Toy Clean Up

After reading Green Goes with Everything and a few other books about mainstream consumer products (I just finished Not Just a Pretty Face, The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan. Can't wait to tell you all about it in an upcoming post!), I've learned that some chemicals banned by the EU and other nations are still in our toys in the US. I was really bummed to read this.  I would love it if all manufacturers would use non-toxic wood glue, and plastics that are free of phthalates and BPA, but sadly this isn't the case.

Two weeks ago I decided an overhaul was needed.  I know that I can't make my home 100% safe/nontoxic, but I figure that if my son is going to be pawing at a toy and sticking it in his mouth, it would be best for it not to have endocrine disrupting chemicals leeching from it.  This was really difficult for me (sometimes I think I've bonded with his toys more than he has).  I would put certain toys in a box to go out, then I would take them out and put them back in his toy box.  This happened probably 5 or 6 times!  Finally I realized that Athan doesn't need 30 toys, he likes sticks, rocks, water and bugs the best anyways.

Below are the toys and stuffed animals I decided to keep in Athan's toy box:

Green Toys Dump Truck

Sophie the Giraffe

Green Toys Tug Boat

MiYim Pea Pod

Tennis ball

Penguin Puppet (cloth)

Melissa & Doug wooden shapes maze (I always wanted to play with one at the Doctors office when I was a kid but my mom wouldn't let me cause she said it was covered in germs).

Home-made wooden blocks with non-toxic paint (My dad made them)

Melissa & Doug Puzzles - Sea Animals and Barnyard Puzzle

Handmade Monkey Doll (my sister made this!! so cute!)

Timo Handmade Doll (A present from Holly & Joe- my surf club buds from San Diego)

JellyCat Sheep/ HannaAnderson


Athan loves to play with daddy's soccer ball and my volleyball too. If I see him trying to chew it, I direct him to do something else.

Last week I ordered a few PlanToys http://www.plantoys.com/home.php from Amazon. Athan loves "diggers" and trucks. This company seems really good when it comes to safe glues & paints (they are a wooden toy company).

Anyone have any safe/eco-friendly toy recommendations? Please feel free to comment below.