Schylling Creating the Future Reviving the Past

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I like to think that every adult is a child at heart. I love seeing toys that I played with being used by my daughter. I like toys that embrace the imaginative nature every child has. Schylling is that toy company to bring back true toy play. Jack R. Schylling started by selling a mechanical bird in Harvard Square, and that simple act led to three brothers starting the world-famous Schylling toy company. If you look at some of the toys your children have I can guarantee you will see that famous name.

Everything from planes, mechanical trains to the Flexi-Sphere, Schylling has it all.
I had the extreme good fortune to live near the toy factory and got a personal tour. Schylling is really about family and fun. The employees are gracious and loving. The brothers are children trapped in adult bodies, and their minds are always ten steps ahead to creating more toys and more fun. The factory is a wonderland of toys, old and new. The Schylling brothers even find antique toys online that they then take apart and recreate for a new generation of imaginative kids. Schylling often partners with characters like the lovable Curious George. Most characters comes from books which also connect the child with their favorite stars of their favorite books.


My daughter spent all of Easter morning dancing with her Ribbon Stick, something so simple yet beautiful in its design. And the Flexi-Sphere was a huge hit. It brought back memories for me. My cousins had a Flexi-Sphere when we were little, and we fought over who would get to wear the "crown" when we played royalty. The first thing my daughter did with her Flexi-Sphere was to make it into a crown for her head!

With Schylling's huge array of tea sets children learn the value of sharing, playing pretend and serving up their imaginative concoctions. Schylling makes an array of tin toys that echo the past while bringing inquisitive minds of all ages, hours of fun. The tin toys are officially collector's items, but my daughter and husband fought over the chance to wind and watch her elephant with the ball spinning on his nose as he rode his bike. It was truly magical.
Bring back the simple and fun toys and watch the light in the eyes of children of all ages. Like the Schylling family, we all have a child in us waiting for that special toy that brings it all back.

A Toy Garden Gift Certificate Giveaway!

We all know how much I love online shop A Toy Garden. They have the best toys and the fabulous customer service I really depend on. I wrote about this online shop often because of all of the fabulous toys, goodies and arts and crafts they offer. I do not think there has been one time where I have visited this site and not wanted something.

Our new favorite is the Colorful Dollhouse Stacker.

This adorable "stacker" turns into a doll house when your child brings out all of the pieces. Then, to store, it can be stacked together again! So many uses for the same toy. The house measures 7" x 8". The chair is 2 1/2" tall with a 1" deep seat. Just right for posable doll house dolls! Non-toxic stain. Also comes in a natural version (see link below). Made in Europe.

This toy provides hours of fun for my little one. She uses the pieces for all of her different toys. We even brought this on a recent overnight trip. I love that it is made of wood, and she loves how many uses there are for each piece. The possibilities are endless.



If you are like me and cannot resist the goodies that A Toy Garden offers, make sure you enter to win a $25 A Toy Garden Gift Certificate!

Giveaway Rules:
This contest is only open to US readers. You must be 18 years or older to enter. You must be a Product Mommy follower. All entries must be received by 11:59pm on April 2, 2012. Please include your email address in each entry. Winners will be chosen at random. I will notify the winners on April 3, 2012 via email (please respond within 48 hours) and your $25 Gift Certificate will be mailed directly to you.

How to Enter: You must be a Product Mommy follower. Leave comment after the post with your email telling what item you would love to buy from A Toy Garden.


Extra Entries:
You must do the "How to Enter" first and be sure you leave a "comment" for each extra entry and tell me which one you did. Don't forget your email address too.
1.Become a fan of A Toy Garden on Facebook
2.Become a fan of Product Mommy on Facebook
3.Become a fan of Product Mommy on Twitter
4.Subscribe to Product Mommy by email (top left of blog page)
5, Twitter about this contest (and leave a link to the Tweet)
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Smiling Tree Toys

Children have the most incredible imagination. With simple blocks, they can turn your living room into a safari, NYC, even a jungle. I am always preaching about the value of heirloom toys for good reason. I love watching my daughter play with the wooden village I had as a kid. We strike a balance in our home, and our daughter often combines her wooden and plastic toys to have 2x the fun!

