Are you tired of giving the typical sweater, tie, or fruit cake as a gift for Christmas this year? Would you like your gift to mean something and impact someone’s life? This is the third of 12 “green” gifts I’m suggesting for this year. This one is for all of the kiddo’s in your life! All of the gifts are either eco-friendly, non-toxic, organic, or educational. Make a positive difference with your gift this year!
Happy shopping!
Non-Toxic Toys
When shopping for toys, it’s so important to look for ones that are non-toxic. I know it can be a challenge, but when you consider that a child constantly has their hands (and even mouths) all over toys, it’s something to consider.
It’s a sad reality, but consumers and even the government know little about the safety of 80,000+ chemicals that can be used in consumer products. Those harmful chemicals can be used in everyday products and even in toys.
Harmful Chemicals in Toys
Toys can have dangerous things in them such as lead, mercury, arsenic, formaldehyde, and flame retardants (PBDEs). When chemicals accumulate in our bodies, they can have damaging consequences on our health.
These chemicals can cause everything from skin irritation, learning disabilities, organ damage, hormone disruption, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer!
Eventhough some strides have been made to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals in products, there is still a long way to go. If you have a child in your life, reducing their exposure to toxic chemicals is something you need to consider.
Learn What Items Are Toxic
The following widget can be used to search for a particular product and learn what’s inside (how toxic it is). Also, if you have a Smartphone, you can go to mobile.healthystuff.org to access a site to use while you’re shopping. This works for many products, not only toys!
Green Cupboards – Offering Eco-Friendly Products
If you are looking for non-toxic toys, I recommend a company based out of the state of Washington called GreenCupboards. They are an online retailer of eco-friendly products. Each of their products are categorized by eco-traits. These traits list everything from organic, BPA-free, non-toxic, sustainable materials used in a product, and many more!
I particularly like the brand, Green Toys, which can be found on their website. Many of their products are made from recycled materials. I have purchased toys from this product line. As online reviews can attest, children enjoy their products!
I have shopped with Green Cupboards and have had good experiences with them. I like them so much that I became an affiliate with them! During the month of December, they are offering FREE shipping on purchases over $25! Thank you in advance if you click on their link and make a purchase!
Happy shopping!
Additional Websites for Your Reading Pleasure:
Image courtesy of zirconicusso/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
(Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)
Carol says
I did not realize that all those toxins were in toys. That is pretty scary to think about it hurting your kids. Thanks for sharing this info and making us aware of this.
Teresa says
Thanks for stopping by Carol! Yes, it’s pretty scary to think of kids putting toys in their mouths that are made with toxic chemicals. Chemicals are a big problem in so many of our products. Hopefully, as more people become aware of their toxic effects, changes will be made.