The homepage asks ... Why do we need Healthy Toys?
Ummmm, WHY do we need Healthy Toys? Let's start with the fact that our children deserve healthy toys! Oh, wait, I think they are actually referring to their website; not healthy toys in general ...
This is their answer ... HealthyToys.org includes test results for more than 2,200 toys and children’s products. This site is a first step in providing consumers with the information they need to make better choices when purchasing toys and other children’s products.
Couldn't agree more; consumers need to make better choices ... because the government provides absolutely no regulation of toy manufacturing! Preposterous, I tell ya! Where did companies get the idea that parents prefer cheap over safe? When did become okay to expose children - from birth - to awful chemicals?
Hold up. Wait a minute. This is not a soapbox post. Let me get back to this awesome website because, really, parents of babies, toddlers, and kids of all ages need this website!
An overview of the delightful features of HealthyToys.org
- The site is wonderfully organized, easy to use, and super informative. I learn something new (and sometimes startling) everytime I visit.
- You can search for a specific toy or browse by brand and/or type. There's also a listing of the Best and Worst Toys.
- When you look at a toy's rating, you are given an Overall Rating (Low, Medium, or High) as well as the levels of these chemicals: Lead, Bromine, Cadmium, Chlorine, Arsenic, and Mercury. If you're really into that sort of thing, you can even access "complete chemical results" for more numbers and chemicals. And I highly recommend taking a few minutes to read the Chemicals of Concern tab.
- You can even created Your Toy List which allows you to track toys that your own or make a shopping list of safe toys. What a great feature, and one that keeps me from frantically taking notes while I visit the site.
- If your toy isn't in the database, but you'd like to get it tested, you can cast your vote from an existing list of toys or nominate your toy.
Just as an example, I searched for a common toy and one that we have in our house, the Little People Animal Sounds Farm. Surprisingly, it has an overall rating of Medium because the levels of Chlorine run high in the animals - you know, the first thing in our child's mouth when playing with this toy? And there are low levels of Lead and Bromine on part of the barn itself. You can do the same thing - and get immediate results like these - with any of the toys in your house right now. Give it a try!
Exciting news that just reached my inbox ... HealthyToys.org is expanding their scope and launching HealthyStuff.org on September 1, 2009. "This new site will include toys, car seats, and even purses alongside new and used cars and - our newest category - pet products!"
HealthyToys.org is a tool designed to give parents a bit of control over the health and safety of our children. What a wonderful resource!
1 comment:
I have never heard of this site. I need to check it out and then post it on my Mom's group discussion board. I'm sure they will find it helpful too! Thanks for the tip, friend!
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