A new favorite in our home is the helicopter from Smiling Tree Toys. Parents, Justin and Kathleen began their toy-making business in 2010 when they returned to the U.S. after serving two years with the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. They now call rural southwestern Minnesota home, and enjoy nothing more than creating toys for your family and theirs. Smiling Tree Toys donates to the Peace Corps international youth projects for every toy sold. They use gorgeous maple and finish projects with organic flaxseed oil and local beeswax. They have everything from wooden vehicles to teething toys and blocks.

My daughter really digs her helicopter. I cannot get her to sit still long enough to even snap the picture. All of my attempts look like blurs because as she explained to me, "I am trying to fly my friend to the moon." The quality is outstanding and knowing these pieces are handmade makes them all the more special.

Holztiger Brings Back Imagination

We definitely have a mixture of toys in our home. I try to buy lots of wooden items, and toys that allow my daughter to really use her creativity. That means toys that are not battery-operated with flashing lights. Holztiger is the perfect collection of handcrafted wooden toys made in Europe. They have every kind of figure you could imagine, from animals to fairytale figures. They are made from either solid beech or maple hardwood from sustainable forests and are hand-painted with water-based paints and have a water-based clear coat on top so they are moisture proof for little hands and mouths. They edges are always nicely rounds with no rough spots, so even younger children can safely play.


We got the Snow White and Seven Dwarves. My daughter spent a whole day giving them a live concert and then acting out one of her favorite bedtime tales. The quality of these figures is really amazing. They are sturdy enough to stand-up to even the toughest child, but the detailing is so fine. I look forward to adding to our collection (and watching them become an heirloom toy).

It's Stacking Up!

Blocks are quite simply the best way for your child to learn early hand-eye coordination, stacking, counting etc. I was not into most of the blocks I see in stores. They are simply too plain and not eye-catching enough for my busy toddler. Of course I went searching on my favorite site Etsy.com and found Stack by Stackblocks. Michelle, the creator of Stack was candid about her reasons for getting into making these time-honored traditional, yet fun toys. She told me:

I've always love making handmade gifts for friends and family. And since I've been blessed with lots of both and they, in turn, have been blessed with lots of children I seem to always bee looking for new ideas. But it was when my daughter was around 6 months old and I started looking for classic wooden blocks for her to play with that I realized there wasn't a whole lot out there. At least nothing that caught my eye. So I decided to make her some myself. Then I made some for her playmate, and some for a friends newborn, and so on and so on until it seemed the natural next step to open a shop. :)

As for why blocks and the designs. Blocks are basic yet completely versatile. I like that they go through multiple levels of a child's development. From the visual sensory of the colors and shapes on the blocks & learning how to grasp them in their cute chubby hands all the way to learning to match pictures, spell basic words, craft puzzles, and of course stack them high. I look for colors and designs that I'm drawn to and I pass them through my quality control department (aka my little girl) to make sure they're both parent and child approved. I honestly think I enjoy the blocks as much as she does!

We got the woodland set and are really loving them. I am happy to have them out around the house as the pictures on each block face are just beautiful. My daughter uses them to make different scenes for her dolls, and we used them the other day for a counting exercise. I recently had a friend bemoaning the decoration process of a nursery. She claimed there was nothing decorative, yet useful for a new baby. I lead her right to Stack! The blocks are safe, non-toxic, colorful and fun! And dear readers, if you shop now and use the code "ProductMommy" you will receive 10% off your Stack order!

ImagiPlay Giveaway!

I have been buying my daughter ImagiPLAY products since she was old enough to clutch a rattle. The toys really have grown with her. All ImagiPlay toys have earth-inspired themes (animals, plants etc.) and really spark your children's creative imaginations.

ImagiPLay toys use only materials and processes that are earth friendly. All of ImagiPLAY's toys are made from eco-friendly materials, with plantation-grown rubberwood being a favorite. When they cannot use rubberwood the toy is made from wood from managed forests. ImagiPLAY's factories are placed close to the neighborhoods where its craftsmen live so that the majority of them can walk or ride their bikes to work each day, enabling its craftsmen to maintain quality relationships with their own children while they make toys for others.

