Mattel. The name is no longer only synonymous with Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Polly Pocket. Now when you hear “Mattel”, it’s flashback time: to lead-laden, choketastic toys.
Turns out, it’s especially easy for Mattel, as the toy manufacturer gets to use “independent” in-house testing instead of submitting its toys to third-party testing like everyone else, as the AP reports,
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently, and quietly, granted Mattel’s request to use its own labs for testing.
Although I’d love to not be too cynical on this, guess what? Coincidentally, Mattel spent $1 million last year in lobbying costs.
So imagine my amused surprise the other day when, while shopping for a new deck of quality cards for bridge (my husband had even requested a plastic set), I stumbled across Bicycle’s new (launched in 2008) line of Eco Edition Playing Cards.
While there is almost certainly a good level of bandwagon-jumping greenwashing going on here, there is still much good to say about these cards. According to Bicycle:
Our playing cards are crafted from sustainable forest paper, starch-based laminating glue and vegetable-based printing inks. This pack of cards is recyclable.
The search is on for the Top 10 Eco Friendly Toys of 2009, and we need your help!
Goddard Child Development Centers and EcoChildsPlay are proud to sponsor the Second Annual Eco-Friendly Toy Test, which will evaluate the best green toys for preschool and early elementary-aged children based on the creative, child-engaging qualities, the interactive qualities, the price, and the eco friendliness of the product. Read the rest of this entry »
If you have kids and you’ve breastfed in front of them, chances are, your toddler mimics.
Now a Spanish doll, under the guise of teaching little ones that breastfeeding is normal, is trying to capitalize on lactivism.
Problem is, the Bebé Glotón makes breastfeeding seem more unnatural and strange than a natural human process.One commentator, MSNBC’s Dr. Nancy, went so far as to say it “set back feminism 150 years.”
Am I alone in dreading all the packaged toys my children receive from their (well meaning) friends? I try to suggest art supplies or other items which will actually get used instead of being discarded after a week of play, but we still end up with a lot of stuff.
Personally, I really like the idea of hosting charitable birthday parties.
After much brainstorming, we’ve come up with a few charitable parties to host with friends (and then have a family party with a few gifts). This way, our child still feels special and they learn the importance of giving. Read the rest of this entry »
Kidzsack is an eco-friendly backsack made from 100% recycled cotton and soda bottles. A cute bag for back to school, the end of summer, or just to have for fun these bags allow a child’s creativity to come through.
The Kidzsack comes with a set of 8 washable markers that kids can use to decorate the bags. Then they can be washed and colored again. It’s usable coloring sheet for kids to enjoy.
My 4-year-old loves Matchbox cars. He digs the planes and jets, too, but all it takes to please the boy is a $2 two-pack of these metal cars.
Mainly, it’s aunties and grandparents who spoil him with these vehicles. We don’t have TV, so it’s not like he started begging for them after he saw a commercial.
Good thing, too. Because if the Matchbox “Young Warriors” campaign makes it to the States from Singapore, I’m sure many parents would be up in arms.
Why? It’s not the idea of boys wanting to man these vehicles; that’s a given. But it’s the war-hardened stare in these boys’ eyes, like,
War is only my day job.
The campaign is getting some heat on the blogosphere. Read on and check out more shots…
Our home is filled with eco-friendly toys, largely sent to us for review here on Eco Child’s Play, and we have a family commitment to avoid junk toys. Not only are junk toy materials bad for the environment and your children’s health, Climate Counts has discovered that toy companies are ignoring their impact on climate change. Read the rest of this entry »
Crafty creators, budding builders, future architects…my children. Give them something to stack and build and they are ecstatic. From towers to barns to creative works of art, they love to make amazing things.
Rosie Hippo offers parents a place to shop for unique, handmade, organic, fair trade and eco-friendly toys.
They have toys made of wood, made of fair trade materials, they have stuffed animals, pretend play toys, and everything you need to spark your child’s imagination and give them something safe to play with. Read the rest of this entry »
Mattel. The name is no longer only synonymous with Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Polly Pocket. Now when you hear “Mattel”, it’s flashback time: to lead-laden, choketastic toys.
The search is on for the Top 10 Eco Friendly Toys of 2009, and we need your help! 
