There have been a flurry of recalls yesterday and today, and although I planned to post on a different subject, I can’t ignore the wooden toys included in the recall. I have always been such an advocate for wooden toys, that it breaks my heart to see lead in their paint.
Wooden toy recalls:
- Additional Thomas and Friends (200,ooo) due to lead paint-All-Black Cargo Car, Toad vehicle with brake lever, Olive Green Sodor Cargo Box, Green Maple Tree Top and Green Signal Base Accessories
- Guidecraft Children’s Puppet Theaters due to lead paint. I usually love Guidecraft toys and have similar puppet theater in my preschool room.
Here are the other current recalls:
- Kolcraft Play Yards : A 10 month old child died when becoming entangled in the straps of the changing table.
- Children’s Toy Gardening Tools and Chairs due to lead paint-sold at Target.
- Knights of the Sword toy due to lead paint-made by RC2, just like Thomas the Tank Engine.
- Toy Rakes sold at Jo-Ann Fabrics due to lead paint.
- Spinning Wheel Metal Necklaces due to lead exposure-beware of crappy kids’ jewelry!
- Toby and Me Jewelry Sets-more crappy jewelry.
All of these products were manufactured in Taiwan or China. Sometimes, it is so hard being a parent. These recalls are always called “voluntary”. This term is really starting to bug me in terms of recalls. They voluntarily used lead based paints, they voluntarily harm our children, and then they voluntarily recall toys. The term “voluntary” is getting a bad rap!
I highly suggest you sign up for email recall alerts from the CPSC, if you own any toys made in China.
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We are definitely on the same page. I actually did a blog post about this today. I used to be under the false impression that wood = good. Now I am paranoid to by toys period. The main thing I am doing now is (A)Only buying natural wood toys (no paint) and (B) Buying American made or European made toys. It is very frustrating. I’ve been harping on the benefits of wooden toys for so many years and now I feel like I am “eating crow” with my mainstream friends because my children’s wooden toys have turned out to be just as bad, if not worse than their children’s plastic toys.
These recalls are getting out of hand. I’m afraid that this is only the beginning and we’re going to see alot more as we get into the Christmas time. I now go to http://www.leadtoyrecalls.com every day to make sure I have the latest news.
It is always hard buying toys for kids, even wood toys as mentioned above. I’m fortunate because my father has been making wood toys in MN for 30+ years and now my son is enjoying the benefits. Though beyond my father’s town I’m always wary about everything. http://www.doodletowntoys.com
There’s so many alternatives though as Michael says. It definitely pays of to have a look around. I just started making wooden toys to. It’s not an easy task though to always protect our little precious kids.
Cheers, Hans