I held the mic close to her mouth hanging on to every word.  She was the spokesperson for the Washington Toxics Coalition and she had some important stuff to say. Holding a press packet filled with facts and statistics – she laid out  the important stuff — lots of toys are made from plastic using phthalates — phthalates are  linked to hormone disruption, liver and kidney damage, asthma and cancer.   While she spoke, I kept glancing at the giant rubber ducky on the front of the press packet, it was similar to the one I let my 9 month old chomp and slobber over during bath time the night before.  What kind of mother am I!?!?

That was two years ago when I reported on the new findings regarding phthalates.  Since then I’ve been a bit of a freak when it comes to what products I use on my daughter and what she plays with.  We now have favorites, here are few of them below.  Feel free to add your favorites — the list will continue to grow!

Max's Mud

Certified ORGANIC rice flour by the Oregon Tilth and certified GLUTEN-FREE by the Gluten Intolerance Group , they are the FIRST certified organic & gluten-free kid’s activity product in the WORLD!  Now that’s impressive.

Made from 100% organic rice flour, it is Non-Toxic, Vegan, and free of Gluten, Wheat, Soy, Corn and Fragrance.  The dough is 100% compostable and packaged in a reusable & recyclable container.

HABA Toys

What’s the first thing infants and toddlers do when they get a new toy?  Inspect it — with their mouthes! HABA toys are functional and made from hard wood, stained with non-toxic colors and finished with a protective, saliva-resistant, water based varnish for long lasting protection.

Briarpatch Games

Briarpatch was founded by husband and wife team, John Donofrio and Martine Redman back in 1992. Briarpatch focuses on maintaining an inspiring, fun, and educational product line and is a highly respected leader in the toy industry.

Karito Kids

Meet Lulu from Kenya!  She’s one of several dolls from the Karito Kids line.  Each doll comes from somewhere outside of the United States — Greece, China, Ireland…the list is vast.  Every doll has an interesting story, Lulu for example is a soccer player with her own TV show. Each doll you buy from Karito Kids comes with a special code that is used on the company website.  Once this code is entered your child will be able to cast their vote for one of four charitable projects that will help children in some of the countries you read about.

The project with the most votes will receive a donation from KidsGive, creator of Karito Kids products.  You and your child will be kept up to date on the chosen project via periodic emails.  I love it!!

What are some of your favorite environmentally friendly toys?