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Wanna bring some joyful accompaniment into your baby's life?

08.22.2008

Submitted by tmeronek on Fri, 08/22/2008 - 12:16am.
The Bite:
We're still waiting on the first eco baby grand piano, but we've got the next-best playthings. Our toy picks are safe as can be, and with all the icky chems in certain plastics, that oughta be music to your ears.
The Benefits: 
  • Symphony-size fun.
  • Fewer bad notes. Toys often end up in your baby's mouth, and many are made with toxins like hormone-disrupting phthalates (CA is banning its use in toys next year).
  • Harmony with the planet. Some toymakers use only organic and sustainably harvested materials so that they can steer clear of pesticides and avoid depleting resources.
  • Orchestrating fairer wages. Fair-trade means the people who make the toys aren't working in sweatshops.
Personally Speaking: 
Assistant Editor Hanah loves the Plan Toys Baby Alligator so much that she pulls it by its leash into the conference room for our weekly editorial meetings.
Wanna Try: 
  • Plan Toys Baby Alligator - cute wooden alligator for ages 20 months to 3 years; dragging it makes a clacking noise ($19).
  • Peace Baby Block Set - sustainable-maple blocks with nontoxic dyes; for ages 1-4 ($28).
  • Under the Nile Veggie Crate - set of four organic-cotton veggie toys perfect for teethers; for ages 0-2 ($26).
  • BabyPlays - a by-mail club that sends you a set of used, age-appropriate toys (sanitized with eco-cleaners) every month (plan prices vary).
  • Haba - maker of cloth and wooden toys that are certified under stringent international environmental standards (ISO 14000); its products come with a lifetime guarantee (for ages 0-6; prices vary).
  • DIY Bite: Avoid plastic toys with the recycling code 3 or 7 - the most likely to contain phthalates, and find simple toys around the house; wooden spoons, boxes, and canning rings all make fun stacking toys and noisemakers.

Cocktail Fact

Beethoven was deaf when he composed his Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy was the symphony finale).

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Biter parents switch from plastic to fair-trade eco-toys, $4.6 million will go to supporting safer work practices and Earth-friendly production.

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