Our newest ImagiPLAY toy is the Tumblin Tree EcoBalancing Game. Children (and adults) take turns "growing" the tree by adding leaves and branches onto the trunk. The trunk can be adjusted to be very steady, or very wobbly. Whoever causes the tree to tumble, has to pick up the pieces. The first player to get all of their pieces on the tree, wins! It is made from all natural, manged forest basswood. We have a ball with this game. It is fantastic for hand-eye coordination. My daughter actually begs us to make it harder. I love that we are "growing" a tree. It makes a great centerpiece for teaching children about growth of trees and also how and why leaves fall. I also like that my daughter learns that if she causes the pieces to come off, she needs to help clean them up as part of the game.

ImagiPLAY wanted Product Mommy readers to be able to join the toy fun! ImagiPlay is giving away one Pozimal Kangaroom http://www.imagiplay.com/productsdetail2.php?id=240&name=Pozimals%20Kangaroo. Pozimals are the perfect toy to take around with you to keep your little ones occupied as they move the pieces to create their animal (perfect for a Dr.'s office).

Here is how to win:

Giveaway Rules:
This contest is only open to US readers. You must be a Product Mommy follower. All entries must be received by 11:59pm on May 25, 2011. Please include your email address in each entry. A winner will be chosen at random. I will notify the winner on May 26, 2011 via email (please respond within 48 hours) and your ImagiPLAY Pozimals Kangaroo will be mailed directly from Product Mommy.

How to Enter: You must be a Product Mommy follower. Leave a comment with your email address under this post.

Extra Entries:
You must do the "How to Enter" first and be sure you leave a "comment" for each extra entry and tell me which one you did. Don't forget your email address too.
1. Become a fan of ImagiPLAY on Facebook
2. Become a fan of Product Mommy on Facebook
3. Become a fan of Product Mommy on Twitter
4. Subscribe to Product Mommy by email (top left of blog page)
5. Twitter about this contest (and leave a link to the Tweet)
6. Post this giveaway on Facebook (and leave a link)

Blue Orange Games

We are a big fan of having a game night in our house. Game night could be anything from telling each other stories to building sculptures. It just means spending time together. My husband works, and I am a stay at home mom, so for him, watching her play games is a great way to show how she is developing and learning. I am constantly on the look-out for games that will be fun for all of us, while helping to educate our child. Zimbbos by Blue Orange, perfectly fits my criteria.

Refreshing and amusing, this stacking game can be played alone or team up with up to 4 players. Help those smiling little elephants to get piled up and create an originally shaped pyramid. Each player throws the die to find out how many elephants have to be placed on the pyramid, respecting the numerical order turn after turn. If the die shows a star, you get to chose between a joker (clown, bear, gorilla or a lion) or a balancing bar. You win if you place the elephant number 10 on the top of the pyramid and the pyramid stays up, it goes without saying.

We played for so long. I thought it was wonderful to try and get her to stack according to number. We even continued stacking them to see if we could get all of the pieces one on top of another, without having our "tower" fall. It was great fun. I love that the pieces are wood (no plastic in this game). I even caught my daughter using one of the elephants as a animal for another game. It got us together, and she was learning without even realizing it. Blue Orange games are so much fun, with choices for any age group. Blue Orange often wins coveted toy awards. They are an eco-friendly company, and they plant two trees for every tree used to create their wooden games. What's not to love?!

Topozoo

I love watching my daughter create. I also think giving her a challenge every now and then helps to further develop her mind, and her imagination. Topozoo are the perfect way to combine both imagination and problem solving. Topozoo are made in the USA from formaldehyde-free recycled wood and child-safe color stains. All sets are safe for kids age 3 and up. They have everything from dinosaurs to mythical creatures, safari animals and even Spring-inspired rabbits and ducks.

When we first got the dinosaur set, my daughter made sure to put all of the blue pieces together, red, etc., then she got creative. So the T-rex became a fun hybrid of her own design. Topozoo are also a great way for kids to have fun together. We had some friends over, and it was fun to watch the kids create their own designs and make up stories to go with them. I love that Topozoo are made from recycled wood. It is an eco-conscious company. The cardboard box they come in are perfect for storage. I cannot wait to get more. These would also be so adorable in a child's room (or even an office, as my husband sneakily suggested because he wanted them).

