Archive for Educational Toys
February 22, 2009 · Filed under Developmental Toys, Eco-friendly toys, Educational Toys, Environmentally Friendly Toys, Fair Trade, Green Gift, Plan Toys, Safe Toys, Safer Toys, Toy Fair New York 2009, Toy Safety, Wooden Toys · Tagged best toys of 2009, Eco-friendly toys, Green Toys, Safe Toys, toy fair new york, toy fair new york '09, Toy Fair New York 2009, Toy Fair New York 2009 Top Toys, Toy Safety
Plan Toys never cease to amaze me with their innovative approach to toys. They prove you can have truly great toys produced with a small carbon footprint. They even manage this at a reasonable price without sacrificing style.
Their new products this year bring an increased emphasis on wise use of environmental resources through play, adding a whole new section to Plan City called Eco Town (seen above). We’re pleased to add all of Eco Town to our toy selection, as well as the full Plan City line, a large portion of which is pictured below on display at Toy Fair New York ’09.
Another of our notable Plan City favorites is the Plan Toys Dino Explorer Set seen here in a Toy Fair New York ’09 candid photo.
Plan Toys get top marks across the board. Their toys are safety-conscious, educationally sound, and environmentally responsible.
Their products are made using non-chemically treated, kiln-dried rubberwood, non-formaldehyde glue, and non-toxic water-based dyes containing no heavy metal elements. They produce 100% of their toys in their own factories to insure quality and safety, and toys meet or exceed ASTM (American) and EN71 (European) toy safety standards.
Plan Toys’ many awards include Parenting Magazine’s Best Toy of the Year, Parent & Child Teacher’s Pick, Germany’s Reddot Design Award, The Belgian Toy of the Year, Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards from Practical Pre-School in the United Kingdom, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio awards, and many, many more.
We can’t wait for their new items to arrive in March, and we’ll be adding them to BitsyBirdie.com as soon as they arrive.
February 19, 2009 · Filed under Developmental Toys, Eco-friendly toys, Educational Toys, Environmentally Friendly Toys, Green Gift, Made from Recycled Materials, Made in Canada and Mexico, Sprig Toys, Toy Fair New York 2009 · Tagged Top Toys at Toy Fair New York 2009
We’re very excited to be adding Sprig Toys to our offerings at Bitsy Birdie this year. Not only are their toys some of the smartest, freshest, and best designed toys on the market, they are also some of the most eco-friendly. Their toys are made from SprigwoodTM – a child-safe, bio-composite material made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic.
Their new Story Blocks set hits a sweet spot for both interactive storytime and independent imaginitive play. Sets will come complete with landscape, building, and character pieces, and are scheduled for release in Fall 2009. We can’t wait for these to come in!
We’re also very excited about the addition of Sprig Eco-Trucks and Sprig Hollow Play Sets. The Eco-Trucks are right-sized for preschoolers little hands and equipped with handles, making them easier and more fun for little ones to use.
The Sprig Hollow Bee and Butterfly’s Farm Set is gorgeous in appeal, form, and function. The characters are adorable, vehicles come apart to form tools, and the sets even come with seed-infused paper flowers that grow into real wildflowers when planted. I would love to eventually see books or animation to compliment this set. We’ll be eagerly awaiting the arrival Bee and Butterfly’s Farm Sets in April.
December 7, 2008 · Filed under Discount, Eco-friendly toys, Educational Toys, Environmentally Friendly Toys, European Toys, Games, Green Christmas, Green Gift, Made in Europe, Made in Germany, Made in the USA, Organic, Organic Apparel, Organic Bath, Organic Children's Apparel, Organic Kids' Clothes, Organic Toys, Safe Toys, Safe Trains, Safer Toys, Stocking Stuffers, the online shopping experience, Toy Safety, Wooden Toys · Tagged coupon, coupons, discount codes, discounts, eco-friedly toys on sale, holiday sale, kids clothing sale, organic toys on sale, sale, special discounts, toy sale
Email “add me” to info@bitsybirdie.com to receive your unique discount code and sign up for email updates. Unique, non-transferrable discount code good for 20% off all non-sale items through 12/29/08.
Visit www.BitsyBirdie.com for the best in innovative, high-quality European and US made toys.
