Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub, Eco-Friendly Toys in the Tub! Sprig Toys Review

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Today I want to introduce you to a fabulous toy company based right here in the USA! It’s called Sprig Toys and they make eco-friendly and fun toys that are built to last and that inspire creative play. I really love the story of how this company got started. It is the brain child of 3 toy designers who had been having fantastic success with their toy designs. But when they toured the plants where their ideas were being turned into toys, they realized that what they had created was having very harmful effects on the environment surrounding the plant. This was such a shock to them, and they decided to change the way they were designing toys altogether! I am always impressed when someone sees a real problem with something (even if it is working in terms of profits being made) and decides to do something about it!

Sprig Toys currently offers four different groupings of toys, including the following:

Adventure Series: a world full of vehicles, characters, and animals to take your child on a fun filled expedition on both land and water!

Sprig Hollow: a cast of wacky bee and butterfly characters on adventures in the sand, garden, or pool. Includes playsets, vehicles, and outdoor tools all in one!

Eco-Trucks: include a loader and a dump truck for playing in the sand!

Storybuilders: classic tales of princesses and working hard on Old Mac’s Farm. These playsets allow children to build fast and tell their own stories. Our Storybulding classics books are great on the go, a complete building playset and classic storybook all in one!

We have been playing with the Dolphin Explorer Boat  from the Adventure Series, and it is a HUGE hit, especially at bath time! I have absolutely no worries about harming the toys by having them in the tub, because they are made from a product this company calls Sprigwood. It’s a bio-composite material made from bits of reclaimed wood and recycled plastic. It is completely safe for children. It also gets pigmented during the production process, so the toys, themselves have not been painted with anything. Having your child play with these toys, get them wet, and even chew on them will give no cause for concern! I can also tell that these toys are going to hold up well to repeated exposure to water and rough play (Darah is a site in the bathtub…she plays so hard in there!). As her other toys bend and break, Sprig toys are going to hang tight with her, likely until she outgrows them!

Overall, we are extremely impressed with Sprig Toys and would highly recommend them to anyone. The set we reviewed retails for $24.99 and can be purchased here or you can find your nearest retailer here.

Want to keep up with the latest and greatest at Sprig Toys? Follow them on Facebook and Twitterand stay in the know about new products and promotions!

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

Green Toys Fire Truck Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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When we were expecting Darah, I had many parents warn us that our home was about to become a plastic jungle, at least for the next 10 years. Tim and I REALLY didn’t want to see that happen. We didn’t want our house to be overrun with toys at all (um, yeah, totally FAILED that one), and we also didn’t want plastic junk everywhere made with questionable chemicals and that would easily break and have to be pitched.

 

So it may seem a little strange that I’m featuring a plastic fire trucktoday as an excellent toy of choice for your little. But this isn’t just any old plastic fire truck! It’s from Green Toys, and it is made entirely out of recycled plastic! milk containers! Even the packaging it comes in is made entirely of recycled and recyclable materials. It is the world’s greenest emergency vehicle!

It’s also SO much fun! Darah is a HUGE fan of fire trucks, always on the lookout for them when she takes a ride in the car, and always listening out for their sirens. We live a few blocks away from a big fire station, so she gets to hear those sirens at least once a day, much to her delight. Her Green Toys fire truck rarely even gets put away. It seems to now live in our hallway, which is the best place for “driving.” Her smaller stuffed animals and figurines are also getting extra play time, as they will fit on top of the fire truck, much to Darah’s delight.

I have given the truck a thorough inspection, and I am very impressed with the quality. It really looks as though it was built to endure many hours of play from children who love their toys, but aren’t necessarily the best at taking care of them, yet. I expect that our fire truck will endure quite a bit of rough-housing with Darah, but will still be in fine shape for the next child, or even for Darah’s kids later on. It’s definitely a winner!

Green Toys has an excellent line of eco-friendly toys, all made from recycled materials, and also all free from lights, batteries and other annoying things that play for your child, instead of encouraging imaginative play. The price points for the toys are a bit higher than their non-recycled plastic counterparts from other brands, but these are toys that are built to last generations, instead of having planned obsolescence, so I think they are worth it! The fire truck I reviewed retails for $27.99

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Green Toys Fire Truck! The contest will run until September 4th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to 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 one other Green Toys product that would be welcome in your home!

My answer: The school bus!

Additional entries:

1. Sponsor love: Like Green Toys on Facebook

2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my blog.

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

Ebeanstalk: My Thoughts On This Online Shopping Destination for Kids

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I was recently asked to check out Ebeanstalk.com and see what I thought about this resource for children’s toys that are high quality, educational and fun.

In short, I’m really impressed! Toys are categorized and featured in ways that resonate with me. Recommendations are sorted by age, which I really appreciate. I’m not as keen on the “boy” and “girl” designation for toys, but that’s another post altogether.

You can also get detailed information about exactly why a particular toy is recommended by their experts. This can help you make wise decisions about which toys might be best suited to meet the developing needs of your child. I know I’ve mistakenly bought things for Darah that were too advanced for her in the past, and Ebeanstalk helps you avoid making those mistakes (or the mistake of buying something that works on skills your child may have already mastered!).

We know several tots who will be turning 3 this year, so the list of toys for 3 year olds will be really helpful. I’ve also spent a bit of time reviewing their list of birthday gifts for 2 year olds, since Darah just turned 2. I’m really loving the learn to dress monkey. Darah LOVES practicing putting her clothes on (I found the poor child laying on the ground last week after falling over because she had both legs in one leg hole of her shorts!). This toy would be so great at helping her start to practice buttoning and unbuttoning, which she would certainly love!

Perhaps the thing I liked the very most about Ebeanstalk is their Grow and Learn series. This is an absolutely outstanding gift idea for grandparents, I think. When you purchase one of these series, the child will be sent a developmentally appropriate toy every 3 months for the entire  year. Isn’t that a smart idea?! The prices vary depending on which package you are purchasing. I appreciate that they have different options for each age and each budget. If you don’t check out anything else, definitely give this a glance; I think you’ll be really impressed!

From remote control toys to beloved children’s books, Ebeanstalk.com’s selection of quality toys for children is impressive, indeed. I would feel very confident with my purchases when shopping there!

Disclosure: I received a gift card to Ebeanstalk.com in exchange for my honest opinions, which I have provided.