Green Options » Plan Toys

Plan Toys at Rosie Hippo

Wenona Napolitano — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:12:15 +0000

Say “bye bye” to toys made of bad plastic and covered in lead paint. Instead reach for the wood- wooden toys that is.

Plan Toys offer superior quality wood toys made with environmentally friendly kiln dried, chemical free, rubberwood. They also use E-Zero glue, water based non-toxic colors, and recycled and recyclable materials. And at Plan Toys they do everything with “green” in mind.

Rosie Hippo shares the “green” passion and sells only ethical, quality, eco-friendly toys for children.

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Bamboo Buyer Beware: Green Decisions Aren’t Always Clear-Cut

Heather Dunham — Sat, 30 May 2009 14:00:25 +0000

We paid a visit recently to one of my favourite toy stores in the whole world, Hot Toads. The physical store itself isn’t all that impressive — it’s a small, concrete-floored basement room in a medical building, with sparsely-stocked wooden shelves, draped with puppets and stuffed toys hanging by clothespins from simple lines strung across the room. The back wall features a working 10-foot long model train table made entirely out of Lego.

But it’s not about the decor — it’s what they carry that makes this place special. Plan Toys. HaPe. Schylling. Plastic toys made from recycled milk jugs. Non-toxic wooden toys. Toys intended to enrich the mind and body of your children, not just feed into consumerism and branding.

And for me, it is a local store, within driving distance, right here in Atlantic Canada. Unfortunately for my American friends reading this, while they do take online orders, Hot Toads only delivers within Canada. Sorry, eh?

One of the many cool items they have is a line of large toy cars called E-Racers, from HaPe’s Bamboo Collection. I had a nice chat with the fellow working there, and learned that apparently these were the first toys to be made from bamboo. I was surprised that, while bamboo has been used for clothes, cutlery and dinnerware, flooring and even wallpaper for some time, the idea of bamboo toys was still relatively new.

He also filled me in on a fact I had previously been unaware of. Of course, bamboo is the new golden child of the eco movement: it grows easily and quickly without pesticides, and is therefore a readily renewable resource with low environmental impact. Bamboo wood is attractive and sturdy, and bamboo cloth is soft and has natural antibacterial properties. As worldwide consumer demand for bamboo has increased dramatically in recent years, some companies have taken to clear-cutting hardwood forests in order to make room for bamboo plantations. And despite bamboo’s rapid growth, difficulty in seed propagation combined with over-harvesting has even threatened some species to near-extinction.

Ugh.

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Wood Toddler Toys from Plan Toys

Tiffany Washko — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:04:42 +0000

Hammer Balls from Plan Toys is a curved wooden box with three colorful balls and a mallet, this toy helps children to improve hand-eye coordination, aligning, slotting and aiming. Pound the balls and watch them roll out one by one. It is now one of my all time favorite toddler toys.

We got Hammer Balls for our 3 year old son as a green Christmas gift and not only does he love it, his older siblings do to! It is just a simple wood block with a lovely curved shape that has three holes in it. You place one or all of the three colorful, wooden balls on it and then you use the hammer to pound the balls through the holes. They roll out from underneath and the fun begins again. The concept is incredibly simple but it is fascinating to most young kids. It is similar to the idea of wack-a-mole but without the violent concept of striking an animal.

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Ambitious Green Great Toys

Sonya — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:15:39 +0000

Fancy a new online store for eco-friendly children’s products? Green product website Ambitious Green calls itself a “fun place to buy great products at the center of today’s environmental issues, concerns, and debates.”

Says Ambitious Green: “We think the environment and education are challenging debates worth having. Every time you make a buying decision you are telling manufacturers and the market what’s important to you. We share the same frustrations you do - finding products that are natural, functional, friendly and fun. We believe that what’s good for you can be good for the planet.”

Here are a few of the latest toys at Ambitious Green:

Dancing Alligator, $19.99 (shown above) “This award-winning, wooden alligator pull toy struts his stuff as he wiggles, bobs and click-clacks along.” These toys are made in Thailand by Plan Toys, a green company that emphasizes socially responsible manufacturing. It’s green because it’s made of organic rubberwood, non-formaldehyde E-Zero Glue, water-based dye, recycled and recyclable material and soy ink and water-based ink.

