I never expected to become a toy tyrant but these days I tend to purchase toys that don’t emit electronic whirs, bleeps or sirens. I also look for toys that don't need batteries simply so I don’t have to replace them. It has more to do with my sanity than being green, but that is a nice side effect. Plan Toys Balancing Monkeys qualifies as eco-friendly, entertaining and quiet for a reasonable price of  $20.

The whole set is made out of preservative-free rubberwood. Unlike other woods that are harvested strictly for building materials, rubberwood trees aren’t cut until after they stop their latex-producing cycles.

The toy’s concept is simple: Kids hang monkeys on the tree to make it balance. What they’re really using is their counting and math skills to keep the branch level. Turns out a tree full of monkeys is just as fun as a barrel of them.