Sail Away With Me....

As spring is coming right within my grasp, I am aching to get outside an enjoy some fresh air...and pretty soon some swimming and playing in the ocean. My daughter has that same spring/summer fever. I went in search of a boat for her to play with in the water. I only came up with plastic ones...not what I wanted. I found Tweet on Etsy. Tweet has the best handmade products from wooden caravans, to mobiles. And yes, wooden toy sailboats.

The boats are 8" long, and 8" tall. American pine, cotton sails and string, and beeswax finish. They float just perfectly in the bath or in a puddle or brook. We got ours a few days ago, and Miss "please can i skip my bath" has been begging for one every minute. She loves her new sailboat. Since it is still chilly outside, we were forced to use the sink. She went wild. An unsuspecting soap wedge found itself as a passenger on her ship. She is in her glory. Tweet does such a wonderful job in making the sailboat sturdy and fun. So now we are hankering to get down to our brook to float our sailboat, oh and in the pool too, and maybe some tide pools....

Tegu...the Building Blocks of the Future

From a very young age, my daughter has been playing with blocks. Blocks seem so simple, but their educational value is really immeasurable. Blocks are tactile and also teach children hand-eye coordination as they stack and place them. As children get older, their imaginative structures built from blocks teach them balance and precision. My daughter loves to build with blocks, but the minute the structure falls over, it becomes melt-down city. I think I found the solution.

Tegu blocks are made from eco-friendly hard woods. Each block has a magnet safely embedded inside. The name Tegu comes Tegucigalpa,* the capital city of Honduras, where the blocks are manufactured. The Tegu factory provides fair wages and career growth for its employees. Tegu uses mature trees and helps to fund reforestation, by donating to replanting efforts when the blocks are sold. The blocks all have a water-based, non-toxic coating, so you can feel safe when your child uses them.

We have created some amazing structures with Tegu blocks in this house. My child is amazed by how she can just attach pieces to the sides of her creations and "Mama, they stay!" She told me the other day that she was building "a house with nice baseboards." And this from a three year old! I admit, I am addicted to these blocks. I like trying to build cool animals. What a fun way to be creative. I also love that Tegu is a company that gives back. We have the discovery set which is 26 pieces of pure fun. I even am gaga for the packaging which has facts about trees, magnets and the blocks, for little inquiring minds. These really are the blocks of the future.

I Love My Planet Organics Giveaway!

ImagiPlay has recently acquired the cutest line of organic soft toys. ImagiPlay is one of the best brands for wooden toys and puzzles for children. Their toys inspire learning and creativity with the use of natural plantation-grown rubberwood and environmentally-friendly hardwood. They always use the best natural materials on the market so your child can have fun, while being safe. I have blogged about ImagiPLAY before, and I cannot say enough good things. The new line is called I Love My Planet Organics and currently has four adorable plush with wood toys. Each toy is made in Sri Lanka with organic cotton and sustainable Rubberwood. We got the adorable monkey!
The Monkey has posable arms and legs and can hang from wherever your child’s heart desires with his four rubberwood arms and legs.
ImagiPlay is giving one lucky Product Mommy reader a chance to win an I Love My Planet Organics Monkey.

Giveaway Rules:
You must be a follower of Product Mommy.
This contest is only open to US readers. All entries must be received by 11:59pm on July 20, 2010. Please include your email address in each entry. A winner will be chosen at random. I will notify the winner on July 21, 2010 via email (please respond within 48 hours) and the I Love My Planet Organics Monkey will be mailed to you from Product Mommy.

How to Enter: You must be a follower of Product Mommy. Leave a comment and be sure to include your email address.

Extra Entries:
You must do the "How to Enter" first and be sure you leave a "comment" for each extra entry and tell me which one you did. Don't forget your email address too.
1. Become a fan of Product Mommy on Facebook
2. Become a fan of Product Mommy on Twitter
3. Subscribe to Product Mommy by email (top left of blog page)
4. Twitter about this contest (and leave a link to the Tweet)
5. Post this giveaway on Facebook (and leave a link)

Imagine Childhood

Have you ever gone to an e-commerce site and thought “I am home?" That was how I felt the first time I went on the Imagine Childhood website. Imagine Childhood has every kind of toy and book you would ever want your child to have. The whole site is there for children to really connect with nature and explore their world around them through play. I love that they choose the products they carry based on their “Five Questions":
• Does the product promote exploration, creativity, and/or unstructured play?
• Is it fun and exciting?
• Is it Fair Trade and made of sustainable or eco-friendly materials?
• Can it be reused again and again, and in varying applications?
And
• Does it provide learning opportunities?

