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.
This new set of CitiBlocs has opened a whole new world to them as little builders. Read the rest of this entry »
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 »
PeekaGreen.com sent me this box of awesome HappyMais for my kids to try out.
HappyMais building blocks are made by Ecotoys in Italy and sold through PeekaGreen.com. The building blocks are made from Mater-Bi, a GM-free certified cornstarch dyed with non-toxic food coloring.
Building blocks made from cornstarch, how cool is that? Read the rest of this entry »
It’s no secret I am against media for children under three-years-old, so when we received a press release today announcing iPhone Pacifier, I couldn’t resist bashing this use of technology. Sure, I can get behind energy saving apps, but an app claiming to educate children ages 1 to 3? No way! Read the rest of this entry »
I have two boys. When my now-15-month-old turned one, a close friend bought him a Tonka dump truck. It’s big enough for us to push either of those critters around in it. The little guys love it so much that my 3-year-old politely demanded that he get his own Tonka when he turns 4.
But as a kid, I loved machinery and vehicles, too. Many a righteous little girl knows how to rock out a dump truck. So when I saw this from a Facebook friend and mother of a girl, I completely understood. Any parent of boys and girls alike know that some girls like to play in the mud as much as some boys like to play with dolls. Kids don’t really get the gender thing when they’re very young until we teach them what they “should” be playing with.
My friend, Heather, was rather annoyed to see that Tonka Web site was directed to boys. Here is her open letter to the Hasbro/Tonka company:
I always intended to get Layla the Haba Baby Walker Wagon, but starting at $150; it was an expensive purchase that I hesitated over. I am so happy I hesitated, because I came across Plan Toys baby walker that we totally love {great sustainable and safe toy company}. The Plan Toys baby walker is sustainable, because its material is composed of all natural Organic recycled Rubber Wood. The traditional walker is sturdy, comes in natural and primary colors to encourage visual play, and best of all; it also comes with a set of 24 very substantial and colorful blocks. This is the PERFECT toy for budding walkers, but can also be great for toddlers too.
Some of the features of the Plan Toys Baby Walker:
Between September 2006 and August 2007, Mattel imported almost 900,000 toys that violated rules on lead levels. Their subsidary Fisher-Price imported as many as 1.1 million.
Now the corporation is paying the price. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commision, the $2.3 million fine is the highest levied against a toy company. Thomas Moore, the acting commision chair, said,
This penalty should serve notice to toymakers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead and to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
As we all full well remember, the lead recalls caused panic among parents. Mattel’s negligence in manufacturing had the collective consumer culture in the States pointing a big fat finger at China as the cause of problems.
But it’s not only China.
We have been educating concerned parents about the effects of Phthalates here at Eco Child’s Play. Well studies now show that it is more harmful than what scientists have originally thought. According to Environmental Health News, Phthalates may soften and even weaken bones. “Phthalates used in plastics and beauty products can trigger bone cell death, finds this animal study. Phthalates provoke DNA damage that can lead to bone cell death”, researchers said in a study published by Journal of Cellular Biochemistry.
This study shows how a low-dose exposure to two types of commonly found phthalates has a profound effect on bone cells. Based on the results, long-term exposure to phthalates could have devastating effects on developing bones in young bodies and accelerate deterioration in aging bones. Estrogen deficiency is responsible for a number of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. For this reason, many are concerned about the effects of phthalate exposure on bone health.
Phthalates are plasticizers which are used to add flexibility to plastics. It has been the common ingredient in everyday items like food containers, baby bottles, and packaging for beauty products. Known as as a reproductive or endocrine disruptor; it is slowly being phased out by United States and European nations, but unfortunately, not quickly enough. Even more dangerous is the fact that Phthalates are used in a large variety of products including children’s toys. “Phthalate use is widespread. Phthalates are commonly found in household items made of plastics and in health and beauty products. Some products with phthalates include toys, vinyl flooring, plastic medical tubing, shower curtains and personal care products such as shampoo, hair sprays and detergents.”
Ecozoo backpacks from Ecogear are the perfect eco-friendly bags for short summer trips or for a fun bag to fill with summer boredom busters like books, games, art supplies or a multitude of other kid stuff.
I received the Panda as an awesome review product and my two youngest kids are fighting over who gets it, that’s how cute it is. Read the rest of this entry »
We paid a visit recently to one of my favourite toy stores in the whole world, Hot Toads. The physical store itself isn’t all that impressive — it’s a small, concrete-floored basement room in a medical building, with sparsely-stocked wooden shelves, draped with puppets and stuffed toys hanging by clothespins from simple lines strung across the room. The back wall features a working 10-foot long model train table made entirely out of Lego.
But it’s not about the decor — it’s what they carry that makes this place special. Plan Toys. HaPe. Schylling. Plastic toys made from recycled milk jugs. Non-toxic wooden toys. Toys intended to enrich the mind and body of your children, not just feed into consumerism and branding.
And for me, it is a local store, within driving distance, right here in Atlantic Canada. Unfortunately for my American friends reading this, while they do take online orders, Hot Toads only delivers within Canada. Sorry, eh?
One of the many cool items they have is a line of large toy cars called E-Racers, from HaPe’s Bamboo Collection. I had a nice chat with the fellow working there, and learned that apparently these were the first toys to be made from bamboo. I was surprised that, while bamboo has been used for clothes, cutlery and dinnerware, flooring and even wallpaper for some time, the idea of bamboo toys was still relatively new.
He also filled me in on a fact I had previously been unaware of. Of course, bamboo is the new golden child of the eco movement: it grows easily and quickly without pesticides, and is therefore a readily renewable resource with low environmental impact. Bamboo wood is attractive and sturdy, and bamboo cloth is soft and has natural antibacterial properties. As worldwide consumer demand for bamboo has increased dramatically in recent years, some companies have taken to clear-cutting hardwood forests in order to make room for bamboo plantations. And despite bamboo’s rapid growth, difficulty in seed propagation combined with over-harvesting has even threatened some species to near-extinction.
Ugh.
Eco Child’s Play
News, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a more healthy, eco-friendly life
Subscribe via email
