Showcase: Eco-friendly Toys
By Karyn M. Peterson -- Playthings, 5/13/2008 1:41:00 PM
This week’s Product Showcase features new eco-friendly toys from Blue Orange Games, Cadaco, Ceaco, eeBoo, E-Innovative, High IntenCity, Mrs. Grossman’s and Zen Design Group.
Hide & Seek
In Pengoloo: The South Pole Eggspedition ($29.99), a twist on the memory game for two to six players, kids ages 4 and up try to match the brightly colored eggs hidden under the penguins. The first to collect 6 penguins wins! This all-wooden game which includes 12 penguins, 12 colored eggs, 4 iceberg scoring pads, and 2 colored die. The game’s packaging materials are all recycled, plus the company plants two trees for every one it uses in creating its wooden playing pieces.
Blue Orange Games, San Francisco
www.blueorangegames.com
Food Pyramid?
Enviro-Blox ($4.99 to $14.99) for ages 3 and up, are completely biodegradable building blocks and logs made in the USA from cornstarch. They are free from plastic or oil based materials, and can be fused together instantly once moistened with water. The blocks also can be pulled apart and reused; a zip-top bag is included for easy storage. Another way to eliminate waste—the blocks can be discarded by soaking them in water. They simply disappear!
Cadaco, Chicago
www.cadaco.com
Puzzle Play
New to Ceaco’s puzzle line this year for ages 4 and 11 are the Planet Pals, cheerful eco-friendly characters, licensed from artist Judith Gorgone, who teach kids about the environment. The line includes the Friends For Earth 24-piece floor puzzle (pictured) for ages 3 and up as well as the 100-piece Greenville puzzle for ages 5 and up. Beyond the explicit green message, all puzzles in the line are made from recycled materials and printed with soy inks.
Ceaco, Newton, Mass.
www.ceaco.com
Eco Education
Respect The Earth Flash Cards ($11.95) teach kids ages 3 and up simple ways to reduce, reuse and recycle through sweet, original illustrations of friendly animals and accompanying simple messages, such as “don’t leave plastic on the beach,” “shop at farmer’s markets” and “turn off the lights.” The small family-run company also offers Good Manners flashcards and Good Citizenship flash cards, along with more traditional alphabet cards.
eeBoo, New York
www.eeboo.com
Green Girls
Eco Dolls ($69.99) are a new line of fashion dolls for ages 3 and up that are 80 percent created from cotton and other natural fibers. They have soft bodies and clothing, with the only plastic being used on their heads and hands. Each girl also has an eco-adventure story told in an illustrated book ($12.95), such as blonde Anna, who spends summers exploring glaciers in Alaska, and brunette Tanya, who loves to plant trees as much as she loves to climb them.
E-Innovative Ideas, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
www.ecodolls.com
A Charming Gift
The new Charm It! Go Green Gift Sets aim to build girls’ eco-awareness through strong green messages as well as 100 percent recycled cardboard packaging and an organic cotton box insert. Available charm messages include “Love Earth,” “Green is Good,” and the classic “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.” The pre-made sets also work with the company’s interchangeable charm jewelry program, in which an endless array of charms can be easily added girls’ jewelry.
High IntenCity, Fair Lawn, N.J.
www.highintencity.com
Ideas That Stick
The Stickerific Make Your Own Lunch Box Notes ($3.00) are a line of little sticker/stationary sets, available in four themes. Each set—sports (pictured), love, princess and school—offers 20 notes and more than 70 stickers and phrases. And like all of the company’s products, the sets are created in the USA at an eco-friendly printing plant that recycles all its waste paper, removes ink solids from its wastewater, and reduces electricity usage during critical high-peak times.
Mrs. Grossman’s, Petaluma, Calif.
www.mrsgrossmans.com
Energy Savers
The Dynacar ($24.99) for ages 5 and up is one of the latest additions to the SEE Toys line, which stands for safety, ecology and economy. Each car features a 10-second “engine revving” sound loop plus additional car sounds and bright red headlights and taillights, which are all powered by crank, eliminating the need for disposable batteries. The Dynacar is available in three models; each car also offers free moving wheels for open-ended play.
Zen Design Group, Berkley, Mich.
www.zendesigngroup.com
Retailers: If you see contact a manufacturer, please say you were directed from Playthings.com!
Manufacturers: If you would like to be considered for the Product Showcase, please email product images (out of packaging) and descriptions to karyn.peterson@reedbusiness.com. Please include targeted age range, suggested retail price and date of availability.
