Grandpa Ron and I went shopping for gifts for the grandkids today.

I was going to write about the experience but then I couldn’t get on wordpress tonight! So, I couldn’t write a blog! Now it is after the magic midnight somewhere (it is only a little after 11 pm in CA where I’m in front of my computer!) and I was able to finally get on! But then it didn’t work right…. So no blog for Saturday but here’s one for Sunday:

I found several websites that have good information about buying Christmas/Holiday toys for kids that are right for their age! That is so important when you don’t want something bad to happen because the kid did something you never dreamed that they would try! Here are the sites I found:
From Kidsafe Australia:
“Age guides for toys are linked to safety and to child development – they are not a measure of intelligence. Although it is tempting to think a child is smart enough for toys suited to an older child, it is safer and wiser to follow the age guides.”

dentalplans.com – a very nice, short, comprehensive blog about choosing safe toys
Hot100ChristmasToys.com by age
topchristmastoysthisyear.com Top Board Games
coolchristmasgifts.net by age
Best Toys Guide.com
fatbraintoys.com by age
christmastoy.wordpress.com on choosing gifts kids will flip over (from 2008)

Check out my other blogs on https://mygrandmasue.wordpress.com too!

As shoppers begin to purchase toys and gifts for children, they need to mindful of what gift is the safest, especially for younger children.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were an estimated 235,300 toy-related injuries treated in emergency rooms across the country.  Most of the injuries were to the head and face and consisted of lacerations, contusions or abrasions.  And, 73 percent of the toy-related injuries reported were to children ages 14 and younger.

We know that families are being more budget conscious this holiday season and we want to make sure the money we do spend is spent wisely. We hope that everyone takes just a moment to really think about the gifts they are buying and make sure they are appropriate for a child’s age and development level.

Prevent Blindness Georgia suggests the following:

• Make recommendations to family members and friends about gifts that you feel are appropriate for your child.

• Inspect all toys as much as possible before taking them out of the box.  Once opened, go through each part of the toy to make sure there are no small parts that could be choking hazards or sharp edges.

• Avoid toys that shoot or include parts that fly off. BB guns and air guns should not even be considered toys. Flying toys caused 9,600 injuries in 2008.

• Gifts of sports equipment should always be accompanied by protective gear (such as a basketball along with eye goggles, a baseball with a batting helmet with a face shield).  90 percent of all sports-related eye injuries can be prevented by using the appropriate eye protection.

• Educate yourself on what products have been recalled.  Contact the CPSC at (800) 638-2772 or go to www.cpsc.gov.

• Keep toys meant for older children away from younger ones.  Closely monitor all activities to make sure smaller children do not have access to toys that are not at their age-appropriate level.

• Inspect toys for sturdiness. Your child’s toys should be durable, with no sharp edges or points. The toys should also withstand impact.  Dispose of plastic wrapping material immediately on toys as they may have sharp edges.

• Never give toys with small parts to young children.  If a part of a toy can fit inside a toilet paper roll, the toy is considered a choking hazard and is not appropriate for children under the age of 3.

For more information on safe toys and gifts, please visit Prevent Blindness Georgia at www.pbga.org.

I have memories of buying a toy for my kids and having it break because of poor quality or discovering that it had small parts and we had a baby brother in the house. Back in “the day” we didn’t think about lead or pthalates in the toys. There are many things to consider when buying toys these days.

ConnPIRG has just released their annual toy safety report, and they’ve launched a new mobile phone website that allows toy shoppers to look up and report dangerous toys as they shop. Check out their new resources, and help make sure kids’ toys are safe this holiday season. Make your list then check it with CT-toy-report-2009.

This document reminds us of all the hazards we might consider including loudness. Almost 15 percent of children ages 6 to 17 show signs of hearing loss. In March 2007, the American Society for Testing and Materials adopted a voluntary acoustics standard for toys, setting the loudness threshold for most toys at 85 decibels but there are still exceedingly louc (and I might add annoying) toys on the toy store shelves.

In addition, think through and avoid toys that have possible choking hazards, while considering age appropriateness, “almost” small parts, balloons, marbles, pthalates and PVC products. What is left for kids to play with? We’ve eliminated dolls (plastic), legos (plastic), toy cars (lead paint). OKAY- wooden blocks it is. Actually one of my kids favorites!

