As we head into Christmas...

[Mammamel]

A word about toys, from a former teacher and current toy seller!

Given the concern over toy safety this up coming holiday season here are some web sites that may help.
The first is a site that offers alternatives to Chinese made toys. This site features toys made in the USA and Europe. Some of these Items we carry where I work.

http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/search/txtSearch/@NorthAmericaEurope/txt/Items%20made%20in%20North%20America%20and%20Europe/p/5

The second is a site is the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association. They have statements by Specialty Toy Retailers regarding the safety procedures and things they do to make sure their toys, Chinese or otherwise are safe for our children.
Ladies, I work for a small mom and pop shop. We offer wish list service, layaway, even accept phone orders for items we carry. These are all things we consider normal customer service, something the big guys try to make us forget about, by quoting prices to us. I am certain all of us here at PH feel there is no price tag on the safety of our children.
This year, the big guys are in trouble, toy recall after recall has folks finally waking up that the price for cheap china junk, is not so cheap, and not so worth saving a few dollars either. Not only that but the big guys toy shipments are being held up, even cancelled as more and more stuff labeled “hot” is also labeled hazardous.
ASTRA offers a list of kids safe, creative, fun toys that help develop imagination and problem solving, as well as dexterity. Learning can and should be FUN!
Enjoy these sites. I will add others as I find them.
http://www.astratoy.org/

Astra top toys list:
http://www.astratoy.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=193&Itemid=423

[annette]

Thank you so much for these sites!

[hj2005]

that's okay i don't buy toys for my kids

[Mamame]

Thanks Mel! This is also a great time to support some mom at home based businesses. I got a great high chair from another mom last year (her hubby made them) and they also made some blocks for Robby. I much prefer the wooden toys for the kids - Melissa and Doug stuff is awesome and i know you sell those!

[ohpeliag]

Thank you for these links. We are looking for alternatives this year.

[lovinmom]

I love Melissa and Doug stuff! We have about a dozen or so different things of theirs.

This mess makes me glad my kids are almost past toy age!

My kids decided to try making presents for each other for Christmas this year. They are so much happier than when they just took money to the store and bought things, and I know the gifts will be much more meaningful.

[Hummingbird]

I would like to also add this company to the list if it's ok with you?

They've had a lot of coverage in the news this year since they are a quality American made product. They also happen to be in our town. :respect-059:


http://www.woodentrain.com/

[Mammamel]

Personally my favorite company is Melissa and Doug.
The quality, attention to detail, versatility and customer service can not be beat.
While they do have their items made in china, they have very tight quality controls that meet or exceed US guidelines and have not been recalled ever as far as I can find.
They also offer a 1 year guarantee on their items.
You can order on line:

http://www.melissaanddougtoystore.com/

Or if you wish I can supply you with info to order from my boss for about the same costs.
You may read their safety statement here:
http://www.melissaanddougtoystore.com/pages/safety-melissa-and-doug-toys

I especially like this part:
Melissa & Doug are the parents of six children themselves, and are very meticulous about the safety of the toys that carry their name. A brief explanation of this process is described below:
Many Melissa & Doug toys are made in China. The toys are manufactured according to strict Melissa & Doug standards. The toys are then inspected in the Chinese facilities by Melissa & Doug employees from the United States (Melissa & Doug LLC DOES NOT OUTSOURCE the testing for lead based paints and toxins. The Melissa & Doug Company provides a full-time team of U.S. employees to do the actual testing in China)
The toys are again tested upon arrival in the Melissa and Doug warehouse in Connecticut. This stage of testing is not a requirement and is done by a different set of Melissa and Doug employees. This step assures that no contamination occurred during the shipping process. After 2 stringent quality control procedures the toys are released to stores.

[Mammamel]

Hummingbird, I actually have looked at this site to recommend to my boss! He said they have looked into it as well, though no deal is on the table currently.

[Hummingbird]

Hummingbird, I actually have looked at this site to recommend to my boss! He said they have looked into it as well, though no deal is on the table currently.


Cool!

I was very pleased to see the coverage they were getting. They hand-paint all their items! We just moved here a year ago so it was very nice to find out it was here. I have a nephew who loves trains so I will probably find something for him at their shop this year. I know they have been advertising for more help so it must be doing well!

[Mammamel]

The best thing to come out of this mess, will be if more folks begin to again look at quality and not price tag. I mean I know price does matter, but ensuring the safety of our families MUST come first! If it means buying a $10 widget instead of a $5 one so be it.

[Hummingbird]

Agreed!!

[annette]

Yes, and maybe it will also bring our consumerism back to America. Supporting American companies more and bringing jobs back. *wishful thinking*

[pegnmil]

Thank you so much, Mel, for posting these sites. It seems everyday you hear about recall this and recall that. I like to get some educational toys for the grandchildren - something that exercises their brains while still being fun. I prefer to pay for quality toys - it ends up being frugal in the end. Paying cheap prices for junk that doesn't last or ends up being unsafe is not frugal by any means.

