The Bad News: these cardboard cars (made of  %100 recycled cardboard), are, so far, only available in the UK.

The Good News: It’s only a matter of time before they are available in the US, as they are too adorable not to be.

And who knows, perhaps you have  a lovely friend on that isle that could ship one over for you….

Until then, stateside, try Calafant toys for smaller cardboard vehicles.

Buckle up!

If nothing else, the Huns do know how to build a car.

I have just ordered my sons first “wheels”: this Haba (German built), auto/walker, that he can ride his favourite toys about in.

Though I considered other Haba and Plan Toys walkers, I like that this red convertible has “storage”, so that I can keep other toys out of the way in our family room. I also liked that other mums mentioned that the car doesn’t tip over when their wee ones pull themselves up on to the handles.  (And it meets EU safety standards, most importantly.)

It may not be ready for the autobahn, but I’m hoping that it gives Alden a bit of fahrvergnügen.

Tschüß!

One of my dearest girlfriends is having identical twins in a few months (sleep now, my friend), and is concerned that all she sees are (toxic) plastic toys.

This post is for her (and the two wee ones).

Greener, safer toys are honestly now available everywhere, from Amazon to Giggle. But for this post, (though there is a longer list if you scroll down on my blog roll), I’ll mention my favourite sources for green toys.

The organic cotton and untreated wood Giraffe above, is available from www.Ecotimetoys.com – which has an extensive collection of wonderful green playthings.

Other fave sites are:

• http://www.hazelnutkids.com
• http://www.maukilo.com
• http://www.miyim.com
• http://www.moolka.com
• http://www.oompa.com
• http://www.rosiehippo.com
• http://www.thewoodenwagon.com
• http://www.urthchild.com
• http://www.wilddill.com

One annoying note: Melissa & Doug toys, though available at Whole Foods – are NOT, I repeat, NOT non toxic and have, in fact, had recalls for high Barium content! Their toys are Made in China, and utterly, in my opinion, greenwashed. Don’t buy them, and huff at your Whole Foods manager about it.

A good rule of thumb is to refrain from buying any toys Made in China. Which, if you read this blog, you probably already do.

MiYim and Plan Toys are my two favourite brands – though for infants anything from Under the Nile is perfect. All three brands can be found on Amazon.

Babies put EVERYTHING in their mouths, and will suck, nibble and swallow little bits of every toy. That is why natural and organic toys are just as important as organic baby food. They both end up in the same place.

As well meaning friends will buy you toxic toys – I suggest printing “organic nursery” at the bottom of your birth announcements. Your bright friends will get it, and your not so bright ones will call you for clarity, which is when you can explain to them the danger of lead, barium and chromium in toys, by referring them to HealthyChild.org (you have twins, not time.)

Not only are non-toxic toys healthier, they are more classic and well made – so you’ll actually SAVE money buying them as they’ll last longer.

And with twins, that’s especially important.

Congratulations Misha! x

We Cuban children are fortunate enough to grow up in multi-coloured families, with each member having a bit more “cafe”, or a bit more “leche” – and our dolls have always reflected this.  I grew up with a whole tribe of Gollywogs – now very un-PC for some ridiculous reason (it’s an English thing), as well as “negritas” that my Cuban grandmother would make or buy for me.  (I’m sure some very white person who has never danced to “Me Sube La Bilirrubina” would find them offensive as well.) My Cuban grandmother even made me my “Raggedy Ann and Andy” dolls. (Below)

Needless to say, I was the only kid on the block to have such beautiful dolls. (If only I had kept the Cuban Cabbage Patch that she made – also more “cafe” than “leche”.  And that much more fabulous.)

Sadly, my son is a bit more “leche” than I would of designed.  I then find it particularly important that he grow up with toys that reflect the varied and rich DNA in his “sangre”.  These new non-toxic Plan toys (top image) are just the thing to remind him that the world isn’t as pale as it may seem when we visit his Wisconsin side of the family.

Mini Romeo Y Juliettas sold separately.

Okay.

They aren’t “beautiful” in the traditional sense, but Aminals, (no, not a spelling error, thank you), are delightful scribbly stuffed toys that are all organic, all compostable and all whimsical.

These wonderful creatures are as safe as an imaginary friend – which they actually resemble.

The strange scribbles are $24.99 and can be had at the website.

Honestly. Compostable toys. Bloody brilliant.

Sweet William Ltd. is one of those typical very cool boutiques in Brooklyn that you keep to yourself, lest your friends find out where your child gets all those eccentric little bits and bobsof fabulosity.

These little organic creatures, called “comfies” are a great example.

They don’t seem to be anything definitive – but don’t you just want one?

These dolls, that remind me of 1950′s housewives on mommys little helpers, are also made of recycled and organic materials.

Maybe they even look like Eastern European babushkas.

And little bags of felt creatures…farm animals….

ocean beasties…

and vehicles, should be a nice, light, easy to pack, bag of distractions.

Sweet William has lovely things.

Just don’t tell anyone.

to go to the hospital – and know that you probably won’t be packing them to go any place too fabulous for a bit.  Certainly not to any of the places that these utterly safe and natural blocks will remind you of…places you most likely saw on your summers abroad, gap year, post college first amazing gig or honeymoon…and that you will see again next (aside from strewn all over the playroom), with a sticky fingered child, after the longest (and most embarrassing) flight of your life, when you hope to Vishnu your little one doesn’t invite any comparisons to the “typical American child”….

The Italians  are the most forgiving about children. You may want to have your first proper post baby trip there.

And Mexico is so easy to get to…you may want to skip Tolum, and consider peaceful Cuernavaca…

I have always wanted to go to Russia - The Hermitage particularly…

As I was pregnant, I missed my baby sisters wedding in Morocco, a trip I am yet owed…

I haven’t been to Japan in ages, but it was one of my grandmothers favourite countries (along with China), so she took me to both….

Having always loved tales of the Edwardian travellers, I do hope to get to Eygpt one day…

No matter the number of stamps in your passport – these blocks will be as inspiring to you as to your little one.

All available at Hazlenut Kids .

Bon Voyage!

I tend to post about boy things (us poor boy mums!), as little girl things saturate and dominate.  But, in this case, I’ll make an exception.

Green Lullaby, who make brilliant cardboard furniture for babies, has just introduced two new green cardboard toys for little girls.

This cradle  is perfect as is, though I imagine your little girl could also paint, paper or otherwise make it her own.

And this dollhouse is just right.  Not too heirloom dear, not plastic rubbish.

Both are available at Oompa, and are under $40.

(Hint: These would be great to keep at abuelas house, as after the darling leaves, gran can unfold and put away.)

We already have two sets of non-tox blocks for our son, that are very Victorian looking (as I have mentioned before, I am a raging traditionalist who still doesn’t trust the menacing hum of microwave ovens).  However, always on the lookout for products that are somehow different from what you may find on other Green Mama blogs, I thought that these may be worth a mention.

Available from the MoMA, these Alexander Girard inspired blocks are made of sustainable bass wood and printed with non-toxic inks.  Methinks that any of your graphic design friends would swoon over them, as would any “cool” parents.

The Girard blocks are $120, unless you are museum member, and then they are $108.

Not hippy prices, to be sure.

One of the toy brands that moms recommended to me when I first fell in a family way was Melissa & Doug. So, dutifully, I ordered two of their wooden, safe looking toys. They arrived, and then I saw those three little words that strike terror into my red, white and blue heart: Made In China.

Right.

So I did a search for their toys and “recall”, just to see….

Seek and Ye Shall Find.

Seems that the above Melissa & Doug stackable train was recalled last year for having …”barium in excess of the allowable limit.”  Um. BARIUM? Isn’t that one of those makes you glow in the dark things?  Egads.  And was that a one time rare as a man emptying the dishwasher without being prompted recall? Nope. They had an earlier one, also as a result of barium.

That’s all I needed to know. Into the bin (don’t tell my husband), went the two Melissa & Doug toys that I had bought jr., and my sister, who had the above train since last year, chucked hers last night.  Of course, my beautiful 2 year old niece had already gnawed on it for a year. Expletive.

Once again. Don’t bother with items Made In China. They always disappoint.  And read the safety/product information pages on the sites of the manufacturers you buy from like a tax document: CAREFULLY.

Oh. And Barium? Totally a glow in the dark element.

And we thought it was just that my niece was “olive”….

Update: I just found this brilliant posting from www.SafBaby.com, where the author wrote to several toy companies asking, point blank, what their products contained. The company answers are posted in full. Remember “we meet or exceed all Federal regulations” means “we do use toxic ingredients, but it’s legal”.