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Non-toxic bath toys for the tots

Times are changing but I have found it is still hard to find non-toxic toys that are free of phthalates, BPA and PVC which are the standard for most soft plastic or rubber toys on the market. Of course there are standard wood toys and a few classics, but few true gems.

One of the rising stars is the Boon line which is surprisingly accessible, meaning, I have found their stuff at Target, as well as Amazon. Specifically, the Boon Scrubble toy is a playful lil’ set that will encourage the kids to scrub and squirt there way through their bath-time routine.

I will introduce you to additional non-toxic bath toys as I stumble upon them. Feel free to drop me a line or comment if you know of some great affordable products out there. In the meantime, you may want to consider dropping $8 bucks and replacing that classically toxic rubber duck in you bathroom.

Boon Scrubble $10 bucks [+shipping] at Amazon.Com
All Natural Rubber Ducks at Amazon.Com

Additional Articles:
The ebb and flow of toxic toys
5 cool & affordable eco-friendly kids gifts
All-natural teether for the tots

Tags: 0-1 year, 2-4 years, 3-5 years, classic toy, design, green, mod, non-toxic, toys

Mini Automoblox racing and building kits

The Automoblox Company manufactures a premium wooden toy construction system based on automobiles. They combine the timeless warmth of classic, natural wood and modern materials with advanced car styling.

A scaled down version of full-sized ones, the Mini Automoblox line is “future-retro” styling that fits in the palm of your hand. And its new universal connector system enables a rapid interchange of parts, further accentuating the fun factor of creating different cars styles.

• Unique building system lets kids design their own cars
• Combines heirloom quality and old-world values with contemporary design
• Teaches creative problem solving, gross and fine motor skills, and visio-spatial processing
• Removable plastic connectors teach shape recognition and color matching
• Pieces mix and match with other Automoblox sets

Automoblox vis a vis Amazon.Com

Tags: 3-5 years, 6-8 years, design, mod, toys

Lethal Snow Globes, Faulty Ski Bindings and Other Holiday Recalls

Now that the gift wrap has been thrown away and hopefully those sugar “highs” have passed, you think you have a moment to kick back on the couch and watch the kids fight over play with their new toys – wrong. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a six pack of recalls on items that may have sitting under your tree or in your kid’s room, so please read on.

Regarding Christmas decorations, there are two recalls – one with an obvious design flaw and the other one maybe not so obvious. We should all know this from 9th grade Science class, if you have a big enough snow globe in the sun for too long it will magnify the sun’s rays and potentially ignite a fire. Hallmark’s Jumbo Snowman Snow Globe (Stock #1XAG5093, measuring 11 by 12 by 17 inches) for a suggested retail price of $99.95, has been recalled due to a potential risk of fire.

Gardner’s Supply Company has voluntarily recalled their Candle Powered Christmas Pyramid (*pictured above). The candle carousels generate heat which rotate the fan blade and can cause the center platform to spin. The candle holder placement on the base of the carousels is too close to the structure, allowing the candle flame to come in contact and ignite different parts of the carousel, including the fans, trees and deer, posing a fire hazard.

Munire Furniture Company is in trouble again this year, they had a sizable recall a few months ago for there Majestic, Flat Top, Essex, Brighton/Sussex, and Captiva Cribs. Now it is there 4-in-1 Newport Rubbed Black Convertible Crib and matching furniture. The red paint beneath the black rubbed paint has been found to have excessive amounts of lead in it. There has been one report of a child ingesting the paint and being diagnosed with lead poisoning. The combined number of units involved in the two sets of Munire recalls is 34,000 so if you have anything with the Munire name on it in you nursery or kid’s room, please read this twice.

In the sports arena there are two additional recalls. Foursquare Outerwear, of Irvine, CA, made a classic fashion faux pas by More »

Tags: classic toys, furnishing, health alert, holidays, kids health, kids room, recall, toys

Hey Dads, Need Some Last Minute Gifts…

We all procrastinate, that’s okay, so long as it gets done time and the job is done well, right. When it comes to holiday shopping there’s no exception. Here’s a quick list of five affordable gift ideas for the family with an emphasis on everybody in the family. They are simple ideas to help spark some memorable gifts.

Baby Leg & Arm Warmers – I love these things! I have written about them before. They protect Baby’s elbow and knees when they’re crawling about, they provide an additional layer of warmth, and they make diaper changes super quick. Get them for the newborn, baby or toddler! I am a big fan of the selection at BabyLegs (between $7-$21, most $7-$12) but due to their popularity you can now find them at places like Amazon and Target.

