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Natural Toys
From the moment you found out you were pregnant; you probably started looking at products to purchase and reading the vast abundance of books and articles out there to be more informed. You may have become over whelmed by all of information and mixed messages. On top of this, you probably had friends and family bombarding you with advice, their opinions and experiences. All that you know for sure at this point is that you want the very best for your new baby.
This is when you start thinking about toys that you would like your baby to chew on, learn from and play with for hours and hours over time. You probably have never thought about what might be in a toy or what they are made of before. This little baby changes everything. Now you worry or think about everything. Your unborn child is not even here yet but is already very persuasive and powerful. You simply want your precious baby to grow up healthy, safe and have a great future.
You are right about giving your baby the best start to life as this will provide them the best outcome for a long, disease free and productive life. You can do this with some fairly simple steps and by starting some strong rituals early. Eating organic food is very important for everyone but especially while you are pregnant or nursing. This will cut out preservatives, dyes, leaching, hormones, carcinogens, artificial sugars and additives that your baby does not need. Wearing certified organic clothing and using organic bedding for baby are also important because they are free of pesticides, fertilizers, chemicals, bleaches, carcinogens and harsh dyes which are up against your baby's skin to potentially absorb these toxins. Using organic and/or all natural skin care products is also very important as 60% of everything that touches your skin is absorbed; artificial, toxic chemicals and all. Toys are another very important item to choose safely as you hope that your baby and children spend lots of time using and playing with them.
As you know, children spend a great deal of their time playing. It is second only to sleeping. Spending this much time with toys; you want to make sure that what they are playing with is of utmost, safe. Next you want the toys to be fun, interesting, stimulating and educational for the children. You don't buy toys for your children to sit in a closet; you want them to use them and more than once. Children learn so much through play; it is a vital part of their life. Play is an integral and essential part of all children's healthy growth, development and learning process. Play stimulates their imagination, expands their creativity, promotes social skills, assists children through their emotions, advances their physical and mental development, role play and they learn through trial and error. Now with today's vast array of toys, games and activities to choose from, it is almost overwhelming for you to choose the right toys for your children. You can't buy them all so you want to pick the toys that your baby or child will enjoy, get the most out of it, use and not harm them. This decision will not and should not come easy for you. There is a lot to consider when choosing and purchasing a toy. There are musical toys, hands-on toys, handmade toys, wood toys, plastic toys, electronic toys, bath toys, eco-friendly toys and natural toys. Wow! I bet your head is spinning right now. You're very best bet to ensure safety and good quality toys that will provide a great deal of educational fun is natural toys that are age appropriate.
Most people and companies that manufacture or carry these natural toys truly do care about the well being of each and ever child that will play with them and the environment. The natural toys are usually not mass produced, contain plastic unless it is recycled, phthalates, heavy metal paints or lead. Can you believe companies would put any of these highly toxic chemicals in any products that children would use, play with, eat or drink out of or chew on? Natural toys are just that; toys made naturally with nothing toxic or harmful added to them. They come from nature and are kept in their natural state or at least contain nothing synthetic or chemical based like most store bought toys. A natural toy is not harmful, toxic, dangerous or leaches any chemicals into your young child when played with, moved or chewed on. It is scary to think that these unsafe toys are out there on the market for parents to buy and parents are not informed of what dangers they may possess or that our governments allow them to be sold I the first place. Large toy companies are getting rich off of selling cheap and unsafe toys that are full of harmful chemicals. Just because something is in a store and your innocent child sees and wants it does not mean it is safe for them to play with.
There are three ways for chemicals to enter our bodies. There is inhalation which is breathing them, absorption which is through the skin and ingestion which is done by swallowing them. It is sad we have to talk about this when we are talking about toys but we do. There is very little legislation testing toys and making sure they are safe for children to use and play with. Here is a list of possible toxins and chemicals that have been found in toys and which things to avoid when buying toys:
* Lead - can be found in paints on toys, play, costume and metal jewelry, crayons and even Dollar Store pacifiers and baby bottles. Exposure to lead can cause cancer, reproductive disorders, effects the brain, blood pressure, can cause kidney damage, anemia , impair mental functioning and muscle weakness Lead poisoning can cause irreversible brain damage and can impair mental functioning, including attention span.
* Phthalates - is an additive in plastics to make it more flexible, softer as well as durable. It causes hormonal disruptions, can cause malformed sex organs, male reproductive disorders, low sperm count in adults, early on-set puberty, breast cancer in adult women and abdominal obesity. Asthma and allergies are also now being related and they also have carcinogenic effects.
