Give the Gift of Safer Toys this Holiday Season

It seems now that just about every other day there’s a new recall of toys, most of which are mass produced in China. Invariably they end up being a popular plastic toy contaminated with lead or who-knows-what-else. Although it’s difficult in this age of imports and outsourcing, you can find quality toys from the US or Europe that not only are unlikely to be tainted with anything, but are higher quality, to boot.

  One of our favorite online retailers is Oompa Toys, which carries a variety of really neat toys most of which are made or designed in Europe. They even have a list on their site of where each manufacturer’s toys are made, and each toy listing shows the place of manufacture. Some of the toys they sell are made in the China and other countries in Asia, but since European safety standards are much higher than American ones, they’re less likely to be hazardous. An added bonus is that many of the toys are made of wood or other natural materials, unlike the plastic junk that will soon by cluttering up a landfill near you. Some of our favorite toys sold by them (all European-made) include the Ball Track Roll 'N Roll 'N Roll from Haba, 100% organic cotton stuffed toys from Kallisto, the Haba Pushing Car, and the really cool Ghost Tower and Knight’s Castle block set. Oompa offers free shipping on many of these items.

Another site offering not just the usual imported plastic junk is Back to Basics Toys. They’ve got a whole section listing toys made in the Europe and North America, including a wonderful wooden play garage perfectly suited for Hot Wheels cars, a pedal-powered ride-on Caterpillar front loader and backhoe made in Germany, and old favorites that you probably played with as a kid like Colorforms.

Of course, the best thing of all is that shopping online for unique toys spares you from the Christmas shopping insanity and allows you to spend more "quality time" with your family this holiday season.