"I'd love to say our house is filled with only handmade or European/American made toys, but it's not." So begins a thoughtful and engaging post by Amy Karol of the craft/life blog Angry Chicken. Her post really resonated with us and we think it's worth sharing with you. If the toy recall news only made you think "Great, what toys do I have to throw out now?," Amy gives us much more food for thought.
Read here for Amy's reflections on:
Making toys yourself (she shows several she's made for her daughters including the clothespin dolls above).
Rethinking what a toy is.
Buying handmade toys.
Buying mass produced toys not made in China (she lists several sources many of which are AT favorites, too).
Gently swaying family and friends to stop giving junky/creepy toys to your kids.
Have the latest recalls given you pause or made you reevaluate the toys in your home?
Yep. And I blogged about it too...http://designonpost.wordpress.com/2007/08/25/toys-from-china/
Family has already been calling asking for Christmas present ideas for our 2-year old...I tell them no plastic toys, either softie/plushies, wood or books. Hopefully they'll remember or we'll be returning it all.
view tgray99's profile
The only plastic toys we purchase now are Legos. We cannot envision a world without Legos. Too sad.
view molly_DC's profile
we are avoiding plastic toys (of course we still have some lying about), as well as those made in china - especially after reading alan weisman's "the world without us," which has a chilling chapter on plastic. luckily, our son doesn't seem to have a particular preference for plastic!
view sally in tx 's profile
we've been trying to avoid plastic toys for years, but it can get tricky with relatives...and now that my children are a bit older, they see things they want in the media and beg for (we don't have cable tv, but living in the real world, they are influenced by the constant commercialization and marketing to kids)....my 7 year old daughter want bratz dolls. so far we have not succumbed, but i'm sure in the next year or so someone will give her one for her birthday. it is a frightening world.
we are all worried about toys, because that is what we are hearing in the media, but what about our food? the other day in the grocery store i was looking at juice, and many, many of them are labeled "concentrate from china". i was completely shocked!!!
view polkadot's profile
these little dolls are so wonderful...they almost make me want to have a child just so i could make her a set of these...well almost...what would/have you made for little boys?
view Jess2nola's profile