* Bisphenol A (BPA) - is an additive used to harden polycarbonate plastic in bottles, , water bottles, baby bottles, sippy cups, plastic containers liners in food and drink cans, electronic equipment and plastic toys. It can alter the thyroid gland, pancreas, prostate gland and brain function. It also affects our all important immune system, is cancer causing, decreases sperm count in adults and causes early puberty.
Plastic may contain many more harmful chemicals than listed above which are considered
carcinogenic - meaning it is cancer causing.
* Avoid toys that are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) which is linked to development problems.
* Avoid products that are made of hard, clear poly carbonate plastic, number 7 plastic.
* Avoid toys that are made of soft vinyl; they may contain phthalates and lead as well.
* Avoid painted toys that are made in China, toy jewelry, bath toys that do not drain well and dry out well, gum ball
machine toys, Dollar Store toys and items.
* Avoid loud toys that can harm their hearing and over stimulate the child.
Just because a toy is marked non-toxic or safe does not mean that it is totally free of chemicals. It may not have one the harmful chemicals like phthalates but may contain bisphenol or lead. If you are not sure about a product; don't buy it. It is remarkable that such toys with heavily used chemicals, with known toxicity, can be so poorly regulated in North America. I am also surprised that any us are still able to produce children at all with all of these serious toxins are all around us in everything we use affecting our reproductive organs.
It is a really good idea when purchasing to safe toys to buy age appropriate, sign up to get e-mails about toy recalls and also check for a label on the art supplies and toys that say "conforms to ASTM D-4236" which means the art materials and product has been reviewed by a toxicologist for chronic hazards. You can also look for products that are third party tested for safety meaning they are thoroughly tested by an outside, unbiased agency wanting to provide safer toys for children. Another really sure fire way to get a high quality toys that are free of chemicals, toxins and dangerous parts is to purchase natural toys at a store that specializes in organic and natural products. These stores truly do care what they sell you, want it to be safe for your precious child and not harm the environment either. When your sweet baby is putting the toy in their mouths, possibly chewing on them and using them for long periods of time; you want them to be chemical free. There are enough, even too many other harmful chemicals and harsh toxins in the world for your little ones to be exposed to. By buying only all natural toys you have one less worry and way for chemicals to enter and harm your precious child.
When you are trying to figure out the safe toy lingo it can be a little daunting. Look for natural toys that are labeled or described with one or more of the following titles. Natural - meaning the toy is made or created with all natural materials and contains no chemical additives. Organic - 100% organic products or products that carry the USDA Organic (or another reputable company certification) seal are all organically grown, manufactured and finished without pesticides, fertilizers, chemicals, bleaches or dyes and the very safest you can buy. Green - are products that help promote concepts such as recycling, reusing, reducing, sustainability and awareness of environmental issues and impact. Fair Trade - means that retailers have paid a fair price for a product to sell. Providing a wage or employment opportunity to economically disadvantaged artisans worldwide that can assist them to earn a living. Responsible - are companies that are truly committed to fair labour, safe working conditions as well as maintaining an environmental policy focused on the protection and preservation. Recycled - items processed from used or waste materials that would otherwise be thrown out. Earth-Friendly - also known as eco-friendly are products that will not end up in a land fill for one hundred years, will not harm the environment now or in the future, will break down and biodegrade.
All natural toys should be the only option for parents to choose from but this is not the case. More and more parents like yourself are choosing safer toys for their babies and children. Natural toys are good for you, your baby, your family and the environment. Your beautiful children are worth it. Buy less and buy quality. You get what you pay for is usually a very true statement. Once you purchase your first natural and/or organic toy; you will never turn back. You can't imagine your bumpkin playing with all of those toxic toys laced with chemicals again. The peace of mind you get from watching your child play with natural toys is just the best feeling you could ever have and so worth it. You will also be pleasantly surprised at how much your baby loves and appreciates the natural toys; it's like they know they are safe and better for them. Toys started off very simple and safe and we are headed back that way again as we are realizing they are best for our children.
Trees and Tots review how and where toys are made before ever thinking about carrying them. You will see that we are extremely picky in choosing what companies we will support and carry their products. Once we have bought and tested each natural toy ourselves, we take great care in selecting the very safest toys from them to offer parents on our specialty web-store. We look for unique, hand made, smaller companies, their practices, how they package their product, what their toy is made of inside and out as well as if there is third party testing done on their products to ensure parents they are safe and will not leach or harm their precious children. Happy natural toy searching and buying! Your child will thank you with a smile and hours of great play for you to watch and enjoy.
Happy non-toxic and worry free playing! :)
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