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Ahoy Matey! Wooden Pirate Ship Fun!

Jennifer Lance — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:12:00 +0000

Another great toy by Plan Toys, the wooden Pirate Ship is made of natural rubber wood and comes with a multitude of accessories. Offered by Magic Cabin, the Pirate Ship is made in Thailand and comes with:
A wooden pirate figure
Four crew members
Two ladders
Two cannons
Anchor
Barrel
Treasure chest
Small rowboat
Plank
Crow’s nest
Felt sail

My son received the Pirate Ship for Easter two years ago. This natural toy is still a favorite and great for the imagination. Our Pirate Ship did not come with the bottom of the treasure chest (just the lid), and the mast is broken. The mast can be repaired by purchasing a new dowel and attaching the sail and crow’s nest, but even without the mast, my children enjoy playing with the Pirate Ship

Plan Toys Crane Set

Jennifer Lance — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:28:00 +0000

My son received the Plan Toys Crane Setfor his third birthday. This toy is aesthetically pleasing and made of salvage rubber wood. All paint colors are derived from vegetable dyes. The Plan Toys Crane Setcomes in three pieces, which snap together. Our set was very difficult to assemble, and we eventually took a rubber mallet to pound it together. In the process, some parts broke off, which we used wood glue to fix. That is the nice thing about wooden toys…..wood glue can fix almost anything. I did read a review of the Plan Toys Crane Set, in which a family had quite the opposite experience assembling their crane set. Their set went together too easily, and thus fell apart often. Our Plan Toys Crane Sethas never fallen apart.

The Plan Toys Crane Setcomes with a construction sign, a street sign, a cement mixer, two workers, etc. The Plan Toys Crane Setpivots around and picks up small items. Plan Toys offer many smaller toys that make wonderful additions to the Plan Toys Crane Set

Plan Toys is currently my favorite toy company! They are a socially responsible company that makes beautiful wooden toys. Their prices are more expensive than plastic toys, but their prices is lower than many other wooden toy companies. We will be reviewing many Plan Toys in the coming weeks, thanks to our recent birthday celebrations.

Only 2 days left to leave a comment and enter our monthly drawing for a hemp Eco Child’s Play bag.

Natural, Rubber Wood Toys by Plan Toys

Jennifer Lance — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:18:00 +0000

Children today are bombarded with plastic, limiting toys that do not expand their imaginations or aid their development. Not only can plastic toys be harmful to children’s health, but the production of plastic toys further increases our dependence upon petroleum and leaves a greater carbon footprint than natural, wooden toys. There are many companies that produce wooden toys; however, not all of these companies provide information about the kind of wood they use or their sustainability practices. In addition, many of these companies manufacture their toys in China, where constant monitoring is required to ensure dangerous substances, such as lead, do not accidentally enter into production, such as the recent recall of Thomas the Tank Engine wooden railway toys exemplifies. Plan Toys is a company you can trust!

Plan Toys uses chemical-free rubber wood to produce their toys. These trees are at least 25 years old, and thus have stopped producing latex. Rubber wood farmers traditionally fell these trees and burn them to produce charcoal, in order to clear the land for replanting. Plan Toys increases the value of these trees by using them to produce their beautiful line of wooden toys. The wood is kiln-dried to avoid bacteria and pest infestation, thus making the rubber wood naturally preservative free and safe for children. All paints are non-toxic, the glue used is latex-based, and all corners are rounded for safety; however, some toys do contain plywood. Plan Toys insures that their “plywood complies with E1 standards, thus ensuring emissions of urea formaldehyde at levels below those acceptable to the World Health Organization (WHO)”. All packaging materials are recyclable and do not contain PVC.

To read more, please visit Green Options: Green Family Values: Natural, Wooden Toys by Plan Toys.

Don’t forget, only four more days to leave a comment and enter our monthly drawing for a hemp Eco Child’s Play bag!

