LilSugar

Toy Box: Eco-Friendly Musical Toys

LilSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 05:00:00 -0700

It's becoming easier than ever to turn your little drummer boy into an Eco-friendly musician with all of the wooden instruments currently on the market. Revving up to celebrate Earth Day, we noticed that there are several toy manufacturers taking the lead in creating products for a variety of skill levels. Plan Toys, the makers of this great percussion set that encourages lil ones to compare and differentiate sounds, specializes in brightly colored wooden toys for kids up through preschool age. Their sturdy products are made from rubber wood, non-formaldehyde glue and water-based dyes and inks. French company, Boikido, designs wooden toys featuring their own characters for kids up to four-years-old that meet the highest European safety standards. Check out other fun picks below!

Eco Solid Drum - $26.00	Boikido Wooden Musical Play Table - $34.99
Plan Toys music band - $55.00	Boikido Wooden Musical Set - $31.99
Eco Concertina - $24.00	Eco Melody Xylophone - $29.00
Banjo - $28.00	Boikido Wooden Giraffe Xylophone - $21.99
Xylophone - $36.00

Toy Box: Automoblox

LilSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:00:52 -0800

Encouraging your lil wrecking crew to have at a brand new toy may sound like a recipe for disaster, but that's just what the team behind Automoblox had in mind when they developed their line of vehicles. Each automobile comes with a wooden body and plastic wheels, windows and people that are interchangeable between vehicles. Using a color and shape coding system, the plastic pieces can be used to create new, modern designs each time. Available in a variety of sizes, the mix and match nature of the toys make them endlessly fun for the lil ones and are great for passing time while waiting in line or sitting in a restaurant.

Ecotot: Wishbone Bike

LilSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:00:51 -0800

Running bikes, long popular in Europe, have become all the rage on this side of the pond with their wooden frames, low seats and ability to instill balance in their users. One of the latest versions to hit the stores is the Wishbone Bike ($250), a three-in-one unit that converts from a scooter, to a first running bike and eventually to a full size running bike for older children. With its three positions, the bikes are designed to take kids from toddlers to kindergarten. Designed by an Australian stay-at-home dad who was taken by the running bikes he saw while visiting Central Park, the bike isn't only pretty to look at, it is Eco-friendly as well. Made from sustainably managed woods, its wheels are manufactured from 60 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.

Toy Box: Damhorst Toys

babysugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:00:19 -0700

I still have a soft spot for traditional presents when gifting a newborn. I look for classics that the parents will cherish now and the child will continue to enjoy.

The family-owned Damhorst Toys began making wooden puzzles and stools in 1971. Their personalized puzzle stools are still some of the most beautifully crafted gifts I have come across. Modeled after jigsaw puzzles, they can be used to teach hand-eye coordination while providing your lil one with a sense of independence as she steps up to the toilet or the sink on her own. Though the business has grown out of their basement, the company's quality remains the same. The latest addition to their line is this adorable train puzzle stool ($99) with a usable engine. I especially like the engraving option that allows you to imprint a message for the recipient on the underside of the stools. Just don't ask me what sage words of advice to print there for all of eternity!

Large Stools - Damhorst Toys	Personalized Coat Rack - Damhorst Toys ($41)
Specialty Stool - Damhorst Toys ($104)	Specialty Stool - Damhorst Toys ($64)
Name Train - Damhorst Toys ($25)	Name Train - Damhorst Toys ($23)

Haba Toys Show the Soft and Colorful Side of Hard Wood

babysugar — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:00:34 -0700

The company that makes Haba toys was founded in the 1930s and you can tell - in a good way. The line of wooden playthings offers the simplicity of a low tech era coupled with bright and lively colors. There aren't any bells, whistles or knobs on them so your little one's imagination will have to do most of the work.

The inexpensive toy food pieces, like this box of toast ($7), are made of hard wood and finished with non-toxic paint.

Lil Tip: Make Your Refrigerator a Classroom

babysugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:00:14 -0700

Every evening when I come home, I am torn between rolling around on the ground with my toddler or getting her dinner on the stove. Now, I do both at once.

Melissa and Doug's magnetic letters ($10) allow her to learn her ABCs and colors while I start chopping. In between slicing and dicing, I look down to her and ask, "Where's your blue letter F?" She scrambles around, finds it and places it on the "board." I cheer her on and we both clap. Mission accomplished: fun and learning time spent together.

Ecotot: Choppers Made for and Powered by the Friendly Skies

babysugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:00:16 -0700

Young children always seem fascinated by objects flying in the air. You can fly a kite or craft a paper airplane, but wooden solar powered helicopters are hard to come by.

Give your tot a lesson in solar powered energy with a sun–powered chopper ($32) in your own backyard. Available in five basic hues, the battery free toy (yeah, that's right!) provides endless learning
opportunities without all the leaded paint
and energy consumption.

Toy Box: Vilac Balloon Powered Boat

LilSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:01:00 -0700

The days of "Rubber Duckie, you're the one - you make bath time lots of fun" may have gone down the drain, but that doesn't mean your child's nautical entertainment needs have to end.

The Vilac Balloon Powered Boat ($9) offers a retro option for playtime in the bath, pool or pond. I'm no mechanic, but it appears the balloon lets out air through a little tube and propels the all-wooden boat for some simple, all natural fun. Splash, splash, it's definitely time for a bath.

Simple or Swank: Block Wagon

babysugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:00:52 -0700

One of my earliest memories is stacking up buildings with wooden blocks. A cinch to construct and even easier to tear down, they were and still are some of the best entertainment for tots. The only thing that could improve them is a carry–all to store them in.

Simple: For a bargain $8, you can have your blocks and wheel cart, too! IKEA offers the Mula wagon with 24 colorful blocks in tow.
Swank: Add $7 more and you get the Melissa and Doug unit block on wheels with 36 bright blocks.

Which one is the block wagon of your dreams?

Toy Box: Uncle Goose Alphabet Blocks

babysugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:00:14 -0700

If you want your tot to be versed in several languages, introduce them to wooden blocks from Uncle Goose.
To learn about the bilingual baby blocks, read more.

Crafted from Michigan-basswood, the lil cubes are decorated with child–safe. Spoil your babe on Passover with the Hebrew block set. If romance languages are more your thing, choose from Italian, French and Spanish. And if a lil frat boy is in your midst, the Greek builders may suit him just right.