[Mammamel]

Peggy, one of the great things about Melissa and Doug toys, they are made of wood, and made to last!
We have a play table set up in our store with several Melissa and Doug items on it.
A favorite for the kids we see from age 2 to about 10, is the cutting food box. Ours has been out and played with for about 4 years (I think 5 but I have forgotten exactly) There have been no issues causing it to be removed from play in all that time. Other than we run out of it and put it away until we get more in stock!
There are several variations of it, Sushi (was not huge here in San Angelo!) Cutting food, with breads and fruits/veggies, Sandwich, with meat, breads cheeses and such, Pizza (real popular with guys who don't want their boys playing with "girl" toys!) and Birthday cake. There maybe more sets, but these are ones I personally have sold.

For those looking for bigger toys, like to replace the recalled Laugh and learn kitchen, I can safely recommend a company called American Plastics.
Their toys are made HERE in the USA. We sell them, and we like the quality. The kitchens come fully stocked with dishes, pots and pans and such, and they even bubble and light up.
They also carry boy toys such as fire trucks and car haulers.
Again these are things we have gotten from them and sold, along with a doll care center (tub and such) an a picnic table... i think there was a ride on toy too, but it sold out quick so i don't remember! (from last year, these items are still available though!)
Again you can order online of from my boss:

http://www.nextag.com/american-plastic-toy/search-html

[pegnmil]

The play food sets are fantastic - yep I bought 2 different sets. I thought the prices were quite reasonable for nice wooden toys. It will work so well with the play kitchen that Grandma Bonnie got. Little ones so love to pretend and copy what they see parents doing each day. I can see how your store runs out of them.

[Mammamel]

Bumping this up for moms who missed it.
Plus, I want to encourage all of you to look for small mom and pop shops like the one i work for. They most likely will offer the same benefits as Specialties does!

[lavender]

Target and Books a Million carry Melissa and Doug toys. Not the entire line, obviously, but enough to "get your feet wet" and avoid shipping time and charges.

Both my bears are currently in love with a train table with wooden tracks and a wooden train set with magnetic ends to attach cars. If you have ever looked into Special Needs Toys, you will notice that they are all mimick the toys of yesteryear...wooden toys, basic principals, sturdy go thru 5 years of kindergarteners kind of toys. No battery operated dinosaurs eating a village or ninja kicking talking plastic thing that will last all of about 2 months, if that.

[Suzyhomemaker]

Thank you for sharing that. I worked on the Matel recall line for West. I was surprised that I received very few calls from anyone in the states. Most of my calls came from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Canada. It seems that most of the news media here in the states was telling folks to simply throw the recall toys away. Our church removed a lot of recalls from their thrift store also.

I love homemade toys. They were my favorites growing up.

[maritimemama]

any reccomendations for toys for boys ages 10 to 13? my almost 10 year old hasn't really outgrown toys yet but I see very little in the line of quality toys that would amuse him for very long. they are into pretend a litle bit but need more challenging toys that will keep their interest. there has to be an alternative to the expensive electronic games and things out there? Mel what sells well for that age?

[Mammamel]

yep, zoomorphs!
This line of toys are put together dinosaurs, farm animals, safari animals and others that are all interchangeable.
They are very popular at our store.
Also, science kits, I will write down the name of them as I am spacing on it right now!
Gearbotics is also cool, you build things like robots or, the one we have is a walking T-Rex.
There is another science thing that I don't remember the exact name of, it is circuits the kids build and connect.

[maritimemama]

oh duh don't know why I never thought of science kits, my youngest loves science kits and things he can build. he loves lego, connext and lincoln logs. i guess they keep those toys tucked away in most stores and you really have to look for them. His birthday is next month so that may be what he will be getting.

[Mammamel]

Ev, while main stream stores stock legos and knex I am not sure about lincoln logs or tinker toys.
I know we stock them, but they were out of production for an umber of years and are now being remade.
The ones we carry are real wood, not the plastic versions.

[maritimemama]

the last time I got lincoln logs, and it was maybe 8 years ago, they were sold at Walmart. i have seen them occasionally since in mainstream stores. the kind we got is the real deal which makes it durable and they are so simple to put together. i haven't seen tinker toys in a long time but loved them as a kid!

[pegnmil]

I just saw tinkertoys for sale at Crackerbarrel, of all places. I'm sure they are remakes. A homemade science kit can be made with items from the dollar store - that and a few printouts from internet sites that have science experiments you can do at home were a big hit last year.


I bought two of the Melissa and Doug toys that were on the website. One was a sandwich maker and then one of the other food cutting kit. One for each little grand girl. Christmas with the far away families was last weekend, so the girls have already received them. They were the hit toy of the day. I am so impressed by the quality of those toys. Another helpful thing is that they are all such bright colors so you can work with the little ones on their colors and shapes while they play. I can't thank you enough, Mel, for bringing them to my attention. I just know the girls will play with them for years to come and they will be there for the next set of grandbabies too.

[gayla50]

my 9 year is getting both Lincoln logs and tinker toys and an Etch A Sketch.. we try to buy simple toys