Green Up the Toy Issue
Toys are tricky. On one hand toys can be imaginative and useful learning and developmental tools for kids - not to mention all kids need some fun. On the other hand toys can be toxic, bad for the environment, cause health issues, and contribute to an overall major consumerism attitude.
Here are some ideas.
Buy natural, non-toxic, Fair Trade toys: We don’t do this 100% (Cedar loves Legos) but the more you can do this, the better for the environment and your child’s health.
Limit sets: One large problem seems to be sets. At least in my experience. Kids don’t just collect one set of toys; they collect Barbie, My Little Pony, Littlest Pet Shop, Little People and more all at once. Of course kids tastes change, so this is a tricky issue, however, you can say, “No more sets!” especially if it’s clear that your child has fun with the sets he or she has. Example. Cedar loves Legos, Cedar loves K’NEX, Cedar loves magnet building sets, and usually some other sets too. It’s a little much. What we did was ask people to quit buying him sets. If he gets a new add-on set, it’s always Legos, because time and time again he takes out his Legos over other sets. We don’t ban sets completely but he can’t have huge collections of all sorts of sets. One major set collection is enough for any child.
Buy used or join a toy trading group: There’s nothing wrong with used toys and they cost less. Just make sure there hasn’t been a recall.
Encourage active outdoor play: This will solve more than the toy issue. It’ll limit obesity in youth, health issues like diabetes, and more. Not to mention, it will help your child to appreciate the outdoors. Get out there with your child too. Buy, build, or otherwise locate toys that help to encourage fun outdoor time - a Frisbee, trike, sandbox, tire swing, balls, chalk, and more can help your child to be more active.
Encourage creative play: Kids still love playing with boxes, sand, and dressing up in your old clothes just as much as kids in the past did; we miss it, because kids don’t have to play with this stuff. But they should. Tents with blankets, pretend plays, dancing, and more are fun for kids.
Frown on toy overload: Cedar has so many toys it’s insane. I hate it. He doesn’t get them from us, he gets them from relatives. We’ve been going through them and giving many away. We continually talk with the relatives about limiting toys , because he doesn’t need all of them, and honestly doesn’t even use them, and it’s finally (seven years later) starting to sink in, but it’s been a HUGE battle.
As a baby, we could give things away before Cedar ever saw them, now that’s tough. Since, “Please don’t buy him more than one gift per holiday” doesn’t work, Cedar’s dad and I have changed tactics to saying things like:
- “Holy smokes, does Cedar ever LOVE art supplies.”
- “He told me he wanted this new book… “
- “He’d like this game (name game).”
We offer ideas like the ones above in hope that relatives will not buy him yet another useless plastic toy - it works about half the time.
Whatever happened to games?: Play games. Games are good. Games last. Games equal togetherness which is better than solo play. Also, in my experience, games encourage less of a need for other sorts of toys. You can play games that require no purchase, like hide & go seek, treasure hunt, or guessing games, or you can play bought games. Cedar and I play at least four plus games per day on a normal day, usually more. The best part is I like games; I do not like playing with little cars or Batman figures.
For some healthy toy shop options visit the National Green Pages.
You can also enter to win some green toys right here at Tree Hugging Family.
[image via stock.xchng]
Tags: , creative play, games for kids, green-toys, less toys, outdoor play, parenting, pretend play, ToysRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Consumer Choice, Toys
2 opinions for Green Up the Toy Issue
Julie F
May 10, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Our kids have way too many toys. I’ve given away bags full on Freecycle and the local thrift store. We buy a lot of toys from the thrift store, too, so imagine how annying it was when I accidentally repurchased one I had given away!
One thing we did this year for the kids was repurpose an old inflatable pool. This year it is a sandbox so the little holes on the bottom do not matter!
Another thing we do, I forgot to mention before in the plastic bags discussion…is to make easy-fly kites for the little ones. We use the re-useable cloth bags now, but my inlaws still bring plastic ones in. So they are repurposed and this one is the kids favorite re-use. Old string (i do not knit so i use yarn a lot for this) to tie the handles together, put a loop at the other end so you’re not putting another bag in the eco system, slip it on the little one’s wrist, then let’em fly it on a breezy day.
My disabled daughter loves it and it’s pretty much free.
Jennifer
May 11, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I know, it’s like you can never get rid of enough! Using that old pool for a sand box is cool. I’ve never heard of a plastic bag kite. Cedar wants to make a kite, I always say we will, but never get around to it. I know we must have an old plastic bag around here somewhere. And old yarn.
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