Non-toxic baby toys: why is it important, what to avoid, what to look for, and how to balance it all!
I have been a mother for more than a year, and one of my favorite things to play this role is to watch Skylar play and interact with the world around her. Everything they say about seeing everything through the eyes of a child is completely true!
It is important for us to pay attention to what Skylar is playing.Like many other things I’ve discussed on the site before (like Art Supplies,one of them! ), from a health and safety point of view, toys are worth digging deeper.
As always, moderation is key. Do not, I don’t think you need to throw away all the toys in the house. Yes it is, We do have plastic toys-not all toys we have are perfect. Nonetheless, taking a step back and thinking about the products we take home will never do any harm…especially products that our children often touch (and put them in their mouths!)
why Non-toxic baby toys is important
Let’s start with some thoughtful thinking…
Children-especially babies! — Put one a lot of More than food enters their mouths. If you have been with babies or toddlers for a while, you will know this very well.according to Health hotlineThere are several reasons why babies put everything in their mouths.
- They use their lips and mouths to explore the world.
- Their taste buds are developing and they are always looking for snacks.
- They are teething.
- They are comforting themselves.
- They are building their own immune system.
Just as we are observing our children to make sure they don’t choke when stuffing their mouths, we also need to observe what Those things are. Are they safe? What kind of damage are known to cause them?
For adults, many of us may have locked down clearly toxic and unsafe products to avoid this. I guess you started doing this when the baby moved!
But here’s the thing: toxins are lurking in other items too—not just the obvious toxins that are the first on your list to be locked behind cabinet doors or placed on high shelves.In fact, even some products are actually on purpose Babies and children are not completely safe. You may be wondering why these things are not regulated…Me too. It’s so frustrating! However, we can understand the situation where possible and make the right choice for our family!
Today, I am talking about toys.
Why safe baby toys are important
Unfortunately, many common toy brands are made with toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Here are some common culprits used in the industry that you should avoid as much as possible:
- Bisphenol BPA + BPS
- formaldehyde
- PVC
- Lead and other heavy metals
- Volatile Organic Compound
- pesticide
I know this sounds a little scary, but please don’t panic!
Let us all take a deep breath and think about this together.
First of all, I want to make it clear-as I mentioned above, we do There are some plastic toys in our house. Skylar’s toy box is far from perfect. And I don’t want your house to have only toys that are guaranteed to be non-toxic. We all just do our best!
No one is perfect, and this article is not meant to make you think you should be. Instead, I want to talk about the ways we can become more conscious when shopping for special children in life. (Like I was in This post about cleaning art supplies! )
Do you feel better? Ok. Let’s go on.
I’m sure you don’t have to look for any of the specific chemicals listed above when buying toys. In addition, unlike food manufacturers, toy manufacturers do not need to list the ingredients they use on any type of label. The industry is highly unregulated. If you haven’t encountered this information before, please don’t feel stupid!
The best way is to pay attention to whether the toy you are considering buying contains signs of chemicals or heavy metals.
Here are some things to be aware of and avoid:
- plastic. If possible, avoid using plastic toys, especially cheap disposable toys. Toys made from recycled milk cans or bioplastics are an exception.
- Polyurethane foam. Toys made of this material almost always contain flame-retardant chemicals.
- smell. If the toy smells like plastic, it is probably made of PVC/vinyl which is known to cause cancer. If it smells fruity, it may contain phthalates, which have been shown to disrupt the endocrine system.
- “BPA free.” The label on the toy may not be obvious to you at a glance. The toy may still contain chemicals very similar to BPA, causing similar problems in the endocrine system.
If you buy toys online, you can do some research. Hey, if you can, why not support the local toy store and pick it yourself? In this way, you can pay attention to these red flags and buy accordingly!
Our favorite brand of non-toxic baby toys
If you can’t shop in person — or you are just looking for some safety brand that you feel good about — here are some of my favorites! This is by no means an exhaustive list, but a list of companies that make safer toys that my team and I love!
You may already know this from my Instagram, but I am a big fan of it personally This subscription box from Lovevery. All toys provided in the box are made of sustainably sourced wood and 100% organic cotton, meeting or exceeding global safety standards. The company even guarantees carbon-neutral transportation, which is a great benefit. We have received their boxes since the 1st box (1st month), and continue to buy and love them!
- Natural wooden toys (a bonus item for sustainable procurement!)
- Soft cloth and plush toys, preferably organic, free of pesticides and toxic dyes
- Items finished with water-based non-toxic paints and dyes
- Low or no VOC paint finish
- natural rubber
How to navigate to receive potentially unsafe toys As a gift
One of the most challenging things about sticking to non-toxic baby toys is that when it comes to children, there are usually many gifts involved. Your friends and family love your baby and want to show it and sometimes give gifts. They are super generous!
However, in addition to generosity, I know that when you do your best to realize that the product enters your home, accepting gifts of toys that may be unsafe can be frustrating. Here are some ideas that my team members and I used to manage this dangerous situation, you can consider trying it…
- Let’s start with the obvious. You can make your child a child and enjoy these toys, even though they may not be necessary for you to buy.
- Next time your child’s birthday or other special occasions, you can ask for books, and even ask relatives to donate in your child’s name instead of gifts! If no toys enter your house, you have solved the problem of potentially toxic toys in advance.
- If your baby or toddler has received toys that you are not sure 100% safe, you can put them away so that you can introduce them later so you don’t have to worry about them putting things in their mouths.
- Specify toys when you can observe your children very carefully to make sure they do not put toys in their mouths and you can play together. This will also make these toys feel special!
As I mentioned before, no one is perfect! Of course I am not. Like all other parents, I just want to make the best decision for my baby and my entire family!For me, reducing toxin exposure—especially because it surrounds us in ways that we cannot always control—is always It will be a net positive, especially for children!
It will be much easier to do this when you have more information at your fingertips-I hope you feel like you have it after reading this article. Happy game time!
If you like this article, please check out some of our other non-toxic guides:
