Isabella’s Toy Box – How To Choose Safe Non-Toxic Toys
Having taken all of Isabella’s toys away once before because they were made from plastics with BPA and phthalates or had PVC in them, I’m pretty careful when it comes to new purchases. When choosing safe toys for Isabella, I’m looking for them to be made from the following:
Natural rubber:
I’m in love with natural rubber almost as much as Isabella. I love how it doesn’t leach chemicals and she loves the soft, grippy, squeaky, rubbery feel. Such a winner.
Organic natural fibres:
Unfortunately we don’t know which textiles contain chemicals and which don’t unless we buy organic natural fibres. For dolls and teethers, organic cotton/hemp is a beautiful, safe option.
Silicone:
A great, safe material for teethers.
Safe plastic:
No BPA, phthalates, lead or PVC.
Wood:
Maple, walnut, poplar, ash, beech and birch can all create gorgeous, safe toys. Some woods naturally contain harmful toxins, so just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s always safe!
With bath toys, not only is material important, but it’s also crucial for safety that the toy doesn’t have any holes in it which squirt water or make the toy squeak. These create a hidden mould trap which is impossible to dry out.
So here are our favourite non-toxic toys:
Natural Rubber:
Hevea star ball:
Easy to grip and can be rolled or squished. Isabella loves it. I also think it looks just gorgeous!
Hevea Kawan teether:
Natural rubber coloured with natural vegetable dyes. This is deceptively soft as it’s actually hollow. Isabella loves biting it firmly and really twisting it. A big favourite!
Hevea Planet is a Danish company which produces the most beautiful products. I bought Isabella’s toys and bath mat from them online at www.heveaplanet.com . With a big enough purchase, postage is free!
Sophie the giraffe:
Every baby loves Sophie, from the feel of the rubber and sound of her squeak, to her nipple shaped face which is perfect for sucking. Care has to be taken when cleaning Sophie because of the hole where she squeaks. Sophie mustn’t be immersed in water and only wiped clean with a cloth, otherwise mould can grow inside.
Sophie the giraffe teether:
When having one Sophie isn’t enough. This is great for young babies learning to grip. Isabella loves it.
These are so popular, almost every toy shop stocks the Sophie toys.
Organic natural fibres:
Under the Nile Baby Buddy:
100% organic Egyptian cotton. Just gorgeous. Isabella loves sucking on the knot on the top of the hat!
Under the Nile have some gorgeous organic cotton toys. You can buy them online from underthenile.com or their Australian stockists.
The Hemp Gallery Lyndon Doll:
This Lyndon doll is beautifully made in organic hemp/cotton and dyed naturally using tea. Lyndon dolls are inspired by the Rudolph Steiner philosophy which believes a minimal face stimulates a baby’s imagination. It’s too cute for words and gets sucked on a lot!
You can buy these at www.hempgallery.com.au which is a lovely family run Sydney business.
Silicone:
Rainbow silicone teething necklace from Etsy. I wish I could name the Etsy shop, but it was a Christmas present and I’ve looked and can’t find it! Isabella loves this – partially because of the chewy silicone and partially because of the awesome colours which are actually in the correct rainbow order!
Green Toys: Shape Sorter
This is such a great, safe toy and the plastic is actually made out of recycled milk bottles! The shape sorter has educational benefits with shape and colour recognition, hand eye coordination, problem solving and fine and gross motor skill development. For now, Isabella loves sucking on the star, banging the shapes together and exploring the lids. It’s going to be a favourite for a long time.
Green Toys: Stacker
Again, another great, safe educational toy from Green toys, teaching size differences, colour recognition and hand eye coordination. Now that Isabella is sitting, she loves nothing more than to knock over the tower and watch me rebuild it again!
You can buy a small selection of Green Toys at a lot of bigger toy shops now. All their toys are made of safe plastic. Great for outside and in the bath!
Skip Hop Explore & More Roll Around Rattles:
These are cute, make a rattle noise as they move and are easy to hold. Isabella has both the bumblebee and hedgehog. They are made out of safe plastic and are BPA, phthalate, PVC and lead free.
Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Activity Elephant:
The elephant is such a firm favourite that I actually keep him in the car for a bit of bribery to distract as I’m doing up the seatbelt. It also is BPA, phthalate, PVC and lead free.
Skip Hop seem to be in conversion to safer plastics. Some items in their range of toys were marked as BPA, phthalate, PVC and lead free and some weren’t. So be careful what you choose to buy.
B. Heard Cloth book:
This is a really cute cloth book with a squeaky duck, clicky telephone wheel, crunchy leaf and rattle. A big hit in our house.
B. Toys are all BPA, phthalate and lead free. Some of their toys do use a kind of PVC in them however, so if anything looks like rubbery vinyl, I wouldn’t get it. You can get B. Toys at most toy shops.
Wood:
Masterkidz Wooden Circle Teether:
This is a simple circle made from beautifully smooth beech wood. Isabella goes through phases of enjoying this, though the non-toxic minimalist part of me wishes she enjoyed it even more than the reality! I’m thinking of tying some bits of organic cotton to it to make it more interesting for her.
Masterkidz have some amazing toys, I just haven’t had the chance to properly explore their range. A few toy shops stock them and they have online stockists too.
Hevea Kawan duck:
Just gorgeous to look at and made of natural rubber, with no holes! Until recently, it was a bit big for Isabella to handle properly. Now that she can hold it, she seems to like it especially, because it is so big – a perfect bill for sucking on!
Hevea: The Pond:
A collection of the cutest rubber bath toys – a fish, duck and frog. There’s something magical about that frog’s legs… No matter how tired Isabella is, I can get her out of the bath, dried and dressed if she has her frog to suck on. Again, no holes in them and all natural rubber, so totally safe!
Boon Creatures Bath Toys:
These are so cute, although admittedly they spend most of their life separated in unrecognisable forms. Isabella loves sucking on the interesting shapes and is mesmerised watching multiple streams of water flow out of the little holes in the bottom of some of the cup pieces. These are made of safe plastic and are BPA, phthalate and PVC free.
What non-toxic toys are a favourite in your households?