How wonderful is that? And even though not everything on the site fits all five criteria, quite a lot of them do. It is the first place you should go when looking for that special something for a child that they will have forever.

We got a handmade fairy. Each fairy is handmade by SmartlittleonesTM on Bryn Du Farm in Colorado. The wool on each fairy actually comes from the sheep herd on this farm, and the creators can tell you which sheep it came from. That is truly amazing! These little fairies are great for imaginative play, and ours currently resides either in Product Baby’s Gnome home, or on her play shelf. It is exquisitely made and so wonderful that I had to stop myself from grabbing it to display rather than play with.

I am so glad that sites like this exist. This is the kind of website that realizes that play, nature and some imagination are all a child needs…and batteries and flashing lights have no place in this childhood!

The Original Tree Swing

As an adult, the toys I most remember were often the simplest. If you think back really hard, I bet you can picture those lazy summer days swinging outside and building castles and towers with your friends. The Original Tree Swing is a company that is family owned and operated in Minneapolis, MN. The Original Tree Swing are "committed to developing open-ended toys made from all natural materials. Our toys stimulate the senses, stir a child’s natural curiosity, and awaken their creative impulses." They are the kind of toys that last for generations, and really bring you back to simpler times. Most of the items are hand made from reclaimed wood and are finished in beeswax and mineral oil. Even their shipping materials are reclaimed and recycled.

One of our favorite toys from The Original Tree Swing is The Tree Swing. These Tree Swings are hand made from local reclaimed Ash, Elm, or Maple. After each seat is kiln dried and sanded a light coat of mineral oil is applied to bring out the natural beauty of the wood. The seat is then attached to 20 ft of the best 3/4" natural fiber rope available (No oil or chemicals; so it's safe for children.) We attached outs to a tree, and it has provided hours of fun (for both me and my child). It is so simple, but so fun! I was delighted with how easy it was to install (simply tying some knots over a sturdy branch). Product Baby rolled a log to help her step up to get on, and now she does it all by herself.

The other item we fell in love with were the Memory Stackers. The Memory Stackers are hand carved and they each have a number on them. They can be used for memory games as well as for stacking on top of each other to make a plethora of designs. In our home, they are currently they are in use as "zookeepers" for a corral of blocks and wooden animals.

I am thoroughly enchanted with this company. I cannot wait to get more handmade items. I love that they are just as much fun for child, as they are for me. I love that they allow my child to use her imagination. No blinking lights and plastic here! So take a swing from a tree branch and remember being a kid again!

Plan Toys is Music to My Ears

I have written about Plan Toys on numerous occasions. I just cannot say enough about the great products that are environmentally and kid friendly. They make the best Educational Toys. The Wooden Toys are made from rubberwood from natural rubber trees that no longer produce latex. No fertilizer is added to the tree for three years before it is cut, producing pure wood. All of the wood is kiln dried, and all of their toys are painted with water based non-toxic dyes, and use E-Zero glue in place of wood glues. Plan toys uses recycled and recyclable materials , and soy and water-based inks on any printed material to lower their impact on the environment. They even use solar energy and bio-fuel to power their machinery.
When I was looking for Baby Toys that were safe and not plastic, I ended up getting quite a few Plan Toys and we still have them (some of them are so cool, that they stay on the circuit for continuous play, like the Stacking Tree and the Poseable Bear). As my daughter has grown, I have purchased more, and now that she has a kitchen, we are filling it with Plan Toys play food. I have to say that the Plan Toys play food is so well made and sturdy, and a simple comparison will show that it is a lot nicer than other wooden play food on the market. Product Baby gives everything her own test (as her alter ego Captain Destructo), and there is not even a dent in any of her Plan Toys.
I try to get her as many Developmental Toys as possible to make her think and develop skills. We recently got a Clatter from Plan Toys. It is made of wood and has a rainbow of clatters held together above two little handles. As we have been showing her how to make music to accompany her singing (which she does all day), this is the perfect way to introduce some beat. She likes to start with a quiet clatter and really gets going to a louder funky clatter beat. Even I love playing with it! My husband is currently eyeing the new Big Drum (I might need a vacation to handle that one).

