Are there toys even worth recommending?
November 27, 2007
Posted by CindyW in : Fresh Look , trackback
These days my attitude towards toys is decidedly quality over quantity. In fact, unless it is for a special occasion, I don’t actively seek them out. Luckily my kids seem to be perfectly content visiting our local library, playing in the playground, going on nature walks, or even just jumping in and out of the abundant and cushy leaf piles.
It was by accident I ran into the Imagiplay toy booth at the Green Festival. What drew me immediately to it were the toy designs – intricate and clever puzzles with brilliant colors. These three-dimensional puzzles were mostly themed around nature and animals. Their look and feel plainly spoke quality to me.
In spite of being quite busy, the lady at the booth patiently addressed my concern about the non-stop toy recalls. She reassured me that these puzzles were made from environmentally friendly material (rubber wood) and painted with tested non-toxic paints. After I visited their website, I corresponded with Barbera Aimes, the founder of Imagiplay. Her genuine voice convinced me that these were the right toys to buy and to recommend, besides the fact that both of my kids (5 and 3) absolutely loved the puzzles I got for them.
What raw materials do you use for your toys?
Barbera: Rubberwood, formaldehyde free medium density fibreboard (MDF) and bamboo. The puzzle pieces are rubberwood.
Why is rubber wood considered environmentally sound?
Barbera: Native to Brazil for hundreds of years, rubber trees were brought to Asia at the turn of the century because of the great demand for rubber they produced. Now they also grow on plantations in Southeast Asia. Rubber trees produce a sap that is used to make latex products. At the end of their latex-producing years (generally 25-30 years), the trees are harvested and new ones planted. The wood used to be burned, until people realized these wonderful trees had one more gift to give, that of their beautiful hardwood.
How do you ensure the paints are non-toxic?
Barbera: We purchase our paints from one producer, a very respected company with an excellent reputation. They have an entire division devoted only to non-toxic paints for children’s toys. The paints are also tested by a third party testing agency - SGS International. When we receive the toys in America, we test the paints yet again.
Do you exercise any other precautionary measures?
Barbera: One of the most important ways we insure the safety of our toys (in addition to testing, which we do quite a lot of), is through the relationships we develop with the small, family-run factories that we partner with. We take quite a long time to research and develop a relationship with each factory before we begin ordering from them. The people we choose to work with have proven to us that they share our values and are trustworthy. To me, partnering with someone you trust is worth far more than all the tests in the world.
In response to my recent writing about Americans consuming too much stuff (me included, but trying to change), Barbera wrote a very sincere deliberation:
“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about that question myself. I’m kind of at cross purposes owing a company that produces consumer goods, yet believing that we all need to learn to consume less. I’ve come to wonder if the assumption that consuming creates a better lifestyle is a correct one? Are we any happier with lots and lots of stuff than we would be with little stuff? We just assume that more stuff = better lifestyle. I’ve begun to wonder if that’s true. Interesting question, huh? Especially from one who makes her living producing consumables. That’s why I feel the very heavy weight of responsibility to carefully produce only things that are beautiful, so they won’t end up in a landfill, are made from earth -responsible materials and made in a people-responsible way.”
Barbera’s puzzles clearly fit my criteria – quality over quantity. By the way these beautiful puzzles can also be used as decorations in the kids’ rooms.
Last but not the least, Barbera is kind enough to share a 10% discount code with Organicpicks readers: ORG0115 (case sensitive and good through 1/20/2008)
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Comments»
These are great, Cindy! My mom has been asking me for ideas for my kids - also 3 and 5 - and these would be just perfect. The 3D puzzles are cool as are the playsets. Thanks for sharing the idea, your research and the code!