Framed Personal Photos – Take a minute to burn a CD with some favorite family photos, either jump in the car and take them to be printed, print them yourself or upload them to Shutterfly (or the likes of), next buy a single frame or a set of frames at your favorite store and viola, you have a thoughtful gift of memories that the wife, grandparents or the in-laws will adore.

Classic Toys Under $10 – There’s a number of classic toys (*that aren’t choked with phthalates or dipped in lead-heavy paints) that I would recommend for either stocking stuffers or as solid little holiday gifts for your favorite niece or nephew when visiting for the holidays. There is a solid list of classic inducted into the Strong National Museum of Play (here are a few);

• Slinky
• Travel-sized Checkers Set
• Wooden Alphabet Blocks
• Small Lego Set
• Silly Putty

Gardening Starter Set – Get a good sized planters pot and fill it with the following; a few bag of seeds (flowers, herbs are very hearty and forgiving), a hand shovel and rake, gloves, and if you want to make the kit complete buy yourself a small bag of soil and put it into a zip-lock freezer bag.

Or, if you’re like me and running out of time or don’t want the DIY approach, check out the cute Kids Gardening Kits that are available online (starting at $20 [+ shipping]).

Emergency Play & Craft Kit – I have recently written a post about this ingenuous piece of packaging. The Momergency Kit is a bag filled with stuff. Stuff your kids can use to do various activities and craft to pass the time when your stuck at the airport, waiting in holiday traffic or just killing time. Granted the DIY Dad in me is tempted to run to an office supply store and make one myself, the most redeeming aspect of this little gem is that a portion of the proceeds go to the Heifer International to fight poverty and hunger.

Tags: 0-1 year, 2-4 years, 3-5 years, dad hack, DIY, holidays, non-toxic, toys

Mod Holiday Action Pack

Whether you have an Uncle (or Aunt) who is addicted to Adult Swim or a teenager who is a fan of Cartoon Network or a preschooler who is fond of Yo Gabba Gabba, Kid Robot may be a place you want to check out while there still time.

They have some fun and interesting holiday packs of their eclectic mix of action figures that will surely amuse one and all.

$25-75 bucks [+shipping] at Kid Robot

Tags: 3-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-12 years, design, holidays, mod, toys

5 Cool & Affordable Eco-Friendly Kids Gifts

With all this talk about toxic toys on the shelf and lay-offs, I wanted to dig through this year’s archives and pull up a couple of my favorite picks for cool, cheap (most coming in under $20 bucks) and fun gifts for the tikes. This is what I came up with;

Fair Trade Mini Soccer Balls: They’re approximately 6″ diameter (19″ circumference). Fair Trade means the adult workers who produced this ball received a fair wage – at no extra cost to you! Eco-certified and certified Fair Trade. Union-made and vegan. They also have regulation-sized soccer balls to choose from.

They also have a number of other types of balls, apparel, accessories and equipment to choose from.

Fair Trade Sports | Mini Soccer Ball -$15 bucks [+shipping]
Fair Trade Sports | Standard Children’s Tee -$15 bucks [+shipping]

Plan Toys | Green Toys: These guys have it figured out! They use sustainable and recycled materials and they use green technology for manufacturing their products.

Plan Toys | Fire Truck Activity Set – $50 bucks [+ shipping]
Plan Toys | Zebra Pull Along Toy – $20 bucks [+shipping]

Safe Sippy Cup Stainless Steel: Meet the Safe Sippy stainless steel drinking cup – one small step in creating a less toxic world for our children.

The Safe Sippy cup breaks away from the all-plastic sippy cup designs of the past. From the clean, non-leaching stainless steel cup to the unique safety features to the plastics free of Bisphenol A and other harmful chemicals, The Safe Sippy cup was created to accomplish one simple goal: Clean In, Clean Out.

$17 bucks [+shipping]

Natural Muslin Swaddling Blanket [4 pack]: Swaddling made easy! These blankets are made with a unique cotton called Muslin. The light, open weave of natural fibers allows air to flow seamlessly through the material – which lends to the ability for baby’s body temperature to adjust naturally.

$42 bucks [+shipping]

Totem : A fantastic and construction award-winning toy to inspire creativity. totem comes with over 120 cardboard pieces emblazoned with signs, symbols, textures and imagery, all notched out to make building a breeze.

Comes with instructions for creating a boat, airplane, spaceship or schoolhouse, but totem is best used for imaginative and fanciful construction.

Made of recycled cardboard.

$35 bucks [+shipping]

Tags: better living, design, eco-friendly, green, holidays, mod, toys