Mamaroots

I love finding wonderful Etsy sellers with unique products. One of my new favorites is Mamaroots. Mamaroots sells wonderfully creative wooden figures, moleskin journals, story dice, etc. She is a mom herself who is inspired by the Waldorf old tradition of toy-making. I was intrigued when I saw her handmade wooden pomegranate. I love pomegranates and really consider them one of the most beautiful fruits. Mamaroots makes her figures from poplar and then finishes them with 100% natural beeswax polish made from local beeswax and organic jojoba oil. We got an adorable pomegranate, a bigfoot figure (my pic does not do them justice), and a moleskin journal. My daughter immediately commandeered the journal to fill with her 2 year old musings (drawings). It is wonderfully made and I feel lucky to have something I can save with my daughter's little creative spurts inside. I was reluctant to give her the pomegranate (I wanted it!), but she loves making me fruit salads and juice. The wooden figures are super creative and so soft and smooth. We love them! Mamaroots is so creative and even has her own children's story book. Check out this Etsy shop for unique and fun gifts.

Jack Rabbit Creations

I love the look and feel of old-school heirloom toys. I find it extremely difficult to find those items at regular shops, so I end up searching the internet. I stumbled on an amazing company I had to share with you. Jack Rabbit Creations is by their own description "a true mom and pop shop." They make amazing toys with original artwork, and not one thing requires batteries or has flashing lights. Trust me, your child can have fun with well made original toys!
We got the Magnetic Farm Truck which is a really cool light blue truck with magnetic farmer and animals. Your child can easily take the pieces out, but when they put them back in, they stay put. It really makes for an easy clean-up experience. I love the vintage look of it. Every toy at Jack Rabbit Creations is like that. They are original, but bring a nostalgic feel. You can also get Magnetic Pirate Ships, Circus Truck, Fire Truck, Covered Wagon, and School bus. You are sure to find something to spark your little one's imagination. Jack Rabbit Creations also have a wide selection of Jack in the Boxes and plush toys. I have to say my favorites are the wooden toys.

I am dying to buy someone the Barnyard Puzzle Pals. It has been a long time since I saw a puzzle like that, and I love that the animals are so chunky that they can be played with on their own, separate from the puzzle, making two toys in one. I love that there are toy makers like this around. If you are the kind of person who gets a headache whenever you walk into a chain store full of holiday shoppers buying plastic toys with flashing lights and talking figures...then Jack Rabbit Creations in the place for you!

The Wooden Wagon

I wrote about The Wooden Wagon when I first started this blog. The Wooden Wagon is one of my favorite online shops. They have a selection of the most unique imported toys I have ever seen. One wonderful line they carry is so beautiful and lovingly handcrafted in Switzerland.
Atelier Fischer is a family business in Switzerland. They offer employment to mentally and physically handicapped so that they can learn a trade and live a happy and productive life. The wooden toys created by Atelier Fischer are difficult to find in the US, but of course The Wooden Wagon has a wonderful selection in stock. We got the Fairy Tale Picture Cube Puzzle which has a different scene painted on each side from Snow White and Seven Dwarfs to Little Red Riding Hood. It comes in a wonderful wooden box, and is a great tool for hand-eye coordination and for storytelling. The puzzle is handcrafted from Maple plywood.

The other Atelier Fischer item we got was the Farm Life Wooden Picture Book which is charming images of Farm Life printed on each page. It is made from polished birch plywood. Because this book is so unique, we make up the story together as we read it.

I love that I can give my child the toys I cherished from travels in Europe...and that I figured I would never be able to get again. The Wooden Wagon also has a large selection of items for adults too, including the Christmas Candelabra and Wendt and Kuehn hand painted figurines. Their selection of Folk Art is really impressive. I secretly want every single Wendt and Kuehn figure for myself! Happy shopping! With choices like these from baby to adult, you can make your holiday shopping that much easier.

