Isn’t it interesting how, when your children are young (and you are naive), you are SO IMPATIENT for them to start walking? I know I’m wishing for something I shouldn’t, but I REALLY want Darah to start walking. She has been crawling for 3 1/2 months, now. Some babies crawl for just a few weeks, and some skip it altogether. Darah seems to be in no hurry to pass by this phase of life. She is a crawling master, and she’s quick as lightning on all fours.

She loves to stand on her own without holding onto anything (sometimes for 30 seconds!). But putting one foot in front of the other doesn’t interest her at all, unless we are holding on to her. With our help, she practically runs.I know the second she starts running all over this house I’ll be begging her to go back to crawling. But for now, I’m eager to see her go from 4 legs to 2!

I’ve been thinking about ways to encourage her to walk on her own, and many moms say that the right toy will do the trick. She already has a push toy she loves to use, but what about a pull toy? We have one, but I have been feeling uncomfortable about letting her use it, because it is made of plastic and it came from a garage sale, so I don’t even know what brand of toy it is (can’t find any indication on the toy, itself). All signs point to it being very cheaply made, which gives me worries about BPA and other questionable chemicals.

I found an online site that specializes in quality toys that you can buy with confidence, and that are built to last. Have you ever heard of Goblin Kids? You should really check it out! Goblin Kids is owned by a wonderful lady named Saza who group up in Europe. She recalls that her toys, growing up, with typically made with wood or soft fabrics, and they lasted through her childhood years as well as her younger brother’s, with ease! When Saza and her husband started their family in the United States, she was very disappointed with the quality of toys she was finding in U.S. stores. After visiting Europe again, she noticed that her friends’ children has those wonderfully made toys, and she decided to bring those products to the United States, to give parents better options. Thus, Goblin Kids was born!

Gaston the lion recently joined our family, and Darah is totally enamored with him. Who can blame her? He is so cute! She enjoys pulling him while she’s standing up, and while she hasn’t walked with him, I know she will very soon. Gaston is made by a French toy company called Vilac, and I’m VERY impressed with the quality of their toys. Darah loves to gnaw on Gaston (sorry, little lion), and the paint isn’t coming off, so far. I also know that they use non-toxic paint, so should it come off, it’s not really a big deal. His mane has been pulled and tugged on repeatedly, and it hasn’t budged. Well done, Vilac! Goblin kids offers many awesome toys from Vilac. A few that are catching my eye include the wooden race car, the toy cell phone and the farm memory game!

Goblin Kids has an outstanding selection of toys that are safe, that encourage creative play and that are built to last. You can shop for toys by age, which is a great feature for first time moms like me who aren’t quite sure what is most appropriate for their babies at different ages! Definitely give this shop a close look when working on your holiday gift list!

Buy it!: You no longer have to cross the Atlantic to find the highest quality toys. Goblin Kids will do it for you! Does your little love need a lion friend? Gaston is available for $28.99 and is worth every penny!

Win it!: Goblin Toys wants to offer one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader a $25 gift certificate to their site. Joy!!! The contest will run until October 10th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me about the best (most durable, most fun, however you define “best”) toy you had growing up, or tell me about the best toy your child owns now.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Goblin Kids on Facebook (they are giving away a $100 gift certificate once they reach 500 fans!)
2. Blogger love: “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to check out my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my main page!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.