Nowadays, the green movement has arrived in our homes, in our children’s bedrooms and playrooms. Parents are trying to encourage a sense of environmental awareness in their children at a young age, trying to find ways to be more vigorous in preserving the natural beauty of our planet. In schools and in homes, recycling is heavily promoted in order to educate the young ones in taking care of the environment. The government have already passed strict laws in order to help out the environment and toy companies are not spared from this responsibility. Toy manufacturers have been taken to task for their past use of dangerous chemicals and harmful materials in toys, as well as for less than stellar work practices, such as the use of sweatshops overseas.

Over the years, a lot of toy companies have emerged in order to seek and combine the use of environmentally friendly materials with safe working practices in the production of good quality toys. One company with this description is PlantToys. It was made to ensure that superior product quality, high safety standards, environmental concern and social responsibility as well. Not only are PlanToys® seeking to create innovative, educational toys for every developmental stage of childhood, but they try to do so while adhering to a strict code of ethics regarding the manufacturing process.

It is great to know that PlanToys are made from non-toxic and natural materials, such as organic rubberwood. Rubberwood is actually taken from the sap of the rubber tree and this is common in Asian countries like Thailand. Rubberwood has superior features like smooth texture, flexibility, strength, and it is considered a sustainable resource. The goal of PlanToys is to enable children to learn, play and become closer to nature. Their educational merit has been recognized by a number of parents’ and childcare organizations.

The PlanToys® company is a green company that is dedicated to suing environmentally safe, responsible and sustainable methods in the production of their toys. Their manufacturing process is laid out to minimize its impact on the environment. Together with other toy companies, PlanToys® has raised safety standards throughout the industry, following stringent in-house safety standards to ensure a safe, worry-free playtime for your children.

Next time you purchase a new toy for your child, why not consider purchasing a product from one of the green toy companies, rather than the usual plastic product. Why not buy toys made from green and safe materials that have been proven safe and nature friendly? We only have one home and we all have the responsibility of keeping it safe for the sake of the future generation. Go for the green, safe and smart choice.

Children love toys and that is a fact. Even us, way back when we were still children, we used to tug our mom’s or dad’s hand and persuade them to buy a toy that we have been eyeing for a long time. Even today, children are still doing the same thing but only this time, the toys have evolved into something more advanced than before. Gone are the rag dolls and the wooden soldiers that we have cherished so much in the olden days. Right now, everything seems to be modernized already. Toys enhance your child’s imagination and creativity and as a general rule, you should buy toys that can improve your child’s imagination.

Now, discovery toys can enable your children to learn while they are playing. These toys can help your child acquiring new skills and to improve their current ones while they are having fun. Educational toys are great with this – in encouraging learning in a fun environment. Discovery toys are not only fun but practical as well. Of course, there are so many important factors that you, as a parent, needs to consider in getting the best educational toys for your own children. This is indeed very important since a lot of toys nowadays are only created for fun and no longer for learning.

First thing that you should do is consider your child’s age when choosing the right educational toy. There are different toys for different age groups. You need to check the label of each toy for age appropriateness since there are electronic toys, breakable toys, and even those with tiny parts which are absolutely not for infants. For smaller kids, the best education toys for them are ones that fully activate the basic body senses and are very good for basic motor skills-toy producing sounds, turning buttons, push and pull, filling and emptying and all others. A one year old child would probably only throw number or letter blocks without even recognizing the idea what these numbers really are. In order not to complicate things, you should neither underestimate a preschooler with toys that are only meant for smaller children. You should try to challenge them with lots of books (there are picture books available and pop-ups are also so much fun) or chalk boards, flash cards, toy clocks and globes, and jigsaw puzzles.

And also, don’t forget that educational toys should be fun. One of the best way for your kids to learn is just by having fun. Whatever interests your children is sure to be stimulated into his brain in order to get them ready for learning. Educational toys serve this purpose. It is very important for educational toys to be entertaining to foster brain activity stimulation. It has been proven in research that this brain stimulation through activating interest in a child’s help is the key to developing thought and reflex patterns and also good hand-eye coordination. Plus, fun is an important factor in choosing an educational toy since any child won’t even notice that lessons are being taught while he or she is in the middle of playing. And lastly, fun is great way to get a child’s attention and focus in the first place. Thus, discovery toys should be fun in the best way they could be in order to make the child’s imagination soar.

