5 Things To Think About When Purchasing A Toy

What do you think about when purchasing toys for your baby? After taking the Tum e Time class and reading my soon-to-be-released, Homemade Play book, I hope families find these types of ideas helpful.

1. Is the toy open ended? Research shows children are more creative when they play with toys that spark their imagination, meaning the object can be played with in a variety of ways.

2. What is the toy made of? Too many of the products are laced with toxins. Check out the website: Healthytoys.org and see if the one you want for your little one is as green as can be. This is especially important if they are in the mouthing stage.

3. Is there a common household object that is just as interesting to play with?

4. Does the toy stimulate the senses? Is there texture, color, patterns, weight, smell…?

5. Is the toy meant to be actively played with or passively played with (looking at lights blinking and listening to sounds)?

 

 

Toys For The Holiday

In my Tum e Time series I talk a lot about using things from around the house to play with, so much so that I wrote a book on it (Homemade Play coming soon!). Although the stores are brimming with choices, so are the rooms in your house and the paths in the local parks.

I feel its a requirement around this time to post this article from GeekDad on the Wired website. It speaks to exactly this….enjoy, laugh, and make this holiday a joyful one with just the basics.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/the-5-best-toys-of-all-time/all/1

Many blessings for the holidays and new year.  May you have many parenting adventures.

Please come out and play in 2014!

Gift Ideas For Your Baby

Are family and friends asking what your little one wants for the holidays or birthday? If so, why not offer some of these simple ideas. Three reminders would be: watch for choking hazards, think ahead, invest in items that will grow with your baby and make sure they are open ended toys (toys with more than one purpose) to fuel creativity.

1. Balls: Try making your own, find “how to’s” on-line for working with felt or fabric.  If you’d prefer to support a local Oakland artist, these felt balls should be in every body’s list. Balls grow with your little one and these are works of art!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dirtgirldesigns?ref=pr_shop_more

 

Interested in playground balls? Be sure to look for pure rubber balls no PVC, BPA or vinyl please.

 

2.  Kitchen props: Stainless steel or wooden bowl, wooden spoons, measuring cups

 

3.  Fabric: scarves, napkins, bandanas maybe even new bed sheets?

 

4.  Wooden blocks: a variety of sizes and shapes. Or you can make your own (tape up cardboard boxes.)

 

5.  Dramatic play items: hats, fabric doll babies (plus bibs, diapers, clothes), shoes, belts, capes, larger clothing, kitchen, pots and pans, utensils, wooden eggs, fabric vegetables, strollers, baskets to carry.

 

6.  Find items on walks that you can enjoy and play with together.  Leaves, rocks, pine cones, sticks, flowers.

 

7.  Baskets: You want to store items in an open basket where baby can access.  Think about sturdy, low lying baskets for non-sitters and deeper baskets with handles for sitters and walkers, or larger floor baskets for walkers.

 

8. My book Homemade Play: Creative Ways To Be With Your Baby will be ready to launch in a couple weeks, it makes a great gift for yourself or other families!

 

 

Plastic-Free Life With A Baby

While at the library the other day, I picked up a copy of Beth Terry’s book Plastic-Free.

The information in it is, well, truthfully, pretty grim about how plastic has invaded our lives and since its not biodegradable, never actually goes away.

Aside from her endless ideas about how to reduce our usage, of course, I was most interested in what she had to say about children’s products. Here are just a few highlights.

While she confirms what I already knew about the enormous amounts of toys that are plastic, I was even happier to find her list of companies that are producing toys from wood and natural fibers. I haven’t looked them all up but I wanted to pass her recommendations along for your consideration.

Stuffed Animals: Aminals, Barefoot, Eco Leeko, Dress Me Up Organic

Dolls: The Earth Friends, Global Green Pals

Wooden Toys:  Maple Landmark, Heirloom Wooden Toys, Plan Toys, Tree Hopper Toys

Natural Wood Teethers:  Little Alouette, Ringley Natural Teethers

Online Children’s Stores:  Bella Luna Toys, Hazelnut Kids, Wild Dill, Mighty Nest

I was also grateful to her for bringing up children’s foodware. Looking back, I made a decision early on to not have plastic cups and dishes for my daughter. She has grown up using glass cups and ceramic dishes. Risky? Not at all. I held bowls to help stabilize when she was just learning to eat and drink and she learned and adapted as she grew. Spoons? Well those little stainless steel sugar spoons from my tea set are still her favorite. And we started using stainless steel straws, but then moved on to….glass straws! (they come with a lifetime guarantee).

Here is Beth Terry’s ideas for Children’s Foodware:

Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups:  The Glass Baby Bottle.

Baby DIshes and Utensils:  Life Without Plastic, Mighty Nest

Stainless Steel Popsicle Molds:  Onyx Containers

My two cents wants to add the line made from bamboo, Bambu and the glass straws are thanks to Glass Dharma, made locally in Fort Bragg, CA. (http://www.glassdharma.com). Check out the Smoothie size and Beautiful Bend!

May you find alternatives to reduce plastic in your life as well.