From the category archives:

Toys

My Favorite Shops for Gifts

November 24, 2009

As the gift-giving season approaches, I thought I’d list a couple of my favorite sites for browsing for gifts, (apart from the various Amazon country sites, of course).
The MoMA Store - This is the shop for the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.  As you can imagine, the focus here is on design.  There are beautiful […]

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The BVS Top Ten Toys of 2009

November 2, 2009

As Christmas approaches, I know we’re all wondering what to get for the little ones in our lives.  For some ideas, here are the German BVS, Bundesverband des Spielwaren-Einzelhandels (Federal Association of Toy Retailers) top ten toys of 2009.  They’re not all available outside of Germany, but most are.  Have fun!

36 Cube by Thinkfun - a puzzle […]

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Magic Nuudles

March 19, 2009

On a recent trip to Minnesota, my step-mom bought The Boy a new toy to pass some time. Magic Nuudles look like styrofoam, but they are made of cornstarch. You simply wet the “nuudle” with a damp cloth, and they stick together and to other objects.  Once you are done playing with the nuddles, simply […]

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Monsters, Monsters, Everywhere!

March 8, 2009

While surfing the net for kid’s toys, I keep coming across monsters!  They are seriously cute, although I’m not sure who loves them more, the parents or the kids.  Here are some of my favorite monsters I’ve come across:

Mr Moustachio costs €40 and is available at La Maison de Lola

Terry and Tina, Bunny Blue and Albert, £34, […]

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Green Toys

February 21, 2009

Green Toys is a San Francisco company that produces Made in the USA (California to be exact) toys. The company uses recycled plastic from milk jugs for their products. Green Toys’ website also states:

Our products pass a plethora of tests, including:

Consumer Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)
Consumer Products Safety Standard Specification, ASTM F963
California Prop. 65 restrictions on […]

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HABA Toy Food

February 12, 2009

I’ve always loved toy shopping, even before I had a child. Choosing gifts for nieces and nephews and thinking about what I would have loved (or what I DID love) at their ages gave me a thrill. And I know wasn’t the only adult wishing I could spend an afternoon playing with that […]

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Eco-paint

February 5, 2009

I loved Eco-dough, so trying Eco-kids eco-fingerpaint ($20 per tube) seemed like a natural progression.  Eco-fingerpaint is made of all natural ingredients.  The powder arrives in a tube like eco-dough and contains additional small dishes to mix the paint in.  The tube and tubs are compostable. Unfortunately, the lids fell off during shipping, so some […]

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Splat!

January 24, 2009

It is no secret that I am waiting with baited breath for Boon Inc.’s scrubbles to hit the market. So much so that I stopped in to Babies R’Us last night to see if they were on the shelves. I did not see the scrubbles, but I did see some of the other products that […]

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Rice’s Cups Full of Hope

January 16, 2009

While looking for cute, high-quality, melamine dishes to use as toddler tableware, I ran across a company in Denmark not only making fabulous cups, plates, bowls and more, but that also has a conscience, Rice. Their products are designed in Denmark, then manufactured in third world countries by employees who are treated fairly and are […]

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Eco-Dough is an Eco-Do!

December 31, 2008

Eco-dough ($20 per tube) is a natural alternative to play-dough for parents who do not have the time or desire to make their own craft dough. Eco-dough is made with plant, fruit and vegetable extracts and without artificial coloring, metals or chemicals. Eco-kids also produces an eco-dough that is gluten, dairy and soy free for […]

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