Discover for a green, safe and smart choice at GreenEcoToys.com, we provide eco friendly toys that includes good quality and safe toys to play by your children that others simply don’t have.

Today, the green movement have already arrived in our homes and into our children’s playrooms and bedrooms. Some parents are trying to instill a sense of responsiveness for the environment in their children at a young age. In schools and in homes, recycling is heavily promoted in order to teach the young ones in taking care of the environment. Governments have passed increasingly strict guidelines on the environmental impact of manufacturing processes, and toy companies are not spared from this responsibility. Toy manufacturers have been taken to task for their past use of dangerous chemicals and harmful materials in toys, as well as for less than stellar work practices, such as the use of sweatshops overseas.

Over the years, a lot of toy companies have emerged in order to seek and combine the use of environmentally friendly materials with safe working practices in the production of good quality toys. One such company is PlanToys®. PlanToys® was created to ensure superior product quality, high safety standards, environmental concern and social responsibility. Plantoys are actually looking to create educational and innovative toys for every developmental stage of childhood but they also try doing so while they follow a strict code of ethics with regards to manufacturing process.

PlanToys® are made from non-toxic, natural materials such as organic rubberwood. Rubberwood is actually taken from the sap of the rubber tree and this is common in Asian countries like Thailand. Rubberwood has superior features like smooth texture, flexibility, strength, and it is considered a sustainable resource. PlanToys® enable children to play, learn and become closer to nature. Educational merit has always been recognized by a number of childcare and parents organizations.

The PlanToys® company is a green company that is dedicated to suing environmentally safe, responsible and sustainable methods in the production of their toys. It is important for their manufacturing process to be laid out and also to minimize its impact on the environment. Together with the other toy companies, PlanToys have raised the safety standards all over the industry while following stringent in-house safety standards in order to ensure a worry free and safe playtime for your children.

Next time you purchase a new toy for your child, why not consider purchasing a product from one of the green toy companies, rather than the usual plastic product. Why not buy toys made from green and safe materials that have been proven safe and nature friendly? We only have one home and we all have the responsibility of keeping it safe for the sake of the future generation. Go for the green, safe and smart choice.

Children love toys and that is a fact. Even us, way back when we were still children, we used to tug our mom’s or dad’s hand and persuade them to buy a toy that we have been eyeing for a long time. Even today, children are still doing the same thing but only this time, the toys have evolved into something more advanced than before. Gone are the rag dolls and the wooden soldiers that we have cherished so much in the olden days. Right now, everything seems to be modernized already. Toys enhance your child’s imagination and creativity and as a general rule, you should buy toys that can improve your child’s imagination.

Now, discovery toys can enable your children to learn while they are playing. These toys can help your child acquiring new skills and to improve their current ones while they are having fun. Educational toys are great with this – in encouraging learning in a fun environment. Discovery toys are not only fun but practical as well. Of course, there are so many important factors that you, as a parent, needs to consider in getting the best educational toys for your own children. This is indeed very important since a lot of toys nowadays are only created for fun and no longer for learning.

First thing that you should do is consider your child’s age when choosing the right educational toy. There are different toys for different age groups. You need to check the label of each toy for age appropriateness since there are electronic toys, breakable toys, and even those with tiny parts which are absolutely not for infants. For smaller kids, the best education toys for them are ones that fully activate the basic body senses and are very good for basic motor skills-toy producing sounds, turning buttons, push and pull, filling and emptying and all others. A one year old child would probably only throw number or letter blocks without even recognizing the idea what these numbers really are. In order not to complicate things, you should neither underestimate a preschooler with toys that are only meant for smaller children. You should try to challenge them with lots of books (there are picture books available and pop-ups are also so much fun) or chalk boards, flash cards, toy clocks and globes, and jigsaw puzzles.

