Finally, we have Calafant!

Calafant are paper toys. They come flat, and the pre-cut and pre-punched sturdy white cardboard pieces can be put together without glue and without scissors scissors. Then the child can use markers, paint, and other art supplies to decorate their creation. Eventually, the toy can be recycled.

Calafant is made in China and designed in Germany. It won the Toy Innovation Award in 2006 for creativity.

We tried out the Palace ($24.99).

The palace came in a big pink box.

"Ooooooooooooh! Whats that?"



"That's not a palace!"

No, those are the pre-cut pieces. The palace was a little challenging and required a mommy to help with assembly. It was definitely too much for a five year old, but I think an eight or nine year old could assemble it with only a little help.



Linnea checks out the pre-cut pieces.



Assembly in progress. The picture-based directions were a little confusing at times, but it was easy to figure out.



All done!



We decided to play first and decorate later. Our small dolls from were just the right size.






But, Linnea couldn't wait to decorate. Ooops! While we were cooking dinner, she got out her crayons and was very proud of the results.




Arielle was not happy. She wanted a real castle made of stones and sparkles. So the next day, I dug through the craft box for suitable materials. Color chips left from last years remodeling and anything sparkly. We cut out lots of stones.



Arielle glued stones to the castle.



Linnea got a very special job.



Lots of decorating...











... and they had a beautiful palace fit for all sorts of adventures.


The castle is for children three and up. It is sturdy for gentle play, but it did come apart (and was quickly reassembled) when Linnea got grabby and rough.

In the last few months, we've traveled a lot. I've had the challenge of keeping little girls occupied while spending hours in a hotel room without a lot of toys. I think a set of Calafant and a set of markers would have been a great solution. Smaller sets like the house ($6.99), farm ($14.99) or pirate ship ($14.99)are inexpensive (so you don't feel bad if you can't take them home) and will easily fit in a suitcase. Some sets even come with markers.

The girls had a wonderful time and worked together very nicely to create their masterpiece. It was a fun art project and a good learning experience. I think we'll do more during the long winter; what a perfect quiet project for a snow or sick day.

Thank you, Moolka!

Sara's Toy Box Presents...

Our first annual awards. All the toys reviewed were eligible - and we reviewed a lot this year! These are the toys that we think are the very, very best.

Sorry, we have no shiny statues or great big checks. Just a big "YAY!!!!"

FIRST ANNUAL SARA'S TOY BOX TOP TEN TOY AWARDS


1. Best Eco-Friendly Toy: Green Toys Tea Set ($24.99)



The tea set is made from 100% recycled plastics. It is phthalate free and BPA free. It's recyclable. It can go outdoors or in the bath. It can be washed. What else is there to say?
Oh, yeah. It's lots of fun. We play with ours almost every day.

We also really liked the Cookware and Dining Set ($39.99). Click here for the original review.

2. Best American-made toy: Wooden Acorns ($5.99)



Acorns are very useful for feeding visiting squirrels, play cooking, counting, pretend dog food, just carrying around in a tote bag... We also like to put them in bean pots ($3.99).

3. Best Toy Under $10: Anamalz ($5.99-$6.99)



These adorable animals are made of organic maple wood and textile products, non-toxic glues, and paints. They were the almost Arielle's favorite toy this year. Arielle and Linnea love them.

4. Best Outdoor Toy: Baby Footprint Bucket ($6.09)



We play with our buckets in the sand, we play with them in the water, and we play with them in the snow. We fill them with bits of grass and flowers and make a dinosaur salad. We collect fallen leaves and dried plants for art projects. Everybody needs a good bucket, and this one is bright and colorful and just right for tiny hands. The spoon-shaped shovel is Linnea's favorite.

5. Best Game: Djeco Color Animals Domino ($16.99)



Arielle says this is "the one." It's one of several games we played this year that were simple, quick and educational. I love the bright, happy illustrations. But, Linnea and I prefer Djeco Animal Lotto Game ($16.99). I love watching her name and match the animals.

6. Best Learning Toy: Vilac ABC Wooden Blocks with Cart ($46.99)



These win for sheer versatility, and because they provide many years and many levels of play. Check out our review.

7. Best Travel Toy: Kathe Kruse Nicki Baby ($21.95)



We have several of these. They make nice gifts and they fit easily in a pocket or diaper bag. Their cute faces seem to inspire love. Best of all, they are soft and light weight and won't become dangerous flying objects in an accident.

8. Best Toy to Grow With: Holztiger Animals ($5.99 and up)



Start with a few and build a collection. These simple, but beautiful animals are great for all sorts of creative play.

9. Best Building/Stacking Toy: Eeeny, Meeny, Miny, Zoo Wooden Blocks from Haba ($49.99)



Haba blocks are always awesome, and they came out with some really beautiful sets this year. But, the animal blocks are hands-down the cutest. Linnea gets excited every time I take them out. And of course, they are compatible with other Haba block sets.

10. Best Toy for Cuddling: In our house Daddy Dolls get the most hugs, followed closely by the Bamboletta Dolls. They are both absolutely wonderful, I'm going to call it a tie.





SPECIAL AWARDS


Linnea's Toy of the Year: Lady bugs in a pot ($9.95)



These ended up being one of Linnea's favorite toys. Now that she is learning to count, it is very sweet to hear her "one, two, fee, four..."
She also loves to carry these around. Of course, they are tiny, and not really suitable for children under three, so she must be supervised.

Arielle's Toy of the Year: Magic Cabin's In the Dog House Set ($89.98)



Where is the review for this wonderful toy? I'm working on it and it will be up just as soon as I can get a good picture. This is the perfect gift for the child who really, really, really, really wants a pet, but isn't quite old enough. Chocolate Tapdancey Licky-Barky hasn't left Arielle's side since he arrived a week ago. The set comes with everything a doggy needs.

Toy store of the year: Stubby Pencil Studio

I am so happy to announce that Stubby Pencil Studio is our store of the year. I work with many wonderful store owners: Virginie from PetitBaby, Jennic from KangarooBoo, Bridgitte from Natural Pod, Anthia from UrthChild, and Sonya from A Toy Garden are all really sweet women who are great to work with, and I love their stores. Because I might be biased, I came up with my short list and then discussed this decision with other moms, all blog readers. The store that came up the most - for selection, for customer service, for helpfulness, for filling a real need, and for the nice little gifts - was Stubby Pencil Studio. Congratulations, Kate!

A bit of activism

We are very fortunate to get to try out so many great toys. It was tough to narrow our favorites down to only ten. However, natural and handmade toys in the United States are threatened by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). Please visit the Handmade Toy Alliance website for more information about how we can keep toys safe, yet still keep our favorite toy makers and toy stores in business.