December 1, 2008 · Filed under Discount, Eco-friendly toys, Educational Toys, European Toys, Fair Trade, Fully Recyclable, Games, Green Christmas, Green Gift, Green Holidays, Green Toys, Holgate Toys, Kathe Kruse, Kathe Kruse Dolls, Made in Europe, Made in Germany, Made in the USA, Organic, Organic Apparel, Organic Bath, Organic Children's Apparel, Organic Kids' Clothes, Organic Toys, Plan Toys, Safe Toys, Safer Toys, Stocking Stuffers, the online shopping experience, Toy Safety, Toys Used in Physical Therapy, Wooden Toys · Tagged green toys on sale, haba on sale, holgate toys on sale, kate quinn organics on sale, kathe kruse on sale, organic toys on sale, plan toys on sale, safe toy sale, Safe Toys, safe toys on sale, safer toy sale, Safer Toys, safer toys on sale, under the nile on sale, under the nile toys on sale, weplay on sale, zoo zuds on sale
Stop in and visit our Cyber Monday Sale. Today only. Special pricing ends at midnight. wwww.BitsyBirdie.com
November 21, 2008 · Filed under Eco-friendly toys, Educational Toys, Environmentally Friendly Toys, Fair Trade, Green Christmas, Green Gift, Green Holidays, Plan Toys, Safe Toys, Safe Trains, Safer Toys, Wooden Toys · Tagged 4x4, four-wheel drive car, mountains, palm trees, Plan City road and rail set, Plan Toys road and rail set, tropical mountain play set, tropical mountain train set
The fun Plan Toys Adventure Set sets the scene for a tropical mountain adventure, palm trees and 4×4 included. It’s one of Plan Toys’ most popular new sets this year, and we’ve put it on special sale just in time for the holidays. Don’t miss out – Sale Ends 11/30/08.
Visit us at www.BitsyBirdie.com to see this and other sets from Plan Toys.
November 13, 2008 · Filed under Cool Mom Picks, Developmental Toys, Educational Toys, Holgate Toys, Made in the USA, Press, Safe Toys, Safer Toys, Stocking Stuffers, Wooden Toys · Tagged alphabet, alphabet blocks, baby blocks, building toys, christmas gifts, Holgate Toys Baby Blocks, holiday gifts, Learning Toys, Safe Toys, safer baby toys, Safer Toys, shopping online, stacking toys, Stocking Stuffers, toys with letters, wooden alphabet blocks, wooden baby blocks made in usa, wooden blocks made in usa, Wooden Toys
Our Holgate Toys Baby Blocks have been featured in the 2008 Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide. These gorgeous heirloom quality wooden blocks are made in the USA and thoroughly safety tested.
See them here at www.BitsyBirdie.com.
November 11, 2008 · Filed under Eco-friendly toys, Educational Toys, Environmentally Friendly Toys, Green Christmas, Green Holidays, Plan Toys, Press, Safe Toys, Safer Toys, Wooden Toys · Tagged boys dollhouse, boys dolls, eco toys, eco-friendly, Eco-friendly toys, Green Toys, learning about pulleys, miniature treehouse, miniature working pulley, Plan Toys, Safe Toys, Safer Toys
On “The Natural Wishlist” Kiwi Magazine’s picks for this season’s best eco-friendly toys.
Try as we might to create a world of complete gender neutrality, there are still boys who cringe at the idea of playing with a “dollhouse.” For those little boys and for girls too, there’s the Plan Toys Tree House, a three-story tree house hang-out with a tent at the top and a real working pulley.
Plan Toys gets top marks across the board. Its toys are safety-conscious, educationally sound, and environmentally responsible.
Toy Safety
Plan Toys products are made using non-chemically treated, kiln-dried rubberwood, non-formaldehyde glue, and non-toxic water-based dyes containing no heavy metal elements. It produces 100% of its toys in its own factories to insure quality and safety, and toys meet or exceed ASTM (American) and EN71 (European) toy safety standards.
Designed with Education in Mind
Plan Toys’ many awards include Parenting Magazine’s Best Toy of the Year, Parent & Child Teacher’s Pick, Germany’s Reddot Design Award, The Belgian Toy of the Year, Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards from Practical Pre-School in the United Kingdom, and many, many more.
Environmentally Responsible
Plan Toys is a green company from start to finish. From the wood used, to the manufacturing processes, to the water based and soy inks used on printed materials, it operates with our environment in mind. Integrated use of alternative energy and conservation through reforestation are included in its green approach to business.
