Our recommended Science and Green Toys for 2011

We put a lot of thought into the gifts we give our children. We want toys to encourage creativity and learning and that are made in a sustainable manner and last through the years. Toys that encourage open-ended, creative and fantasy play add a sense of warmth and peace to our home. Toys can either create a sense of love and harmony in your home or the contrary, of anger and mockery. As parents, grandparents and loved ones of children we have the choice of what toys to put in the hands of our children. Children learn from their play and it becomes a part of who they are. I sit and watch my children play for hours with puppets, animal replicas and dolls, music, art supplies and games, books and puzzles.

 Our Recommended Green Toys and Gifts:

Infants
Haba Magica Wooden Baby Toy


We believe it is important that a baby’s first toy for a child is made of soft natural materials. The Haba Magica is a made of colorful beech wood balls, threaded over a sturdy, cloth-covered blue band. All Haba wooden toys are of very high quality and made in Germany.

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All Natural Heirloom Quality Wooden Baby Rattle
Locally, we are lucky to have found a small husband and wife team who make beautiful wooden rattles out of remnant woods. They are hand sanded and finished with all natural beeswax. Read more…








Twilight Turtle
The Twilight Turtle is a baby shower gift we were given before my daughter was born 5 years ago and we still use it every day. It serves as a toy and night light. It is a plush toy turtle with a hard shell that projects star constellations in the dark. Once turned on it will automatically turn off after 45 minutes, after the kids have fallen asleep.Read more…


Holztiger Wooden Animal Toys
My daughter, then my son LOVED to clutch on to our smooth, carved Holztiger rooster. We still have that very loved toy and will pass it on to our next one too. Holztiger animals are made of select European hardwoods finished to a wonderful, smooth feel. They meet the highest quality and safety requirements and are made to last.We have a great selection of Holztiger Animals to add to your collecton…

Tallest Tree Stacking Blocks
Winner of the national park service best product award, these blocks help young minds learn to read, count, and discover the forest animals that live where the redwoods grow. They are easy to store and young kids love to stack them high. They are surprisingly sturdy little boxes and stand up to younger kids play well. Read more…


Toddlers
Heirloom Quality Wooden Kitchen Set
The wooden kitchen and fridge play set handmade locally is BEAUTIFUL. This is the single most played with toy we own. It is heirloom quality and I know it will be passed down for years. The kitchen is made with pine and hardwoods. It is finished with non-toxic linseed oil. There is no paint, no plywood, and no plastic. The kids have endless imaginative play with this kitchen set and it looks gorgeous in their play room.Read more…

Wool Felt Make Believe Table Set
A 20 piece make believe table set includes apron, storage case, menu, chalk, place cards, napkins, place mats and coasters. All pieces are hand felted and embroidered in Nepal. My kids LOVE the little chalkboard menu along with place cards each with a small chalkboard. They wrap the apron on and take on the role of cook/ wait staff for entire family, their dolls and all of their animals. This is another heirloom quality toy that I will keep for years.Read more…

Green Toys
What a pleasure it was to find this line of toys. They make a Tea Set along with a Recycling and Fire Truck and they are ALL recommended for their authenticity and durability. Made of recycled plastic milk jugs in the United States. They contain no Phthalates or BPA. They are also designed without any external coatings, eliminating the fear of lead paint.The authentically styled, durable tea set comes in pastel colors with interchangeable lids for the pot and sugar bowl. The fire truck has interchangeable ladders that go up and down and the recycling truck is designed with different recycling compartments to load up the truck and then dump out at the recycling depot.

Green Toys Fire Truck
With a little imagination, it's not hard to put out 3-alarm blazes. Rescue kittens from treetops. Protect the environment from harm. This is just a typical day in the life of the Green Toys Fire Truck, the world’s greenest emergency vehicle! Kids love to recreate rescues and the hard work of being a firefighter. Read more…

 Green Toys Tea Set
This sturdy little set of colorful tea-time toys is a favorite around our house. Set it in front of kids and soon they are filling it with imagination, and offering you some as well, fresh and steaming from the tea-pot. Simple, fun, and environmentally responsible this set is made from recycled plastic milk jugs and is safe and non-toxic. Read more…

 Green Toys Recycle Truck
What is it about trucks that make little kids gravitate to them? The recycling Truck from Green Toys has everything your little one looks for in a sturdy truck- Giant wheels, great big cab, a lift bed and best of all recycling compartments to load up the truck and dump at the recycling depot (the floor). Read more…




Forest Friends Finger Puppets Set
I absolutely love Folkmanis puppets. They are adorable and realistic. They encourage dramatic and imaginative play. I can’t help but listen in on the kids when they have their set of puppets out and have an elaborate story involving bears and deer and little bunnies and mama rabbit. Both the hand puppets and finger puppets have been a favorite in our shop for over 20 years. Check out the lovable set of forest animals that includes a fawn, black bear, squirrel and rabbit. You will be amazed at what a kid’s hand can do with these realistic nature finger puppets. Read more…




Science
Wind Power Kit
Here's a fun and engaging way to teach kids about one of the most promising sources of clean, renewable energy. Assembling the wind turbine is just the start. Conduct 8 different experiments; you can build wind powered generators to energize your electric vehicles and charge your rechargeable AA batteries (not included). You can then use those wind charged batteries to power the model vehicles you build. See the video demonstration of our kids putting this together and see it in action!Read more…




Perfume Science
Follow your nose on a fragrance journey through the science, history, and art of making perfumes. Experiment with countless fragrance combinations on your way to become a master of perfume. Learn how your nose and olfactory system work with your brain to sense and recognize smells. Play games with your sense of smell and taste. Read about the long history of perfumes and take a peak into the perfume industry today.Read more…


Big Bag of Science
With more than 70 activities this huge collection of science experiments will intrigue your child and teach about chemistry, physics, weather, biology, magnets and more. Make worms, gooey slime, a blizzard of snow, and watch water disappear. Find iron in your breakfast cereal, erupt a 30' soda Geyser, balance six nails on top of one and more! Read more…





Science Wiz Inventions Kit
Designed and written by science education professionals the Electro Wiz inventions kit is our most popular WIZ science book/kit. The kit's clearly illustrated directions allow children to work independently to build a spinning motor, a clicking telegraph, a light flashing generator, and a real radio. The Electro-Wiz Inventions Kit has well written text and Step-by-step 3D directions makes it easy and fun to create projects while learning about the basic science principals behind them. Read more…



Games
With so many games to choose from it is hard to narrow down our recommendations to just a few.
Marble Whacker!
Flip the flippers and send the marble flying down the board! Look out for your opponent, quick reflexes might sneak a marble in and score a goal! A classic design made from quality materials that will last for years and years. This fast-paced and exciting game makes a great gift for kids of all ages, and fun for family game time. Handmade in the Pacific Northwest.Read more…

Name 5
A great party game. Get this game out when you have a big get-together. Kids and adults will love to think of creative answers to questions like "Name 5 reasons a person might fall down" and "Name 5 purple foods."Read more…

Spot It!
There is always one, and only one, matching symbol between any 2 cards in the game. Can you spot it first? This game was a great hit at our family game night. See the video clip to see for yourself how much fun this game is for the young and old alike! Comes with a nice storage tin, also great for travel.Read more…



SET
Flip the flippers and send the marble flying down the board! Look out for your opponent, quick reflexes might sneak a marble in and score a goal! A classic design made from quality materials that will last for years and years. This fast-paced and exciting game makes a great gift for kids of all ages, and fun for family game time. Handmade in the Pacific Northwest.Read more…