And also, don’t forget that educational toys should be fun. One of the best way for your kids to learn is just by having fun. Whatever interests your children is sure to be stimulated into his brain in order to get them ready for learning. Educational toys serve this purpose. It is very important for educational toys to be entertaining to foster brain activity stimulation. It has been proven in research that this brain stimulation through activating interest in a child’s help is the key to developing thought and reflex patterns and also good hand-eye coordination. Plus, fun is an important factor in choosing an educational toy since any child won’t even notice that lessons are being taught while he or she is in the middle of playing. And lastly, fun is great way to get a child’s attention and focus in the first place. Thus, discovery toys should be fun in the best way they could be in order to make the child’s imagination soar.

Discover for a green, safe and smart choice at GreenEcoToys.com, we provide eco friendly toys that includes good quality and safe toys to play by your children that others simply don’t have.

Nowadays, the green movement has arrived in our homes, in our children’s bedrooms and playrooms. Parents are trying to instill a sense of environmental awareness in their children at a young age, trying to find ways to be more active in preserving the natural beauty of our planet. Recycling efforts are heavily promoted not just in homes but in schools as well, to teach children how to take care of the environment with little steps. The government have already passed strict laws in order to help out the environment and toy companies are not spared from this responsibility. Toy manufacturers have been taken to task for their past use of dangerous chemicals and harmful materials in toys, as well as for less than stellar work practices, such as the use of sweatshops overseas.

In recent years, a number of toy companies have emerged that seek to combine the use of environmentally friendly materials with safe working practices in the production of high quality toys. One company with this description is PlantToys. PlanToys® was created to ensure superior product quality, high safety standards, environmental concern and social responsibility. Not only are PlanToys® seeking to create innovative, educational toys for every developmental stage of childhood, but they try to do so while adhering to a strict code of ethics regarding the manufacturing process.

PlanToys® are made from non-toxic, natural materials such as organic rubberwood. Rubberwood is taken from the sap of the rubber tree, which is very common in Asian countries like Thailand. Superior features like smooth texture, flexibility and strength are some of the qualities of rubberwood and it is also considered as a sustainable resource. The goal of PlanToys is to enable children to learn, play and become closer to nature. Educational merit has always been recognized by a number of childcare and parents organizations.

The PlanToys® company is a green company that is dedicated to suing environmentally safe, responsible and sustainable methods in the production of their toys. It is important for their manufacturing process to be laid out and also to minimize its impact on the environment. Together with the other toy companies, PlanToys have raised the safety standards all over the industry while following stringent in-house safety standards in order to ensure a worry free and safe playtime for your children.

Next time you purchase a new toy for your child, why not consider buying a product from one of the green toy companies, rather than the usual plastic product. Why not purchase toys made from green and safe materials that have been proven safe and nature friendly? We only have one home and we all have the responsibility of keeping it safe for the sake of the future generation. Go for the green, safe and smart choice.

Children love toys and that is a fact. Even us, way back when we were still children, we used to tug our mom’s or dad’s hand and persuade them to buy a toy that we have been eyeing for a long time. Even today, children are still doing the same thing but only this time, the toys have evolved into something more advanced than before. Gone are the rag dolls and the wooden soldiers that we have cherished so much in the olden days. Right now, everything seems to be modernized already. Toys enhance your child’s imagination and creativity and as a general rule, you should buy toys that can improve your child’s imagination.

Now, discovery toys can enable your children to learn while they are playing. These toys can help your child acquiring new skills and to improve their current ones while they are having fun. Educational toys are great with this – in encouraging learning in a fun environment. Discovery toys are not only fun but practical as well. Of course, there are so many important factors that you, as a parent, needs to consider in getting the best educational toys for your own children. This is indeed very important since a lot of toys nowadays are only created for fun and no longer for learning.

First thing that you should do is consider your child’s age when choosing the right educational toy. There are different toys for different age groups. You need to check the label of each toy for age appropriateness since there are electronic toys, breakable toys, and even those with tiny parts which are absolutely not for infants. For smaller kids, the best education toys for them are ones that fully activate the basic body senses and are very good for basic motor skills-toy producing sounds, turning buttons, push and pull, filling and emptying and all others. A one year old child would probably only throw number or letter blocks without even recognizing the idea what these numbers really are. In order not to complicate things, you should neither underestimate a preschooler with toys that are only meant for smaller children. You should try to challenge them with lots of books (there are picture books available and pop-ups are also so much fun) or chalk boards, flash cards, toy clocks and globes, and jigsaw puzzles.

