Wooden Toys for Kids
This holiday season, parents will flock to stores to buy all types of gifts for their children. We’ve all seen the videos of parents fighting over the hottest new figurine or doll. This year, shirk the plastic type toys and instead invest in some wooden toys.
Wooden toys were the first type of toys kids knew. Dads would whittle a piece of wood to create toys in the shapes of animals, wooden dolls, puppets on strings, and toy cars. Kids would play for hours with these toys. Once the kids outgrew them, they could be passed on to younger kids.
Wooden toys have not lost their luster or durability but they have been passed over for the more colorful plastic types that talk and move. When kids are young, the one thing they have is their imagination. Wooden toys inspire the use of the imagination during play.
Wooden toys are also environmentally friendly. Many are used in their natural wooden state. Paints used on eco friendly toys are non-toxic and safe for kids.
When other toys are broken or the kids get tired of them, they are thrown away. Each year something new will replace the old favorite and they will no longer like it as much. In a landfill, those toys just sit and take up space.
Lots of toys that are thrown away still have their batteries inside. Toys that are filled with substances still contain them when they are disposed of. These chemicals can be released into the ground as the housings break down. This poses a potential hazard.
When wooden toys are broken, they can be fixed. If you know someone good with their hands, they can fix it for you. The point is that you don’t have to throw them away. Wooden toys can be passed down from generation to generation.
They maintain their shape and if scratched, the imperfection can be sanded out. Wooden toys hold together better than modern toys created on an assembly line. Small parts that break off of new toys can choke a young child.
If wooden toys are old and no longer usable, they can be disposed of. Because they are made of natural wood, they can be chopped up and used in compost. Colored wooden toys can’t be used for that, but maybe they can be refurbished and donated to local charitable organizations.
Introduce kids to wooden toys when they are young. Puzzles come in wooden and paper shapes instead of plastic. Most wooden toys have rounded edges so they are safer to play with and handle. Even if they gnaw on wood it won’t hurt them.
Choose wooden toys for the young’uns. They are environmentally friendly, safe for young children, durable, and repairable if they are damaged.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Nautural Dyes for Homemade Play Dough
In an earlier blog I explored different homemade play dough recipes, but I've discovered some GREAT natural coloring ingredients for safe-to-eat (though not very tasty, LOL) play dough for your little one!
A quick reminder of one play dough recipe:
1 cup flour, 3/8 cup salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil...and any of the following natural dyes:
BROWN: 3/8 cup plus one tablespoon hot water and 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
FUCHSIA: 3/8 hot beet juice (you can use the liquid from a can of beets)
ORANGE: 3/8 cup hot water and 1 tablespoon paprika
YELLOW: 3/8 cup hot water and 1 teaspoon turmeric
Make sure you store your play dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator!
A quick reminder of one play dough recipe:
1 cup flour, 3/8 cup salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil...and any of the following natural dyes:
BROWN: 3/8 cup plus one tablespoon hot water and 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
FUCHSIA: 3/8 hot beet juice (you can use the liquid from a can of beets)
ORANGE: 3/8 cup hot water and 1 tablespoon paprika
YELLOW: 3/8 cup hot water and 1 teaspoon turmeric
Make sure you store your play dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Clean GREEN this Holiday for your Little One!
As the holidays approach, we want to make sure that our homes are prepared for visitors and family. It brings to mind the spring cleaning frenzy we participate in once winter is over. Now, we are cleaning out the house to make way for holiday decorations, smells, and warm feelings. Here are a few ideas to use when deciding how you will clean your home this year.
Chemicals used to clean our homes are harming our health and many don’t even know it. The cleaning agents rub out soap scum and degrease grime on the stove but they also give off fumes that hamper our breathing and fill our home with unhealthy things. This year, get back to basics with some natural cleaning alternatives that still do the job.
We underestimate the power of the simple things. If it doesn’t have ten different unpronounceable chemicals on the label, we think it may not be effective. Natural chemicals and stain fighters take a bit more elbow grease but they do work.
Try baking soda for instance. Baking soda can be used as an abrasive to clean the tub and shower. When combined with water, it begins to eat away at the dirt. Use a scrub brush to remove the softened dirt and wash it away.
What about vinegar? Vinegar is an all-purpose cleaner that most people don’t think about using. Vinegar can be used to clean windows, mirrors, other glass surfaces and to unclog the drain.
For windows, clean them with a bucket of hot water. This softens anything on the surface so the vinegar can do its work. Clean the window with some pure white vinegar. Afterwards, wipe dry with some newspaper.
Vinegar in combination with baking soda will unclog the drain. The bubbling action removes hair and other scum from the drain. Pour the baking soda inside the drain using a funnel or other instrument. Slowly pour the vinegar down the drain.
You will hear and smell as the two come in contact with each other. Wait about fifteen minutes and then flush with hot water. Repeat as often as needed to get rid of the clog.
Lemon is a good bleach alternative. Rub half a lemon on discolored grout between ceramic tiles to return it to its natural color. It also works on shower tiles and shower doors. Lemon is added to most household cleaners so why not cut out the chemicals and use pure lemon? Natural cleaning brushes can be purchased to use in conjunction with natural cleaners.
The chemical load of your home will be greatly reduced and the air will be cleaner. Speaking of cleaner air, give up those spray air fresheners in favor of beeswax candles. They provide a pleasant natural scent as they burn. Beeswax candles also trap odors in the air and neutralize them.
Don’t worry stocking up on chemical cleaners to get the house ready for visitors. Use all natural agents instead, most of which are already around the house.
Chemicals used to clean our homes are harming our health and many don’t even know it. The cleaning agents rub out soap scum and degrease grime on the stove but they also give off fumes that hamper our breathing and fill our home with unhealthy things. This year, get back to basics with some natural cleaning alternatives that still do the job.
We underestimate the power of the simple things. If it doesn’t have ten different unpronounceable chemicals on the label, we think it may not be effective. Natural chemicals and stain fighters take a bit more elbow grease but they do work.
Try baking soda for instance. Baking soda can be used as an abrasive to clean the tub and shower. When combined with water, it begins to eat away at the dirt. Use a scrub brush to remove the softened dirt and wash it away.
What about vinegar? Vinegar is an all-purpose cleaner that most people don’t think about using. Vinegar can be used to clean windows, mirrors, other glass surfaces and to unclog the drain.
For windows, clean them with a bucket of hot water. This softens anything on the surface so the vinegar can do its work. Clean the window with some pure white vinegar. Afterwards, wipe dry with some newspaper.
Vinegar in combination with baking soda will unclog the drain. The bubbling action removes hair and other scum from the drain. Pour the baking soda inside the drain using a funnel or other instrument. Slowly pour the vinegar down the drain.
You will hear and smell as the two come in contact with each other. Wait about fifteen minutes and then flush with hot water. Repeat as often as needed to get rid of the clog.
Lemon is a good bleach alternative. Rub half a lemon on discolored grout between ceramic tiles to return it to its natural color. It also works on shower tiles and shower doors. Lemon is added to most household cleaners so why not cut out the chemicals and use pure lemon? Natural cleaning brushes can be purchased to use in conjunction with natural cleaners.
The chemical load of your home will be greatly reduced and the air will be cleaner. Speaking of cleaner air, give up those spray air fresheners in favor of beeswax candles. They provide a pleasant natural scent as they burn. Beeswax candles also trap odors in the air and neutralize them.
Don’t worry stocking up on chemical cleaners to get the house ready for visitors. Use all natural agents instead, most of which are already around the house.
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