Buzz Buzz: Plan Toys Bee Hive

This is very exciting. We love Plan Toys. They make reasonably priced, natural baby toys and preschool toys out of old rubber wood trees. Eco-friendly and fun! So when Plan Toys contacted us about reviewing one of the new wooden toys that will be in stores this spring, we practically shouted "Yes, please!".

We reviewed the Plan Toys Bee Hive. This developmental toy consists of a set of six bees with matching bee hive cups and a pair of big wooden tweezers. This simple combination makes a great educational toy (and imaginative toy) for toddlers to kindergartners.


First of all, the bees can be used to learn about colors, sorting, matching and for developing hand-eye coordination. My lovely assistant Arielle will demonstrate:

Pick a bee up with the tweezers...



and drop it in the appropriately colored hive.


You can change the arrangement to make the game a little more complicated.



Can Arielle sort the bees without moving the cups? Yes, she can.


It was more of a challenge for Linnea. She's three, so she's still working out the tweezers. It's nice to see her challenged.


Despite the tweezer challenge, she had a lot of fun lining the bees up and making them "talk" to their friends.


When they were done, they flew off to their hives, and she tucked each in the appropriately colored bed.


Then Arielle has an idea!


She drew flowers. Now Linnea had to make each bee fly out of the hive and to the correct flower.


She did it! Yay!


The toy is absolutely cute, but what I love that this is a learning toy that inspired creativity. The girls looked at it, figured out what it is for, and went beyond that. That is what you expect from an open-ended learning toy.

Next they took out blocks to build their own beehives..... the bees were so happy, but my camera battery died. Maybe next time.

The Plan Toys Bee Hive will be available at Plan toy retailers later this month and on the Plan Toys website.

Thank you, Plan Toys!!!

Baby's Toy Emporium

Are you looking for natural baby toys made in the USA?

That is all that Baby's Toy Emporium sells. Carrie, the mom behind the store, offers handmade bears and dolls, wooden toys, building sets, books, felts, soft dough, and more - all natural, eco-friendly and made in the USA.

Check out the adorable Bundle Babies ($12.99)



Oh, this looks like fun for Arielle! Arielle would enjoy writing a real book - hmm... I bet it would be about birds.


Illustory ($12.00)



In addition to toys, Baby's Toy Emporium offers a selection of baby clothing and baby care items.

The blankets look so soft!

Aroma Blanket ($38.00)



Baby's Toy Emporium has offered our readers 10% off any felt storybooks. The code is "Sara" There is free shipping with purchases of $95 and a free gift with purchases of $75 or more.

Haba Pixie rattle - update

If you scroll down the sidebar, you'll see a link to The Toy Recall Finder. The button has a picture of a beautiful HABA clutch toy. That toy was recalled last year because the mirrors could falloff causing a choking hazard. What a disappointment. Linnea had that toy and it was so cute.

The good news is that HABA redesigned the Pixie Clutching Toy ($16.99) and the other recalled toys. They now have foil instead of a mirror and are perfectly safe. You can tell which are the newer clutch toys because the house is orange.



Pixie clutching toy is made in Germany.

Yay!!! a Nico & Zoe Coupon Code

Nico & Zoe is offering Sara's Toy Box readers 15% off their holiday season purchases on orders of $50 or more. The coupon can be used in conjunction with the standard free shipping for orders over $100. The code is "sarastoys09".

Nico & Zoe specializes in offering uncommon and artisan toys from the U.S. and Europe. Some great new additions to the Nico & Zoe site are the Toys Under $10 and the Toys for $11-$20 sections. These are great if you are looking for gifts on a budget.

Little Scoot Flag Airplane ($7.00)



Bundle BeBe Handmade Doll ($13.00)



Fifty wooden block set from Plan Toys ($20.00)

My favorite part of the site are Zoe's, Nico's and Lil Sis's Pics. These sections offer toys chosen by the owners children as favorites for ages 5+, 3+ and 1+.

From Zoe's Pics for ages 5+, Sprig Toys Dolphin Explorer Boat Play Set ($30.00)



From Nico's Pics for ages 3+, kaleidoscope owls ($5.00)



I'm going to have to get a few of these for stocking-stuffers. The girls are fascinated by kaleidoscopes.

From Lil Sis for ages 1+, Bear Cymbals ($13.00)

Ten Dollar Treasures

Ten toys for ten dollars or less. In support of handmade toys, these are all from Etsy.

1. Pocket Gnomes ($7.50)



These little gnomes from lillipilli are handmade out of wool and cotton. Each gnome is about 2 inches tall, just the right size to carry in a pocket or ride in a toy truck. They are available in a whole rainbow of colors. The gnomes are made in Australia, so leave extra time for shipping. I think they are the friendliest little gnomes I've seen.