And also, don’t forget that educational toys should be fun. One of the best way for your kids to learn is just by having fun. Whatever interests your children is sure to be stimulated into his brain in order to get them ready for learning. Educational toys serve this purpose. It is very important for educational toys to be entertaining to foster brain activity stimulation. It has been proven in research that this brain stimulation through activating interest in a child’s help is the key to developing thought and reflex patterns and also good hand-eye coordination. Plus, fun is an important factor in choosing an educational toy since any child won’t even notice that lessons are being taught while he or she is in the middle of playing. And lastly, fun is great way to get a child’s attention and focus in the first place. Thus, discovery toys should be fun in the best way they could be in order to make the child’s imagination soar.

Discover for a green, safe and smart choice at GreenEcoToys.com, we provide eco friendly toys that includes good quality and safe toys to play by your children that others simply don’t have.

I am often asked to do you choose toys for a particular age.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics children by 12 months should

have reached the following milestones.  Some children (including my own children) have delays.  When there is a delay, try choosing a toy that will work on a particular skill that you are focusing on.  For example, a 1 year old should be able to drop items in a bucket and then retrieve them.  They should also be able to bang 2 blocks together as well as find an easily hidden object (object permanence).  Wooden blocks would take care of all three activities.  You can easily incorporate all three of these activities and many more.

Make sure  the toys your 1 year old child plays with are excellent quality, versatile, educational, age appropriate and safe (everything always ends up in their mouths).

Suggestions of 1 Year Old Toys:

Activity Blocks

Activity Blocks from Plan Toys

Baby Walker with 24 Blocks

Baby Walker with 24 Blocks from Plan Toys

Bug Jug Fill and Spill

Bug Jug Fill and Spill from Melissa and Doug

First Vehicles Set

First Bead Maze

Jumbo Knob Puzzle – Stop Sign

Jumbo Knob Puzzle First Shapes

Punch and Drop

Shape and Sort It Out

Hammer Balls

Baby Face Orchestra

Would you like more suggestions on toys for a 1 year old or for child of a different age?  Email me at info@1SmartNoodle.com and I will personally send you a list of great suggested toys.  If you are working on a particular area with your child let me know so I can send you toy list

that is more personalized for your child.  Please visit us at 1 Smart Noodle for great educational toys, games and activities.

Jenn

You’ve probably heard of the dangers of BPA (Bisphenol-A) and PVC that can be found in baby toys and teethers. These are dangerous chemicals that can be hazardous to the health of us and our children when ingested (and possibly even through frequent contact to our skin!). So how do we avoid these dangerous chemicals and buy safe toys? There are a few ways you can do this. You can go to the websites Safe Mama and Environmental Working Group where many toys are reviewed for their safety and chemical content. It also helps to avoid buying plastic toys and opt for wood and organic cloth toys instead.

I just ran across another website that rates toys and other items based on their impact to the environment, your health and society. They give you a rating for each of these three categories. And then for health, they go into detail what contaminants it contains, if any. Go to Good Guide and you will find out what contaminants are in specific toys by entering the toy or manufacturer’s name.

What are Baby Roku’s Favorite toys and teethers? He really likes Sassy’s Earth Brights line of wooden toys that he also uses as a teether. I think that his favorite toy right now is the toy called “Trix” by HABA. His buddy Thaddeus introduced this toy to him a few weeks ago. Hi likes this colorful, triangular grasping toy, however it appears that any toy from this brand would be great based on their name; The name HABA stands for high quality products, product reliability, age appropriate materials and environmental consciousness. He also loves his organic bunny that he got from his Aunt Sheila. He loves the floppy ears and arms for playing and chewing!

Where can you buy these toys? I happen to run across a great company on Amazon.com called Fat Brain Toys (www.FatBrainToys.com). They sell a lot of American Made toys (it seems like everything from Babies R Us is made in China!) and a wide variety of both indoor and outdoor toys. They have excellent customer service and seem to have a great corporate philosophy. I have only ordered one toy there, but it was a great experience.

