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At ABC Kids Expo 2009: Toys, Books and Art Supplies
DOLLS/TOYS/ACTIVITIES: MIYIM (Organic) Homebase: Brooklyn, NY What gives Miyim organic toys their soft, pastel tones? It's the PureWaterWash process that begins with untreated cotton. The material is colored with all natural plant and mineral dyes then set with several soy-water washes. You can't get more natural than that. You won't find cuter stroller toys than Miyim's Lil' Neighbors either. The plush animal and vegetable motifs can be clipped or hung from a stroller or high chair. There's a squeaker inside each one for lots of fun.
Tel: 718 389-8233 E-mail: Petriehahn@hosungny.com
SKIP HOP Homebase: New York, NY We bought or were given every fancy toy on the market when my daughter was an infant. What really turned her on though, was lying beneath an Activity Gym like this one from Skip Hop: all those swaying, colorful little animals overhead, all those textures to touch; she was in heaven. Founders Ellen and Michael Diamant's version includes a mat with plush textured animals, some that make squeaky sounds, for a full-on multi-sensory experience. (Approximately $30)
Tel: 212 868-9850 E-mail: Sales@skiphop.com
ALLEN AVE. Homebase: Glendale, CA Designer Flavius Covrig knows that if you've got great patterns, you don't need a lot of extraneous detail. His Color Zoo collection of stuffed animals, starts with fabulous limited edition floral prints, circa 1960, and with little more than a couple of dark embroidered eyes here or a fluff of mane there, he's fashioned toys with real personality. Shown Lee the Lion, Bailey the Bear and Ellis the Elephant.
Tel: 800 249-1679 E-mail: Wholesale@allenave.com
GREEN TOYS Homebase: San Francisco, CA Green Toys are safe, environmentally responsible, and made in the USA. Founders Laurie Hyman and Robert von Goeben take the hard edges off classic toys such as the Recycling Truck with a removable recycling bed and open/shut rear door (approximately $12.50), and the 17-piece Tea Set (approximately $12.50), both made of recycled plastic and other earth-friendly materials.
Tel: 415 839-9971 E-mail: Info@greentoys.com
THE PLAYFUL WORLD (Organic) Homebase: Bellingham, WA The Playful World dolls and puppets are hand knit by a fair-trade women's collective in the Andes of Peru. Made from 100 percent organic alpaca fiber the toys, like the Alpaca plush cow ($19.75) and the hand puppets ($10), have old-fashioned naïve charm.
Tel: 866 354-2237 E-mail: Info@theplayfulworld.com
TIME OUT SPOTS Homebase: San Francisco, CA Every kid needs a time out now and then. Heather Sievers' Time Out Spots, the bright round rugs with the Time Out Spot logo, give them a familiar place to sit and chill out. The 27" rugs with non-skid bottoms ($12) come packaged with a matching ribbon and hang tag.
Tel: 714 856-6889 E-mail: Info@timeoutspots.com
BOOKS/LEARNING AIDES: "MADE HERE, BABY!" We know what we don't want for our children: badly made products that can harm their health. Finding safe, American made goods though, can take more research than busy parents have time for. Author Bruce H. Wolk's "Made Here, Baby!" (Amacom, $17.95) is a compendium of over 400 companies based in the USA that produce everything from children's apparel to fitness equipment. In addition to each manufacturer's contact information, there's an "interesting fact" that gives the reader insight into the "why" of the company: what motivates them; what keeps them going.
E-mail: bruce@madeherebaby.com
CHARLEY HARPER BOOKS Homebase: La Vergne, TN For six decades the late Charley Harper produced stunningly colored, elegantly composed illustrations of the natural world. His "Minimal Realism" can be found in "Charley Harper ABC's." Available in either "chunky" or "skinny" versions, the board book features Harper's sophisticated illustrations with captions such as "F is for frog" ($9.95 and $6.95). The publisher offers the "Charley Harper Deluxe Coloring Book" with line drawings to be filled in by a child (the original colored plates are included in the back of the book, $6.95). Adults will want "Charley Harper An Illustrated Life" ($49.95) as well as the artist's "Birds & Words" ($27.95), a collection of his bird studies accompanied by his witty musings. (All prices are retail)
Tel: 866 400-5351
TEACH MY TODDLER Homebase: Vancouver, BC Canada You don't need anything complicated when you're teaching a child the ABC's and 123's. That's why Teach My Baby and Teach My Toddler learning tools are so helpful. The puzzles, board books, posters and flash cards are boldly colored and simply illustrated for easy recognition. Each four-piece all-in-one learning system comes in a plastic briefcase-like tote with a handle for neat storage (Approximately $25).
Tel: 416 488-7076 E-mail: Christy@teach-my.com
ART MATERIALS: ECO-ART Homebase: Los Angeles, CA The ingredients in founder Cammie Weeks' Eco-Art line of paint, play dough, colored pencils and drawing pads read like a natural food's recipe: flour, salt, organic rosemary oil, and extracts of beets, oranges, turmeric and paprika to name a few. The all organic materials in the Eco-Dough not only smell delicious they're safe to eat (although I wouldn't make a snack of it) and the fruit and vegetable bases create deep, rich colorations. ($15 for five 4-ounce jars of the gluten-free paint, $10 for regular). What to paint on? The Eco-Art Pad ($7 for a 15-sheet pad). The "treeless" paper is made from discarded stalks of banana trees or "pinzotes," which would otherwise go to waste.
Tel: 323 352-8115 E-mail: Ecokidsusa@yahoo.com
Originally published September 30, 2009
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