2. Felt finger puppets($8 each)



Puppets are still such a big deal for Arielle, and these ones are so festive. The puppets are made of eco-felt or rayon/wool felt. Stayawake also has a very cool space set (not $10).

3. Modeling beeswax - citrus colors ($8.20)



Twinkle of my Eye makes modeling beeswax using local (British Columbia) beeswax, organic oil and non-toxic pigment. Beeswax can be challenging for younger children who are used to working with dough, but a lot of fun for older kids. The wax has to warm up in your hand, but then it is very flexible and it smells yummy. It's really not like dough at all, but a whole different modeling experience.

4. Wooly acorns ($10.00)



Little Seedling makes a variety of natural toys and super cute clothing for Waldorf doll. But, I have a thing for acorns. I bet all the imaginary squirrels out there are thinking these look awfully tasty. The acorns are made of felted wool attached to real acorn caps.

Mamaroots makes wooden acorns ($4.00)

5. Moondrop ($10.00)



Linnea has several of these. The dolls are very very soft and very cuddly and a good grasping size for little ones (4"). They deal well with toddler love, and are available in a rainbow of colors.

Moonchild Studio also makes the absolute cutest shoes for Waldorf dolls.

6. Wooden helicopter ($7.00)



Imagination Kids makes toys in Indiana using sustainably harvested wood, AP certified non-toxic paint, and homemade natural wood polish made from beeswax, jojoba oil, and essential oils. The helicopter is 3.5 inches by 5.25 inches, and is available in seven colors. Check out the small, but very cute rainbow stacker ($13.00).

7. Felted wool hedgehog ball ($10)



These fun hedgehog balls are made from 100% wool and are about 3" in diameter, so they fill a good section of stocking. In addition to felted toys, Beneath the Rowan Tree also sells bold, bright, beautiful play silks.

8.Teether ($10)



The husband-wife company Finns and Flowers makes natural toys from wood and wool in Maine. These three inch diameter teethers are finished with beeswax, and the bumpy texture is great for sore gums.

9. Secret Decoder ($9 for a set of two)



When I first married my husband, my youngest step-son was nine. He loved everything to do with spies. This secret decoder would have been a big deal. It uses a Caesar cipher and comes in a pair, so a friend can decode the message. Makes a great best-friend gift for eight to ten year olds.

Wood Toy Shop also has a large selection of wood vehicles under $10.

10. Felt cupcake ($8.00)



These cupcakes are big -- cupcake size. Arielle has a couple of Sugar Chic Baby cupcakes that are a few years old. Because they are so pretty, they are a favorite with visiting little girls.

Remember that this is Etsy, so if the listing is sold out, click on the store site as the item is often re-listed. Many Etsy artisans are great about doing custom work, so if you want something slightly different, send them a message with your ideas.

I noticed that many of my old favorite Etsy artisans are no longer selling their toys. Last year, I wrote about the CPSIA. Since then, I've learned a lot about American toy makers (both good and bad) and the difficulties they face. Many have gone out of business either because they cannot afford testing fees or because the law is so convuluted, it is hard to know if one is in compliance. To learn more about handmade toys and the CPSIA, visit the Handmade Toy Alliance.

Award-winning Rainbow Sound Blocks from Wonderworld

Wonderworld Toys are made in Thailand out of environmentally-friendly replantable wood from expired rubber plantation trees that no longer produce latex. Wonderworld works with farmers, the Rabbit in the Moon Foundation and the Thai government to plant two trees for each tree used. The colors come from non-toxic water-based paints and at least 70% of all packaging is recycled paper,

I first heard of Wonderworld Toys from some of you - our readers. I'm thankful to Toys and Games Online for allowing me to check out their extensive selection of Wonderworld Toys. The decision was tough, but I chose to review Rainbow Sound Blocks.

Rainbow Sound Blocks ($34.00)



The Rainbow Sound Blocks are part of the WonderEducation collection, a collection of learning toys for ages birth-5. The Rainbow sound Blocks are suggested for ages 2 and up. I chose them both for their learning value and for their creative play value.

You all know that I love blocks, and I love mixing in new shapes and textures. This is a cute little set of six blocks that can be used alone by young children and incorporated into larger sets by older children. Wonderworld makes an inexpensive 50 piece Basic Block Set ($25.00)

These blocks have been around for a while. They were the winner of the Silver Practical Pre-School Award in 2006, and National Parenting Publications Award in 2001, as well as numerous international awards.

The six wooden blocks come in a wooden storage case that is fun to pack and unpack. Each block is wooden with a translucent colored-plastic front and back. They are filled with different combinations and sizes of beads, so each has a unique sound when shaken.

The blocks can be used for stacking, matching, sorting and it's really fun to just look through them and see the world in a different color. I like purple :o)

Linnea liked packing and unpacking the blocks into their storage case - not an easy task as they don't fit if thrown in haphazardly. She also calls it a door. Maybe because of the shape of the storage case?

