Recent toy recalls by trusted manufacturers of some of the brands most loved by our children has put fear in the hearts of most parents this holiday season. The long and growing list of toys found with lead paint, loose magnets small enough to swallow and other hazards (see US Consumer Product Safety Commission Toy Recall list) makes us wonder if in spite of our diligence to clean out known dangers from our children's toy box, tomorrow we'll hear of a new announcement related to something our child is playing with today.
 
How Can We Offer Safe Toys To Our Children?
Fortunately there are natural alternatives to the plastic, often toxic, mass produced toys on the market today. The toys of our parents were not the toys of today. Simple, hand sewn dolls and bears stuffed with natural fibers, unpainted wooden blocks, rope toys, wooden trucks and trains were the norm. But with two career families stressed by long commute times and no end of extra curricular activities like sports practices and just trying to keep the house clean and groceries in the refrigerator, it has become impractical for most of us to find the time to make our own gifts. But what should we look for in natural toys to ensure they are safe for our children?
 
Organic Cotton
Cotton is one of the world's most pesticide intensive crops and cotton farming takes a heavy toll on the environment.  According to Simplelife, cotton is heavily sprayed 8-10 times a season in extreme cases with chemicals so toxic they gradually render fields barren. To create the finished goods, fabrics are often colored with toxic dyes and finished with formaldehyde.  Many children have experienced allergic reactions to clothing or toys due to the harmful dyes, pesticides and other toxins inherent in the production process for conventionally manufactured clothing and fabrics for toys.
 
The National Organic Standards Board definition of organic agriculture is "an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony." While organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water.
 
What does this mean to you and your children? A baby in particular explores her world with her mouth.  A cloth bunny or teething ring that has been manufactured in a way that is toxin free is both intuitively safer as well as much less likely to cause an allergic reaction or potential longer term side effects.
 
Natural Wood
According to Greenpeace, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastic is widely used in children's toys but is one of the most toxic substances found on our planet.  "PVC contaminates humans and the environment throughout its lifecycle: during its production, use and disposal." Greenpeace has been a driving force in working with toy manufacturers to eliminate PVC and toxic additives from their products. Meanwhile if your child is chewing on a PVC plastic toy he is likely ingesting toxic chemicals.
 
Natural wood is a terrific alternative to plastic toys. Unpainted wooden baby toys are a great teething alternative, and for colored toys look for non-toxic dyes. Many wooden toys offer great opportunities for creative play. While they may not have the lights and sounds of their plastic counterparts, there are a myriad of puzzles, stacking toys, cars, arts and crafts, blocks, trains and more that can truly stimulate a child's imagination. 

Ask your retailer to source organic and natural alternatives to mass-produced toxic toys this holiday season.

This article was written by Diane Moura of Atlantis Natural, a woman owned, family run online retailer established in 2002. Their goal is to provide families with high-quality organic and natural products and information to support raising their children in a safer, non-toxic environment. 

Read OTA's Cotton and the Environment Fact Sheet

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