The Green Parent

Stuffed animals always make wonderful gifts for little ones. More often than not, it doesn’t even matter what they look like, as long as they’re soft and snuggly, and fit just right under a child’s arm.  And with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, a stuffed animal might make the perfect lovey for your little [...]

Have been following the CPSIA hub-bub on the regulations banning lead and phthalates in children’s products and toys?  (Click on the link for background info.)  If so, then you know that while the new law, which will go in to effect on February 10th, was meant to protect children and improve safety regulations in their [...]

Want to unleash your child’s creativity?  Take away his toys. No, I’m not Scrooge. And I don’t mean to imply that you should take away all of your child’s toys; just all of this battery-powered, light-em-up, electro-beeping toys. Not permanently.  Just for a day. For the record, yes, my kids have a few electronic gadgets.  [...]

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 [...]

There are few places that are as frightening to me as the children’s toy aisle in my local “big box” store. Each shelf seems to overflow with toys that are constructed of cheap plastic, lead paint, and other toxins that have yet to be identified. And each toy glitters, rumbles, or sparkles in an attempt [...]