Here she is checking out the beads. She had fun shaking the blocks, but the enthusiasm was too much for the camera. I just got a pink blur.







Building a tower.


Wow! Everything looks "lellow".


That was my favorite part. I think Linnea knows her colors, but she loves to give the wrong answers on purpose. It's a two-year-old thing, just like the outfit. But, she was so distracted that she got them all right! Yay!

Jumble Balls - reviewed by our very cute friend Lucy

Jumble Ball ($15.00)



Jumble Balls are soft fabric balls made by Jennifer of Wood Pond Designs. She started making the balls about five years ago after being inspired by a ball that her mother had made. At first, she made them for her own children and for friends having babies. Soon more and more people wanted Jumble Balls, and Jennifer started an Etsy shop.



The balls are lightweight, squashy and easy to grasp. Each square is individually stuffed leaving a hollow center that makes the ball squishable and easy for little hands to hang on to. The balls are made of 100% cotton fabric that is safe and machine washable on the gentle cycle. So, these balls can be chewed on and drooled on and dragged on the floor.



Jennifer describes herself as a "fabric junky". She has lots and lots of colors and fabrics and never makes more than a few balls that are the same. The ribbons and rickrack are a new addition to the balls, and customers can choose to have either a rattle or jingle bells sewn securely inside. Jennifer now offers Bamboo fiberfill, and she will soon have organic cotton fabric available. If you have a specific color scheme in mind, she welcomes custom orders and would be very happy to create a ball using specific colors/fabrics/patterns.



The balls are great for tummy time for tiny ones, and for rolling and tossing as the baby grows older. Jennifer's children are now 4 and 6 and she says "they still love throwing the jumble balls around and they are light enough that I don't worry about things breaking".

I'm sure that Arielle and Linnea would have had fun with the ball, but I wanted to get a real baby reaction. So, we hired a consultant. Our eight-month-old friend Lucy (and her two-year-old big sister Tess) volunteered to help us out. They loved it.



Here's what mom Sarah had to say, "That is the ball! It is so great! Totally squishable so Lucy can tumble on top of it and it smooshes flat, then pops back up. The colors are great, the ribbons are perfect and it jingles just enough to keep the kid interested, not enough to annoy the mama. We seriously love this ball! Tess and Lucy both have so much fun playing with it and it's just as great for playing catch with Tess as it is for tumble time with Lucy."



Thank you Jennifer and thank you Lucy and Tess.

Safe Toys for Little Babies

Babies love to explore. They want to see, hear and especially taste everything, so babies need toys that can be chewed on safely. After writing the previous post about embedded lead in toys, I'm feeling a little paranoid about what Linnea puts in her mouth. So, I decided to feature baby toys that are all natural and made of organic materials. Although teething is no fun (I know, Linnea has been teething for months), mom and dad can at relax at least a little knowing that little one is chewing on something safe.

Maple Teether $10.99


This all-wood teether is made in the USA and finished with bee's wax. The lumpy-bumpy shape feels good on sore gums.

Or try this cherry wood rattle($14.99).

Here's another cherry rattle ($18.50).

It's nice and smooth and very simple, with a handle for easy grasping. A Toy Garden has a very simple soothing rattle which looks lovely for $19.95.

Men in a tub ($9.99)

Doesn't this look like fun for chewing and pushing and taking pegs out of? It is about 4 1/2 inches long. All the wood toys shown are made in the USA.

The Wooden Bunny Rattle ($12.95) is made in Germany.

Organic bunnies love their organic veggies such as this Carrot rattle ($19.95).



Under the Nile also makes organic veggies and other cute baby toys.

Under the Nile products are made of organic cotton in Egypt. They are comparatively inexpensive and include both produce such as Mushrooms($5.85), Grapes($5.85), and Broccoli ($6.00) and dolls such as their Knomes which come in either a Veggies Print ($9.35) or a tropical print and a sweet Monkey Toy.

Zmooz toys ($8.99-$15.49) are also made of organic cotton,


Zmooz toys come in a variety of styles for clutching and teething. Linnea has a small Zmoos. I can't say it is her favorite, but it is cute and just the right size for baby hands. I think she would have preferred brighter colors.

Perhaps the Kathe Kruse organic Gnome Doll ($23.99) would have been more pleasing to Linnea. Kathe Kruse also makes this girly organic Gugguli cloth doll ($21.99)


Lana organics stuffed animals ($24.99-$54.99)
These stuffed animals are made in Lithuania out of 100% organic cotton. However, as cute as this stuffed anteater is, $54.99 seems an awful l0t for a stuffed animal. Although stuffed animals do seem to spontaneously reproduce.... hmmm... I guess that's a topic for another day.