Safe Toys - Natural and Lead Free toys

green baby bottles

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Green Puzzles

One entertaining way to pass those rainy days is to give your kids some puzzles.  Non toxic puzzles are the right choice to avoid any plastic leeching chemicals.

Ride a ladybug - wooden toy made from wood no PVC

Here’s a great little toy made from sustainable plantation wood. This toy is entirely non-toxic and contains no PVC Kids ride on top of the bug and crash into your furniture.
Buy the Wheely Bug - Large - Bee ($59.95)

Likeabike - Green Bike for Kids

This hot little kids bike won the prestigious Spiel Gut (German for Good Toy) award. The bike is make of birch plywood, stainless steel, rubber and felt. In other words, less harsh chemicals for your little ones to ingest. Weighing in at 8 lbs it is perfect for you 2 to 5 year old to ram into your household furniture.
Likeabike - USA

Eco-Friendly Fun - 4 ways to Identify Green Kids Toys

Providing your children with fun and educational toys is part of the fun of being a parent and increasingly parents are wondering how they can also ensure these toys are eco-friendly. When choosing a toy, ask yourself the following 4 questions to help rank the green-ness of the toy:

1) What Materials are the toys made of?
Identifying what is classified as a ‘green toy’ starts with the materials used to create that toy. Choose toys which are made with natural or easily recyclable materials. Choose toys made with:

• Leather
• Wood
• Organic cotton
• Metal (aluminum is easily recycled)
• Fabric

Avoid toys made with plastic as plastic is a non biodegradable oil based product.

2) What country are the toys made in?
Surprisingly the location where the toy is manufactured has a large impact on its ‘greenness’ . Most toys these days are produced in China and as a result incur an enormous environmental ‘carbon footprint’ due to the distances travelled. A Toys ‘Carbon Footprint’ increases every mile that toy has to be transported.

3) Will this toy break in the first 10 minutes?
Well made toys are inherently green because they can be passed down and are not designed to be used for a week before they break. Select toys that are robust, made with quality materials and designed to stand the test of time.

4) Can the toy eventually be recycled?
All toys will eventually find their way to the landfill unless their components can be recycled. Some toys are manufactured in a way that allows for their parts to be easily disassembled.

How to identify Lead Paint

Lead Paint is used in military and industrial settings because it helps speed drying, increase durability and resists moisture which causes corrosion (wikipedia). Recently toys manufactured in China have been found to have used lead paint. Lead is especially damaging to children under age six whose bodies are still developing. Lead causes nervous system damage, hearing loss, stunted growth, reduced IQ, and delayed development. It can cause kidney damage and affects every organ system of the body.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to tell if your child’s toys contain lead. You may purchase a Lead Test Kit but there is no conclusive evidence these self test kits are accurate.

5 tips to keep toys safe at home

1) Avoid older toys as these older toys might not meet current safety standards and may be so worn from play that they can break and become hazardous.

2) After you’ve purchased a new toy you should make sure kids know how to use them. The best way to do this is by supervising them while they play.

3) Check toys regularly to make sure that they aren’t broken or unusable

4) Throw away broken toys or repair them right away

5) Teach kids to put toys away