What's
New in Toys?
by
Kathleen Boehning
Although
our toy section won’t be as big as the last two years, I’m hoping you
will be thrilled
by the selection. Many of you have expressed a wish for fewer toys made
in China.
This is a challenge, but I am pleased to announce I found a distributor
called Challenge
and Fun that imports from companies in Europe.
From
the Greek manufacturer Chelona come distinctive wooden puzzles,
sorting
boxes and games adorned with unique, colorful graphics.
The Heros
company manufactures wooden toys in Germany. I ordered their
natural
and colored blocks, trucks (such as the one that has a
crane that
can unload its cargo because of the magnets imbedded in them), a roadway
for
wooden cars to travel, and a farm kit with buildings,
people and
animals.
Also
from Germany,
I’ve ordered a few 100% organic cotton and pure wool stuffed toys.
They
are made by home workers. The green dragon sits up on his
tail. The soft
white seal is sure to be cuddled by some lucky child. My
favorite is the
musical sheep that can be hung, which will surely soothe
some baby into dreamland.
From
the Netherlands
come Keptin-Jr’s anthroposophist-inspired cuddle rattles and
dolls
for babies and toddlers. The brown and cream-colored ones are 100%
organic cotton,
so parents can feel at ease when they see the rattle go into their
little one’s
mouth. The ones that aren’t organic are certified by Oko-tex, which is
considered the next-best to organic, meeting certain high standards for
minimum
pesticide residue.
Wait
’til you see the Fürnï’s anatomically correct 100%
cotton dolls of
both genders with their own carriers and clothing options to dress
them in.
No Barbie proportions there, no lavious gowns, just normal wear for
normal-looking kids. For half the price we’ll have same versions at
half the
stature, but without the option of additional clothes. These are made
in Sri Lanka.
While not excluding China-produced toys, the Austrian based
Fürnï’s has made sure
that the Chinese factories they contract with are free of child labor.
From
them we will be getting adorable dolls, as well as animal
hand and
finger puppets.
I
will be re-ordering USA-made Ampersand Press items. They use
recycled
materials to make rubber stamps and games, and are
“committed to
promoting environmental awareness through interactive fun … by delving
into
nature and science.” Their products come with fact sheets, glossaries
and bibliographies.
I
hope to find a few more companies that manufacture outside of China,
but they are in the minority and are usually much more expensive. I
will
continue to search. I will continue to order toys from Melissa and
Doug Co.,
and all are made in China.
They make those delightful life-size stuffed animals and
wooden toys,
like the castles and airport, and tea sets and
play
food.
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