Who: Tegu; Norwalk, CT

What: Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks

Where: Tegu.com – $50 – $125

Why We Love ‘Em: The classic wooden block just got a whole lot more fun! These innovative Tegu blocks combine the beauty of the classic wooden block with the ‘magic’ of magnets. So you can completely defy gravity creating Wright-esque cantileversand dynamic forms from the wheels of a racecar to the petals of a flower.

The blocks come in cubes, long planks and short planks. Each is made from FSC-Certified tropical hardwoods including huesito (an abundant species native to Honduras), beech and a limited edition set made of mahogany. Click to continue »

Who: Maya Organic (MO); Karnatka, India

What: Ma Me Pa Pull Toy

Where: Dandelion – $28; Little Green Angels - £14; (see also the Tu Tu Turtle sold by World of Good – $16)

Why: Awww, Ma Me & Pa…. love this adorable family of three, with their colorful high-gloss finish and whimsical shells that swirl as the trio is pulled along. Such a cool looking toy, that, kids or no kids, it would make an interesting display piece recalling the quality craftmanship of wooden toys of the past and sure to be passed down generation to generation.

The turtles are hand-crafted by fair trade collectives in Karnatka, India using locally-harvested, sustainable and fast growing rubber wood. The rich colors are derived from vegetable dyes and finished with lac, an all-natural resin for a non-toxic finish. Even the packaging is eco-friendly, made of recycled paper. Click to continue »

Who: Svan; Sweden

What: Svan Toddler Scooter

Where: Amazon; $99

Why We Love ‘Em: It is impossible to avoid having your home overrun with toys once the little ones arrive, but at least with the Svan Scooter you can maintain your modern sensibilities. The sleek bent birch wood scooter will satisfy your design aesthetic while captivating your child’s imagination.

Intended as a ride along scooter, the simple design allows for creative play as the scooter becomes a horse, a race car, a truck, a pull toy or a basic tri-cycle with room on the back for their favorite stuffed toy.

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Who: notNeutral; Los Angeles, CA

What: Wood Block Set

Where: Modern Seed – $30

Why: Lately we’ve been obsessed with wooden toys (tired of the sea of plastic invading our lives) and it doesn’t get much better than a quality set of wooden blocks. This one from notNeutral is definitely one of the coolest sets we’ve seen.

Completely taken with the funky mix of stylized vintage and modern lettering, the two-toned numbers, the bold black and orange prints and not one, but two puzzles including a FLW inspired geometric tree puzzle that we just had to test out (it works),  all in the name of product research… Comes neatly arranged in its own wooden tray.

Made in the USA from “replenishable” Basswood sourced from Michigan and dyed with non-toxic, child safe inks.

Who: PlanToys; Palo Alto, CA

What: Green Dollhouse

Where: Amazon.com – $218.08 w/furniture &  free shipping

Why: Goodbye plastic Malibu Barbie Dream House,  hello eco-dream home! PlanToys modern masterpiece comes complete with solar panels, a wind turbine, a passive solar shade, a rain barrel, a recycling center, and furniture made of recycled, natural rubber wood dyed with vegetable and soy dyes. The perfect platform for teaching your children about the beauty of green living. Click to continue »

Who: Yellow Owl Workshop; San Francisco, CA

What: Cityscape Stamp Set

Where: Yellow Owl Workshop; $30 for a set of 5 stamps. Other sets include Winterscape, Landscape & Seascape.

Why: Technically this falls under the “TOT” category, but these stamps are made  for kids of all ages. With these stamps by your side, all you need is a sheet of butcher block paper or a grocery bag to make stunning wrapping paper.  Or create your own unique note-cards, gift tags, even artwork.  (We are thinking of the Winterscape set for our holiday post-cards….) And when you are ready to share, the little ones can join in the fun and let their artistic energy flow.

The stamps are made of natural rubber and reclaimed maple boxed in a birch for the stamp case in keeping with designer Christine Schmidt’s eco-ethos. In addition to creating modern stamp sets, Yellow Owl Workshop is more widely known for their collection of  hand printed notecards, wedding invitations and prints for the home using non-toxic water based inks and 100% Post-Consumer recycled paper.

Who: miYim; Brooklyn, NY

What: Organic Lovie Blanket

Where: greenward.com; $15.00

Why: Your little ones will get the best of both worlds, a blankie and a stuffed animal all in one with this little 8″ x 8″ square security blanket. Sure to become their favorite snuggly toy. The hard part will be choosing which one, the bunny, the monkey, or giraffe, and, as most moms will attest, it pays to have a back up!

miYim’s blankies are 100% certified non-toxic using dyes made from plants and minerals to dye the untreated, unbleached, 100% organic cotton, so you’ll have the security of knowing that it is safe for baby.

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Who: Skip Hop,  (HQ) New York, NY, designed in New Zealand

What: Wishbone Bike

Where: Petit Trésor, $249 or the graphic limited edition, $299

Why: There is more than meets the eye to this bike. The Wishbone running bike, (note: no pedals), is a clever design that grows as your child grows. And given how quickly kids outgrow bikes, it makes sense to create one that can accommodate them through their first five years.  With a few minor modifications this bike transforms from a tricycle to a low riding two-wheeler (simply remove the two back wheels and reinstall one between the wishbone shaped frame) to a taller version of the low rider with just a flip of the frame. Click to continue »

When Barbara Aimes, the CEO of imagiPLAY, expanded her recycled cardboard based toy company to include wooden toys, she wanted to use wood that was sustainable and responsibly harvested. She settled upon raw pine sourced from Canada, bamboo harvested from China and plantation grown rubberwood. Rubberwood is a tropical hardwood and the world’s primary source of natural rubber. Since rubberwood has gained a reputation as a sustainable, durable, and splinter free hardwood, ‘retired’ latex producing trees that were once discarded and burned, have found new life. Like those used in imagiPLAY’s bright, chemically safe, hand crafted Animal Alphabet Puzzle. The design is quite poetic as a metaphor for the web of life. Each animals’ well-being integrated into the well being of next, a delicate balance that could prove devastating upon the removal of just one….. But I digress, this is a great long lasting toy that will assist children with counting, their ABC’s and learning the names of 26 different animals. Retails for $38 at Fun Baby Toys.

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