To see our full selection of Plan Toys, please visit us at www.BitsyBirdie.com.
November 10, 2008 · Filed under Eco-craft, Eco-friendly toys, Educational Toys, Environmentally Friendly Toys, Free Fun Stuff for Kids, Green Christmas, Green Holidays, Handmade, Made by Hand, Made from Recycled Materials · Tagged craft project, Eco-craft, eco-friendly kids fun, ecocraft, Free Fun Stuff for Kids, free kids' activities, green kids acitivities, make your own toy, make your own toys
It turns out colored cardboard food boxes make pretty cool yo-yo’s. Not quite as elegant as the ones above, but so very fun.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- One brightly colored box at the end of its shelf life in your freezer or pantry (We used an Eggo box, but an Amy’s Organics or Annies’s Bunny Grahams box or similar should work just as well.)
- One corndog stick or similar
- One piece of embroidery floss about 3 feet long
- Hot glue gun and glue (for use by an adult or with adult supervision only)
Here’s how:
1.) Cut the stick to approximately one inch in length.
2.) Cut eight circles from the box – 4 two inches in diameter, 4 one and one half inches in diameter.
3.) Place two of the smaller circles between two of the larger circles and center them. Glue together. Then punch a hole large enough for the stick through the center of the circles. Repeat with the remaining circles.
4) Tie a loop large enough for one finger in one end of the embroidery floss. Then tie the other end around the stick, just loosely enough that it can spin.
5) Place one set of circles over each end of the stick, pushing stick just through so that the circles do not hinder the movement of the string.
6.) Glue ends of stick to circles.
7.) Allow glue to set.
8.) Play.
Visit us at http://bitsybirdie.com or www.bitsybirdie.com.
November 8, 2008 · Filed under Eco-friendly toys, Educational Toys, Environmentally Friendly Toys, Green Christmas, Green Holidays, Holgate Toys, Made in the USA, Plan Toys, Safe Toys, Safe Trains, Safer Toys, Wooden Toys · Tagged 40's, 70's, christmas gifts, eco-friendly, family, finding gifts, fine toys, gift ideas, Green Toys, Holgate Toys Baby Blocks, Holgate Toys Rocky Color Cone, holiday gifts, kids, Plan Toys Airport, retro, Safe Toys, Safer Toys, toy recalls, vintage, Wooden Toys
Since the spate of toy recalls last year there has been a reexamination of the types of toys we give our children. Plastic, painted, battery operated toys are being edged out by new favorites.
Wooden toys durably designed and thoughtfully crafted are making a comeback. Quality is king, and attentive store owners are offering more information about companies, manufacturing processes, and the toys themselves.
Making an especially strong comeback are wooden toys, a hot ticket item this holiday season. Our Plan Toys are very popular, sturdily constructed of eco-friendly wood and materials, always with an eye toward education. The retro styling offers a bit of 70′s flare, and I can’t deny that seeing them starts me reminiscing about my own childhood. My daughters have the Plan Toys Airport, and it has been a consistent favorite since the day we opened the box four months ago.
Another new favorite is our Holgate Toys line. They’ve been producing great wooden toys in the USA since 1929 and have seen a resurgence in popularity following the recalls. The styling of their Baby Blocks and Rocky Color Cone is timeless, and their Handeez wooden cars are ingeniously designed for toddler play. (One of their early designers was Jarvis Rockwell, brother of Norman Rockwell.) These toys are built to last.
Visit us at www.BitsyBirdie.com to see our selection of Plan Toys and Holgate Toys.
October 26, 2008 · Filed under Developmental Toys, Educational Toys, Fully Recyclable, Toys Used in Physical Therapy · Tagged Developmental Toys, Educational Toys, Hand Eye Coordination, Learning Toys, Recyclable, Tai Chi Ball, Toys for Big Kids, Weplay Toys
When I saw these Weplay toys at the spring toy show in Pomona, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. They didn’t disappoint. They are as much fun to play with as they look.
The toy designer was at the show, and I got to speak directly with her. Her enthusiasm for the design of each toy was rivaled by her sheer joy at demonstrating them. As she explained them I realized they were meant for much more than just fun.
Weplay focuses on developing the whole child, the mind as well as the body by incorporating the principles of Tai Chi into their designs. Their developmental value is so great I almost hesitate to call them toys, but they are so much fun to play with, how could I not?
