Have you seen these great play sets? They’re from Green Toys, a company out of San Francisco, California, that is dedicated to creating eco-friendly and safe alternatives to traditional toys. Their toys- which include an awesome sand play set, tea set, cooking set, and sweet little gardening set- are made out of recycled milk jugs in California. Novel idea, right? Their website explains further:

“Yes, the exact plastic milk jugs that you and your family drink from every day. When you finish your milk and toss the container in the recycling bin, these milk containers are collected at your curb by a local recycling company, who then sorts them from all the other types of plastic. Next, the milk containers are reprocessed into super clean fresh plastic. For you plastic geeks, the plastic material we use is called high-density polyethylene (or HDPE). This material is considered one of the safest, cleanest plastics around”.

The toys contain no phthalates or BPA, and are designed without external coatings so that they are lead-free and meet FDA requirements for food contact. They also are minimally packaged in recycled corrugated boxes using no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties. These toys are such a win-win-win.

For those ultra-concerned with toy safety (and rightly so)…
Green Toys products pass a plethora of tests, including:

• Consumer Products Safety Standard Specification, ASTM F963
• California Prop. 65 restrictions on lead & cadmium
• FDA regulations for food contact
• California regulations prohibiting phthalates in toys
• Voluntary testing for no BPA (Bisphenol-A)

And for everyone concerned about the planet, it’s great to know that every step in the manufacturing process, “from milk container recycling to toy production to final assembly, occurs in California.Our raw materials and toys aren’t shipped from overseas, which saves a lot of energy and reduces greenhouse gases”.

Plus, if I failed to mention it, they’re fun and great for the imagination!

Available online at WildDill and Amazon.

It’s Fair Trade Friday and in keeping with our alphabet theme that seems to have developed this week, check this out!  This stunning wooden alphabet set is hand painted and the perfect addition to any child’s room.  Made in Sri Lanka by Sarvodaya, the largest non-governmental organization in the country, the sales proceeds fund sorely needed community development projects. 

We must have it!

$34.00 at A Greater Gift

Learning the alphabet…what a fun stage that our kids go through (no, really…no sarcasm this time!).  These vintage alphabet flash cards from Cavallini make it even more fun.  Printed on 5×7″ heavy cardstock, they even come in their own vintage tin for storage.  Perfect!

$22.99 at Amazon

Kids are creative by nature and we’ve found a fun way to indulge and encourage that creativity.  Let them build their own drinking straws!  Each kit contains 24 non-toxic and dishwasher-safe straw pieces along with 20 flexible connectors.  Let your kids amaze you (just don’t let them catch you playing with them!).

$12.99 at Perpetual Kid

It’s Fair Trade Friday!…

These adorable hand puppets from Kenana Knitter Critters have got to be some of the cutest I’ve seen. They’re all hand knit by a group of women in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya using locally grown hand-spun sheep wool, then dyed with all natural plants from their garden, and naturally moth-proofed with a local daisy-like flower. Since each “critter” is individually handmade, no two are exactly alike and they have their own unique character. The Kenyan women are proud of their work and sign the cards that accompany their products. It’s also great to know that while you and your children enjoy the wonderful fair trade animals and dolls, the women have gained income, status, and economic growth in their community, and ultimately a better life for themselves and their families.

The Critters come as hand puppets, finger puppets, or stuffed knit animals.

Available from $18 at Wild Dill.