Rosie Hippo

Rosie Hippo is the kind of website you go to and literally want every single item you see. The shop is choc full of wonderful wooden and handmade items. They are the kind of toys that your children’s children’s children (well you get the point) will be playing with. Each toy is selected for its unique qualities and abilities to help children learn and imagine. It is a family-owned business with a wonderful mission: “To Make a positive impact on children and the planet.”

We received two wonderful items. The Gnome Home is absolutely the most beautiful toy in our home. Each Gnome Home is unique and handcrafted from a single piece of wood (it is truly amazing). They are made of either fir or cedar and finished with Beeswax. They are made in the USA in Mt. Shasta. From the minute I took the Gnome Home out of the box my daughter was clamoring to play. It fit her little Evi gnome dolls in perfectly. This is an item that your child will not only have forever, but one that you find yourself wanting to play with too (is that so wrong?). I loved watching my little one imagining that gnome babies were going home and sleeping. She actually makes sure they are in there laying down before she goes to bed every night, and it is part of the new routine. It is a simply beautiful handmade gift you will cherish.


The other item we got was a Kathe Kruse Wooden Flower Puzzle . Kathe Kruse is known for German made handmade quality dolls and children’s items. This gorgeous Puzzle is made of linden wood and colored with a watercolor glaze. The Flower puzzle has seven chunky wooden pieces in soft pastels with hand-painted detailing. It comes in its own tray to make it into either a flower, or take the pieces out and your child can stack, sort, count or even make each piece into another object their imagination inspires. It is beautifully made, and very colorful. This puzzle provides my child with hours of enjoyment and is currently being used in conjunction with the Gnome Home to provide furniture for her little friends. Rosie Hippo also carries the Wooden Fish, Bird and Flower Blossom puzzles by Kathe Kruse.

Rosie Hippo is really a one-stop shop for everything you could need for your child, from toys to arts and crafts and even furniture! Shopping is made easy, fun, and most importantly…safe and earth-friendly.

Palumba

Palumba is a fabulous site that sells natural, award-winning USA made wooden toys and Fair Trade Waldorf dolls, non-toxic art supplies from Stockmar, playsilks, and many other products designed to foster creative play and imaginative play in children. They are my one-stop shop for toys that will most certainly become heirlooms, and that do not have characters all over them. I bought my daughter's Maple Wooden Teether from them, and she can now use it as a bracelet.
We also got their wooden bowl and spoon as we learned the harm of eating with plastic. I also love that a family activity of ours, is smoothing on the beeswax to condition and moisturize the wooden products.
Palumba really believes in providing parents, babies and children with all-natural USA made items.

We got a puzzle featuring a watercolor by gardener and artist Betty Sturley. It is beautiful and perfect for telling a story about magical fairies. My child could hardly wait to put it together.


We also have the Cubes. They are made from beech wood and are perfect 1 1/4" cubes. We have 35 count set and we use ours as a counting tool.

Check out palumba.com and shop away for toys that are good for your children. Palumba.com is offering Product Mommy readers a 5% discount until 1/1/10. Just type productmommy in the coupon section at checkout. There is free shipping on orders over $100.

Palumba.com is also giving away a new Camden's Kitchen, and all you need to do is register on the website (drawing is 12/11/09).

Small Town Toys

Small Town Toys is a fabulous Etsy shop with a wide selection of handmade wooden toys that really spark imagination while using a natural product from nature. The toys are made from poplar wood and hand painted. Paint and finish are non-toxic and child friendly. The poplar wood makes them feel light enough for the child, but sturdy enough to be played with everyday. This is a great one-stop shop for some holiday gifts that your child will really love. These are wooden toys with real creativeness. You will find woodland creatures, mermaids, fairies, and even the scenery for your child to create their own magical world. The price range is perfect and I can attest that these are so well made. We have a wizard and one of the cars, and my child reaches for them everyday. I love that they are non-toxic and a nice way to bring a non-plastic toy into the house. I plan on making a few purchases for friends and their children. We have some wooden figures from Europe, and I can honestly say these are more creative, and the colors are so much more vibrant and beautiful. Happy shopping!