similar)
  This is the third time I'm making a craft kit. My daughters love having some random things to craft with. We often give this kit to them on a day they're home, so they can get started right away.
• Hexbugs €6,-
  A fun microrobot creature. These are great in a maze of blocks, beanbags, or magnetic tiles. I bought a set of 5 for €30. They each get one in their shoe, and later, three more together on Christmas Eve.
• Chocolate or sweets €2.00
  I don't know what would make them happier. A present or candy, haha. I think this is ideal, because they're genuinely happy with it, and it's not something that ends up in the play corner.

We gave our daughters these sustainable shoe gifts in 2023 (and they are still fun to give now)

Chloe (almost 5) - Olivia 2.5 years

• New confetti bean bags
  My daughters already received the new confetti beanbags . The pastel confetti and rainbow confetti were in their shoes.
• A second-hand Sinterklaas book
  I see a tradition developing, because last year I also bought a secondhand book for their shoes. This time they both received a Sinterklaas book from Fien & Teun and Farmer Boris.
• Compiled craft package
  And for the second year, I gave them a pre-made craft kit. This time, I cut out little Piet hats and included feathers and glitter stickers. They spent the whole morning crafting, and I didn't buy anything except the stickers.
• Grimm's glitter stones
  I did buy this gift new: the beautiful Grimm's Glitter Stones. I split the set between their two shoes, and the total cost was €13.95. Since the other shoe gifts cost next to nothing, I think this is perfectly fine. It's a lovely open-ended toy that will last for years.
• Chocolate Sinterklaas cookies
  I bought mini chocolate Sinterklaas toys. They were a hit, of course, and I'm glad they're being used up and not ending up in the play corner. I'll be buying plenty more toys during the holidays.

We gave our daughters these sustainable shoe gifts in 2022 (and they are still fun to give now)

Chloe (almost 4) - Olivia 1.5 years

• Candy
  Probably something chocolatey, or maybe I'll bake something myself if I have the time and feel like it. The kids don't eat many sweets, so this is a treat for them. Plus, it's used up and doesn't end up in the toy aisle.
• A few loose parts
  The children both receive loose pieces of Grapat on Christmas Eve, but they also get a few loose pieces in their shoes. This way, they can play with them and I don't have to buy an extra present.
• Compiled craft package
  We have crafty kids. So one of the shoe gifts is a homemade craft kit. I don't buy too many new things for this. I combine different pieces of string, stickers, and markers, and they'll be busy for hours. I only got a sheet of Sinterklaas stickers and some colorful feathers. Then they can decide for themselves what to make with it.
• A second-hand book
  Six months ago, I bought two Doctor Animal books from Marktplaats. They're our favorites when we borrow them from the library. I got them for €10, and they look super neat. A small price and sustainable.

Our tradition! Wrapping in play silk

This will be our third Sinterklaas, and this year I'll be wrapping the shoe presents for Sinterklaas with play silk. The joy of unwrapping is still there, but I'm not wasting any wrapping paper. For Sinterklaas Eve, I do wrap everything with gift paper, but this way I limit it to one occasion. The play silk I make myself is currently sold out, but you can also use a large scarf or cloth. And maybe you're one of the lucky ones who already has my play silk at home.

Extra sustainable shoe gifts for Sinterklaas

In my webshop, you'll also find lots of sustainable toys that make fantastic Sinterklaas gifts. My children already have these toys, so they don't include them in their shoe gifts. However, I'm thinking about designing a beanbag especially for them to put in their shoes for Sinterklaas this year. They'll love that. Below is some more gift inspiration.

• Sensory bean bags - perfect for sharing among your children or for different shoe-setting occasions
  Last year, a mom told me she gave each of her three children two beanbags in their shoes. And another mom gave two as shoe gifts and the rest on Christmas Eve. I think those are great tips! Incidentally, there are also bean bags in a set of 3 if you prefer a small set.
• We also have individual beanbags if you are looking for a specific color or confetti print.
• The baby gift sets divide for younger children
  Younger siblings are often allowed to help set out their shoes. You can buy a baby gift set for this and put something different from the set in the shoe each time.

I hope I've inspired you to celebrate Sinterklaas more sustainably this year. If you have any tips or ideas of your own , please share them with me on Instagram .