Apr 20, 2008

Toys go green: Eco-friendly playthings are fun for kids, reassuring for parentsBy Ryan E. SmithToledoBlade.com

Athena Brocus loves her pink Rattle Ring Girly – maybe because it’s soft and cuddly, maybe because it has big, floppy ears, maybe just because it’s there.

The 9-month-old has no idea that the toy from Keptin-Jr. is made in Europe from organic cotton or that it has a wooden teether instead of a plastic one. But her Mom, Nadja, does, and that’s why she bought it.

“When she was born, a bunch of her toys had recalls,” said Mrs. Brocus, 27. “I was just getting so frustrated because I couldn’t find a single toy or teether at any of the stores that wasn’t made in China.”

To provide more options for parents like her who are concerned about toy safety – for their young ones and the environment – the Point Place woman started an online store, Athena Bee’s Organic Toys (www.athena-bee.com).

“Slowly but surely I’m getting a lot more people that are beginning to look for organics,” she said. “It is because of all the recalls that have kind of made them turn that way.”

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