Natural Toys: Better For Kids, Better For the Planet
Natural Toys for Green Kids
by Marni Matyus, Peppermint Natural Baby Boutique
Giving children toys feels good. Giving them toys that are safe and earth-friendly feels even better.
Natural toys are simple toys without batteries that foster creativity and stimulate imaginative play. Oftentimes, when toys think for the child, their thoughts jump from one toy to the next. Natural toys encourage a child to use their imagination for the countless possibilities for that toy. Simple blocks can become buildings, castles or towers. An important aspect of encouraging creativity in children is it benefits them well into adulthood. Creativity inspires and rewards adults in their business and personal lives. Here’s why natural toys are better for kids and the planet:
Natural Toys Boost Brainpower: Creative play helps children develop and express their personality in their own way (pretending to be an animal), explore their own feelings, and handle their emotions. It also provides a way of scaling down, understanding and dealing with the world.
Natural Toys Benefit Children’s Physical Health: It’s frustrating and stressful to purchase a toy for a child and later see it on the news being recalled for a safety issue.
- Natural toys do not contain PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride). PVC is a dangerous chemical used in the conventional dyeing process and has been shown to cause kidney failure, developmental delays, and even hearing loss in children.
- Most toys on the market are stuffed with “fluff” that cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems in many babies. Companies like Under the Nile stuff their toys with organic cotton.
- Soft toys made with organic cotton do not contain the dangerous pesticides or fertilizers that can be absorbed by the body through the skin.
- Natural toys are finished with non-toxic paints and finishes like linseed, walnut oils or beeswax.
- HABA toys use Maple and Beech, which are a naturally germ-free material.
Natural Toys Promote a Healthy Environment: According to ImagiPlay, green toys teach kids to think about where things come from and where they’ll go-an early lesson in environmental responsibility and responsible buying. Natural toy companies produce high-quality products using materials and processes that show respect for the planet. They select factories that are close to their raw materials to avoid the needless expenditure of gas, oil and greenhouse gases. They do not use use the conventional pesticides in their materials that contaminate ground and surface water, damage surrounding plants, pollute waterways, and affect birds, fish, and other wildlife. They also create less waste as they last longer than plastic toys and ca be recycled when the time comes to retire them.
Peppermint Baby Boutique is a valuable parenting resource that provides a wide variety of organic and natural parenting products including wooden and organic cotton plush toys. www.peppermint.com.<–>
Thanks for this wonderful article. Check out http://www.childtrek.com. This great toy store offers natural toys from green companies like Under the Nile, Plan Toys, and HABA toys. It offers wooden and other eco-friendly toys that fit your philosophy above.
I completely agree. Toys unquestionably have to be safe. I think it’s not just a benefit to the child knowing that you’ve helped yourself, the child and the rest of the planet with every purchase.
Natural toys are the way to go. I like to think that you don’t have to buy all toys. Many of them are in your home already we just need to use them. Babies are naturally curious. We do have to be mindful of what but don’t underestimate the natural objects that make perfect toys around the home too
Natural Toys are the best but buying American Made Natural Toys from Moms is even better. Check out Etsy.com and search (homemade) for Naturalkids
You will find wonderful handmade creations, all my shopping and gift giving in the last year has been handmade by etsy.com artist!