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It's a given that just about anything you give your child will be chewed on. That said, whatever you give your offspring is also chewed upon as a template for future awareness and behavior. Toys can be fun, educational, healthy, and inspiring. Sounds like it's playtime over at Planet Green's "How to Go Green: Kids' Toys."
Top Tips for Greening Your Kids' Toys
It Starts at the Store: The toys your choose can be used, organic, PVC-free, non-toxic, built to last, recycled, recyclable, and whole host of other green characteristics. The idea is to not bring home anything that isn't earth-friendly, kid-friendly, low impact, and fun.
Think Inside the Box: It's become clichéd stand-up material that children often eschew the pricey toy for the box it came in. With this enduring truth in mind, don't be so quick to recycle that packaging. A box can survive longer than most trendy toys as a tool of imagination, an arts and crafts prop, or—if big enough—a secret clubhouse.
Think Outside the House: What's more fun than playing tag or hide-and-seek or watching ants at work or creating a tiny garden or running alongside a canine companion or…well, you get the idea? Our society offers ample opportunity for humans of any age to be indoors, sitting still, staring at a screen of some sort. As the song goes: teach your children well.
Did You Know?
- Americans purchase 5 billion batteries each year
- Those 5 billion batteries leave behind 146,000 tons of battery waste each year
- The number of phthalate plasticizers banned from children’s toys by the European Union in 1999: 6 (this legislation became mandatory in 2006)
For more on Toy Tips check out Planet Green's Guide, "How to Go Green: Kids' Toys." For more on Going Green, check out the Planet Green How to Go Green Archives.
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