Baby Roku plays with his favorite 'safe' toys

This is the reason for my RANT…. When will it  be possible for Moms, Dads, Grandparent, Aunts, Uncles or anyone to walk into a store or shop online for safe toys for the children we love.  Lead Free paint was banned in the US in the 1970’s.  Why do we still have toys with lead paint available for purchase in the US?  The toy makers continue to import toys that are sold here without regard to the consequences to our children.  The toys listed in this article have been recalled.  What about the children that were exposed before the recall?  What about the people that missed the recall and their children are still playing with these toys?

The toy companies will continue to import and pay out the $$$$ fines as long as we continue to buy the products.  As consumers it is your responsibility to find safe toys for your children.  We can not risk the health of even one child.  Earth friendly child safe toys are available in a variety of forms.  Take the time to purchase wisely.  As a child advocate I strongly encourage parents to choose safe toys for your precious ones.  As an online merchant I have made the decision to offer only earth & child friendly toy products.  I can not chance even one child’s health!

I advise Consumers to visit the CPSC for Alerts or subscribe to the Alerts via email.  Follow the links below.

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Mattel, Fisher-Price to Pay $2.3 Million Civil Penalty for Violating Federal Lead Paint Ban
Penalty is highest ever for CPSC regulated product violations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of its commitment to protecting the safety of children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Mattel Inc., of El Segundo, Calif. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Fisher-Price Inc., of East Aurora, N.Y. have agreed to pay a $2.3 million civil penalty for violating the federal lead paint ban.

The penalty settlement, which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, resolves CPSC staff allegations that Mattel and Fisher-Price knowingly (as defined in the Consumer Product Safety Act) imported and sold children’s toys with paints or other surface coatings that contained lead levels that violated a 30-year-old federal law. In 1978, a federal ban was put in place which prohibited toys and other children’s articles from having more than 0.06 percent lead (by weight) in paints or surface coatings. In 2007, about 95 Mattel and Fisher-Price toy models were determined to have exceeded this limit. Lead can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health consequences.

This civil penalty, which is the highest for violations involving importation or distribution in commerce of a regulated product and is the third highest of any kind in CPSC history, settles the following allegations:

• Mattel imported up to 900,000 non-compliant toys between September 2006 and August 2007, including the “Sarge” toy car and numerous Barbie accessory toys, and distributed most of them to its retail customers for sale to U.S. consumers. The “Sarge” car was recalled in August 2007 and the Barbie toys were recalled in September 2007.
• Fisher-Price imported up to 1.1 million non-compliant toys between July 2006 and August 2007, including certain licensed character toys and the Bongo Band, GEOTRAX locomotive, and Go Diego Go Rescue Boat toys. Most of these toys were distributed to retail stores for sale to consumers. The licensed character toys were recalled in August 2007, the Bongo Band and GEO TRAX toys were recalled in September 2007, and the Go Diego Go Boat toys were recalled in October 2007.

“These highly publicized toy recalls helped spur Congressional action last year to strengthen CPSC and make even stricter the ban on lead paint on toys,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Thomas Moore. “This penalty should serve notice to toy makers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead, and to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.”

This settlement also resolves other potential matters. In agreeing to the settlement, Mattel and Fisher-Price deny that they knowingly violated federal law, as alleged by CPSC staff.

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

Crafts promote creativity and help children to develop certain skills. There is a fun craft that you can do with pipe cleaners and beads that helps young children enhance their hand-eye coordination and creativity skills. Since every child develops at their own individual pace, please use your parental discretion to decide if this craft is suitable for your child. Be sure to monitor your child closely and partake in this craft with them.

Recommended ages:

2.5 to 7 years old

Supplies needed:

pipe cleaners (also known as chenille stems)

1 pack or carton of pony beads

Directions:

Place the pony beads in a bowl or a Ziplock bag. Let your child pick them out and place them onto the pipe cleaners. You can twist the pipe cleaner into the shape of a bracelet or necklace. Use your fingers to twist the pipe cleaner at the end to secure it after the beads are in place. Young children like the simple action of threading the beads onto a pipe cleaner and then taking them off again. It improves hand-eye coordination and also introduces children to patterns and designs. It’s a fun way for children to learn and test their own innovation.