Green Family Values: Natural, Wooden Toys by Plan Toys

Jennifer Lance — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:51:00 +0000

Children today are bombarded with plastic, limiting toys that do not expand their imagination or aid their development. Not only can plastic toys be harmful to children's health, but the production of plastic toys further increases our dependence upon petroleum and leaves a greater carbon footprint than natural, wooden toys. There are many companies that produce wooden toys; however, not all of these companies provide information about the kind of wood they use or their sustainability practices. In addition, many of these companies manufacture their toys in China, where constant monitoring is required to ensure dangerous substances, such as lead, do not accidentally enter into production, such as the recent recall of Thomas the Tank Engine wooden railway toys exemplifies. Plan Toys is a company you can trust!

Plan Toys motto is "Fundamentally Strong. It's fun to learn", as the company recognizes that children learn and develop cognitively, emotionally, and intelligently through play. Truly educational toys don't require children to press a button, require batteries, or read to your child with a computerized voice. Educational toys are open-ended and allow children to use their imagination in play. Natural, wooden toys, such as those made by Plan Toys, are perfect for children's development.

Rubber Wood: Photo Courtesy of Plan ToysPlan Toys uses chemical-free rubber wood to produce their toys. These trees are at least 25 years old, and thus have stopped producing latex. Rubber wood farmers traditionally fell these trees and burn them to produce charcoal, in order to clear the land for replanting. Plan Toys increases the value of these trees by using them to produce their beautiful line of wooden toys. The rubber wood is kiln-dried to avoid bacteria and pest infestation, thus making it naturally preservative free and safe for children. All paints are non-toxic, the glue used is latex-based, and all corners are rounded for safety; however, some toys do contain plywood. Plan Toys insures that their "plywood complies with E1 standards, thus ensuring emissions of urea formaldehyde at levels below those acceptable to the World Health Organization (WHO)". All packaging materials are recyclable and do not contain PVC.

Plan Toys Tractor and TrailerOur family has several Plan Toys wooden vehicles, and I have purchased many of these toys for my preschool program. Both my daughter and son play with these daily, and I feel good that they are playing with safe toys. The toys are durable, and unlike other wooden toys we own, I have never had to repair our Plan Toys. They are often spontaneously combined with other toys to create complex pretend situations. I highly recommend Plan Toys products and steer family members to this company at birthday time.

For 20 years, Plan Toys has been making quality wooden toys for children, in a socially responsible manner. They are manufactured in Thailand, so parents do not have to worry about the potential negative consequences of purchasing Chinese toys. In addition, Plan Toys provides a healthy, safe working environment for its employees. Parents can purchase Plan Toys with a clear, green conscious.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Jennifer Lance — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 15:41:00 +0000

In follow up to the Magic Cabin Mini Kitchen post, it was suggested by Jeremiah McNichols of Z Recs that I review other dramatic play kitchen items that are less expensive. Our cabin is small, and we do not have room for a separate play kitchen. By purchasing a few natural toy kitchen items for pretend play, we have been able to foster our children’s natural instinct to cook and prepare meals. Many of Melissa and Doug’s play food comes with pieces that are attached with velcro. Children can use the wooden knives to cut apart the food, and the velcro allows them to reassemble the food into different meals. The only drawback is that the velcro will get plugged with dog hair, fuzz, etc., and the pieces will not hold together very well. We have had our slicing food set 4 years, before we noticed this problem. It is possible to clean out the velcro, and then the toy is as good as new. It is very easy to extend kitchen play into a restaurant theme by creating a menu. This is a favorite activity at our preschool. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a play kitchen in order for your child to enjoy dramatic food play. For more great pretend play food items, please visit ecochildsplay online store, in which we have hand-selected items from Amazon.com.

Wooden Bulldozers, Trucks, Backhoes, etc.

Jennifer Lance — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 17:54:00 +0000

Boys and girls alike love to play with heavy equipment toys. When I was a child, these toys were made mostly of metal, and you still see them around today rusting in second hand stores. Today, these same companies make bulldozers, backhoes, etc. out of plastic. Once again, I went in search of quality, wooden versions of these toys for my children and preschool classroom. Plan toys makes a nice version of a wooden bulldozer that comes with a wooden worker doll complete with a hard hat. The Guidecraft/Cito version is more expensive, but larger. It comes with a very basic wooden peg worker. Both toys are well made and durable. My favorite Cito vehicle is the log truck, and my favorite Plan Toys vehicle is the forklift. Between my home and preschool classroom, I have seen all of these vehicles in action.