Cool selection of balls, Made in Germany

A Germany company called Togu makes a very colorful and interesting selection of balls. They are designed for kids 3 and up but the larger selections would be fun for rolling around for a toddler or infant too!

Many Ikea toys NOT made in China

One of our readers had asked about various products from Ikea and whether or not they were made in China. We have completed our Ikea research and found that while most of the Ikea products were not made in Sweden or China, there is a wide selection of toys made in other countries. Unfortunatly, few Ikea products are available online. If you have an Ikea near you, please print out the list below for a great selection of toys.



Klappar car and pull toys- Thailand
Mula Push wheel- Bulgaria
Mula stacking cups- Malaysia
Lillabo train set- Bulgaria
Stuffed bat and spider- Vietnam
Stuffed crocodile, turtle, soccer ball- Indonesia
Duktig doll bed- Indonesia
Piggy banks- Spain
Ekoree walker- Sweden
Kalas cups- Malaysia
Mumsa and Hungrig dinner sets- Malaysia
Laakan bath- Poland
Minnen Hobby Horse- Vietnam

Hama beads and art supplies, Made in Denmark

If you have children five and up who enjoy crafts, the Hama fuse beads are for you! Smaller sets make great stocking stuffers or choose one of the larger sets and spend Christmas afternoon making projects together. We really love that Hama has sets that are geared towards boys and girls.

School age toys, under $30

Continuing posts on toys for different age groups that fit in your budget. The main criteria- must be under $30, made outside of China from a brand we have already reviewed and be something we would buy for our own kids. Please note that we have included Playmobil and Lego in this grouping. While some Playmobil and Lego toys are made in China, these recommended here are not.

SCHOOL AGE TOYS

Preschool toys under $30

Our continuing series on great toys under $30. The main criteria- must be under $30, made outside of China from a brand we have already reviewed and be something we would buy for our own kids.

PRESCHOOL TOYS

As promised, infant and toddler toys under $30

In response to the WalMart price war, (see yesterday's posting) we are making an easy to find listing of great toys for under $30. The main criteria- must be under $30, made outside of China from a brand we have already reviewed and be something we would buy for our own kids. We hope you find it useful for quick shopping!

INFANT TOYS





TODDLER TOYS

Will a price war make a difference in your shopping?

Despite numerous recalls for lead paint and other hazards, WalMart is about to launch an all out price war to save its Christmas toy sales. More than 80% of the toys stocked in major retail outlets like WalMart, Target and Toys R Us are manufactured in China. Will that matter when the prices are so cheap that suddenly high quality China-free toys look shockingly expensive?

More recalls were issued last week on brands that we thought we could trust. Publicists for large toys companies are now saying this will be the safest Christmas ever since they are testing so many more toys. However, it seems to me that the recalls are coming a little slowly and in chunks that appear to be choreographed. Will they come in time to return those toys you bought for Christmas in November and get new ones?

Obviously, we are recommending that you buy the toy brands we've listed here. Some of them you can find in local, smaller toy shops. Some you can order directly from the manufacturer. We've been asked why we use Amazon instead of just listing the brand. Because Amazon is everywhere and they are making an effort to carry the smaller brands, it seemed like the most efficient choice. I don't want to send anyone on a wild-goose chase all around their town looking one thing.

If you are looking for other options of lead-free Christmas presents and aren't sure what toys to buy, how about books! Families love classic collections, board books for babies, picture books for toddlers, and early readers for preschoolers and chapter books for kids. We love to give Disney read along books for toddlers on up because it frees mom and dad for a few minutes to do something else.

Have a safe holiday season and feel confident that you made great choices. You can buy amazing presents without spending a ton of cash or falling for the price war. Stay tuned this week for a series of the top ten toys for kids, all under $30. We won't fall for the price war either.

TAG Toys, high quality infant and toddler toys Made in the USA

TAG Toys is an amazing family business that designs toys for children ages 1 to 6. Their toys are based on early learning theories and are manufactured entirely in the USA. What a great educational gift and you can be assured it is lead-free! They have won several Oppenheim and Parents Magazine toy awards and are featured in some of the Baby Einstein video series.

American Plastic Toys, Inc.

We're adding American Plastic Toys, Inc to our list of toys Made in the USA and a brand you can trust! With the growing concern of painted toys, plastics from China and more, we were happy to find an American-made plastic toys company that with an assortment of toys that are high quality but not overpriced.