Use your imagination to come up with other creative ways to use pipe cleaners and beads. During the holidays, you can make ornaments to place around the house and to hang on the Christmas tree. Just remember that small children may put the beads in their mouth, even if you think they are passed that stage. Kids can surprise you, so it is best to only do this craft under strict supervision by an adult.

This has happened to me a couple of times – you find a 1/2 eaten sock or shoe, or whatever.  You NEVER know what a dog might find interesting enough to eat.  That’s why I “baby-proof” my home and only give my labs safe toys, like kongs, rope toys or real beef bones.  No squeaky toys or stuffed toys without being supervised. 

Have you had any experiences like this?   What safe toys do you give your dog?  Let me know by adding a comment.

Here’s the article From Dogster.com 5/27/09:by Dr. Eric Barchas, DVM

Help! My dog, Duke, accidentally swallowed a milk ring. Should I take him to my vet?

Angie
Syracuse, IN

I field phone calls from people asking questions similar to this one every day. A receptionist or nurse will approach me and say, “Dr. Barchas, there’s a client on the phone whose dog just ate . . .”

What comes next is highly variable. The dog may have eaten a sock, or a rock, or a part of a tennis ball, or part of an aluminum can, or a piece of hardware, or a pair of underwear, or a string of Christmas lights, or a box of garbage bags–to name just a few possibilities.

Ingested foreign objects can be dangerous to pets in a few ways. First and foremost, they may get lodged in the intestines and cause an obstruction. This creates a life-threatening surgical emergency. Also, foreign objects may contain toxins that can lead to poisoning.

When a pet consumes a non-toxic foreign object such a milk ring, there are two basic choices. The animal can be brought to the vet immediately to induce vomiting or perform endoscopy, or the animal can be monitored at home for symptoms of gastrointestinal obstruction (symptoms include vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, tender abdomen, and sometimes diarrhea) until the object passes in the feces.

I don’t know what type of dog Duke is. However, if he is a medium or large sized dog, then the odds are high that the milk ring will pass through him without incident. Which I hope by now it has, since several days passed between when you wrote your question and when I received it. The dog who ate the string of Christmas lights passed them without incident (although I can’t imagine what they felt like coming out), so odds are high that Duke can pass a small piece of plastic.

As always, the safest course of action in these sorts of situations is to call your vet. Many factors can determine whether a foreign object passes harmlessly through the intestines or becomes lodged and requires life-saving surgery. Your vet can work with you to assess the best course of action for your pet’s unique circumstances.

Plan Toys never cease to amaze me with their innovative approach to toys. They prove you can have truly great toys produced with a small carbon footprint. They even manage this at a reasonable price without sacrificing style.

Their new products this year bring an increased emphasis on wise use of environmental resources through play, adding a whole new section to Plan City called Eco Town (seen above). We’re pleased to add all of Eco Town to our toy selection, as well as the full Plan City line, a large portion of which is pictured below on display at Toy Fair New York ‘09.

Another of our notable Plan City favorites is the Plan Toys Dino Explorer Set seen here in a Toy Fair New York ‘09 candid photo.

Plan Toys get top marks across the board. Their toys are safety-conscious, educationally sound, and environmentally responsible.

Their products are made using non-chemically treated, kiln-dried rubberwood, non-formaldehyde glue, and non-toxic water-based dyes containing no heavy metal elements. They produce 100% of their toys in their own factories to insure quality and safety, and toys meet or exceed ASTM (American) and EN71 (European) toy safety standards.

Plan Toys’ many awards include Parenting Magazine’s Best Toy of the Year, Parent & Child Teacher’s Pick, Germany’s Reddot Design Award, The Belgian Toy of the Year, Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards from Practical Pre-School in the United Kingdom, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio awards, and many, many more.

We can’t wait for their new items to arrive in March, and we’ll be adding them to BitsyBirdie.com as soon as they arrive.

With products of all sorts from around the world, Toy Fair New York is second in size only to the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany. It’s been a blast to attend, and I’m excited to give you a sneak peek at some of the products we’ll be adding to our offerings at BitsyBirdie.com.

Perhaps the world’s safest rubber ducky, BPA-free, lead-free, and latex-free, this little guy from Dano will be joing our line-up as soon as he rolls off the production line in April.

Zubels’ beautiful line of hand-knit 100% cotton dolls are stuffed with wool and super soft. My favorite is their colorgrown organic cotton teddy bear. The cotton’s rich cream and brown colors are achieved in growing rather than dying. We’re delighted to add them to our offerings.

We’re also delighted to add Yellow Label Kids’ products to our offerings. Their gorgeous hand-knit play items surprise with things you wouldn’t expect to find knitted. New this year is their tea set, complete with cups and saucers, and their cupcakes have become a well-established hit with stylish, safety-conscious moms.

Stay tuned, more sneak peeks to come . . .

We would like to welcome you to Play-Pretend.com, where you will find fairy tale and musical toys for kids fun. We guarantee you’ll find tons of creative toys, ranging from music boxes, kids puzzles, wooden toys to beautifully-illustrated children books. These toys inspire creative fun in kids of all ages.

Toy safety is the most important, and we work hard to provide you with the best quality toy selection. Our pretend toys are ALL 100% CPSIA compliant. Additional testing is done for flammability, small parts, sharp edges, and many more potential hazards. Your childrens’ safety is our first concern.

Please enjoy our fine selection of childrens toys, and we’ll make sure to fill you in about our fairy tale land. This Snow White and Rose Red music box features a bear figurine and is complete with four drawers.

Join us next time for more toy highlights, more toy features, and some wholesome fun!

 By David Arkush, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division

The confusion and misunderstanding circulating among small businesses regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) recently culminated in an attempt by South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint to undermine this critical product safety law with an amendment to the economic stimulus bill. Fortunately, his effort was unsuccessful. Further attempts to change the law – bills have been filed in both the House and Senate – should also be defeated.

Weakening the law would mean putting children at risk from dangerous products. We should always be cautious about that type of proposal, but it’s a particularly bad idea here because it’s not even necessary to address the concerns that small businesses have raised. The Consumer Product Safety Commission can resolve those concerns with some simple, commonsense rules. It already has begun to do so. For example, the agency’s Web site includes guidelines on lead and phthalates, and information for secondhand and consignment stores.

Overwhelming bipartisan majorities passed the product safety bill in response to a flood of hazardous toys and other children’s products pouring onto our shelves. Rolling back these protections would mean disregarding the harms done to children who have been hurt, become sick or even died from unsafe products – and would mean placing more children at risk by allowing millions of dangerous products to be placed on the market.

To be sure, the implementation of the new law has been frustrating for consumer advocates and small businesses alike. The principal problem is the lack of leadership at the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Its current chair, Nancy Nord, is a holdover from the past administration, which was often too eager to protect large manufacturers at the expense of public health and safety.

Nancy Nord must go. The country deserves a product safety leader who is committed to carrying out Congress’ mandate and protecting the public. Finding a proper leader for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, rather than modifying the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, is where public officials should focus their energy right now.

Cross posted at TheHill.com’s Congress Blog

Healthytoys.org tested 1,500 toys this year for things like lead, bromine, cadmium, and arsenic.  If you want to see if the toys you’re considering for Christmas are safe, you can find out right here.

You can also use their text messaging function.  It took me a little bit to figure out, but it’s a neat tool if you’re in the store and want to find out if there is testing information on your toy.

I’ve mentioned before, here, about how the Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations will not take place until after this Christmas session is over so here is a place to go to now if you want to make sure you buy safe toys.

HealthyToys.org which is sponsored by the Ecology Center.

Not only do they allow you to search on toys for health and safety concerns but they make it easy for you to communicate with the government and manufacturers about the importance of making toys safer.

Email “add me” to info@bitsybirdie.com to receive your unique discount code and sign up for email updates. Unique, non-transferrable discount code good for 20% off all non-sale items through 12/29/08.

Visit www.BitsyBirdie.com for the best in innovative, high-quality European and US made toys.

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