"Natural" Toys?

[NicolleLynne]

Hi Mamas,

My little one is almost 5 months old and recently her pediatrician recommended introducing her to toys that can help her learn "cause and effect" (things that make music, light up, etc. when she manipulates them in some way). I feel very strongly about staying away from cheaply made, plastic stuff. I would like to invest in more sturdier, longer lasting wooden and cloth toys. Does anyone have any favorite brands or specific natural, non-toxic toys to recommend? What do your little ones like to play with at 5-6 months of age?

Thanks so much!

[P.J.]

I'm interested in this as well. With wood toys I like to make sure the paint is non toxic. I know Haba brand wood toys use non toxic paints, so we have a few of their rattles and such. Our baby really likes them! (BTW our babes were born 2 days apart!!)
I just did a quick search for "non toxic wood toys" and a whole lot of online shops specialize in this. Here are two lists of them:

http://www.ecomall.com/biz/toys.htm

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/natural_toys.htm

I know the Waldorf system uses only non-plastic, non-electric, non-obnoxious toys in their kindergartens and daycares, so you could always look for Waldorf toys as well.

I know your question was about natural toys and not safety, but as an aside, this site has tested loads of toys for toxicity (both the plastic and wooden variety of toys) and you can check how safe they are:

http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/toys/

GL!

[Knitting Mama]

My daughter adores Manhattan Toys, and they are mainly cloth and wood toys (some plastic on some toys). I have about half a dozen of them.

[SunRise]

My 7 month old likes a wooden spoon and she learned that if she bangs it on the table it makes a noise (cause and effect). She also likes to use it / chew on it.

We just introduced a tambourine (wooden and canvas and tin for the jingles) and she seemed interested.

She has these rubber blocks (Miffy) that have shapes and indents on the side. She tries to pick them up.

She doesn't care for soft toys (stuffed), she prefers harder textured toys.
She has a preference for certain chimes and has a couple rattles.

She also likes ribbon, straps with buckles on the end (she liked gnawing on the ends)

[mommariffic]

We have some things from Etsy

Cloth pink owl crinkle toy; DS loves to "crinkle" it and chew on it.
Some soft tag balls
Wooden rattles and teething rings

I just love Etsy in general, you can search for those things and come up with a ton or look under the Waldorf section of toys.

[Smidge]

It's been a long time since we've had toys for that little, but these sites are my faves

http://www.toysmadeinamerica.com/
http://www.tinybirdsorganicbabytoys.com/
http://www.greentoys.com/index.html (can find at TRU)
http://www.plantoysusa.com/
www.etsy.com

In our town we have a boutique-y type toy store that carries a lot of toys made in EU and the US...along with plenty of made in China stuff too.

[Plarka]

I really like Plan Toys as well. Their paint is safe. We have the shape sorter box, I think it's called Shape and Sort it Out. We also have their ring stacker. I got it when the baby was about 5 months, she likes to take the rings off and then there are lots of rings to suck on, so it's like having lots of safe little toys!

We're getting into Waldorf stuff too because of the non-plastic reason. I'm going to make some wool felt animals and get my husband to make some little toy boats and cars and trains!

Also, treasure baskets are good. If you google you can probably find out what they are, sorry I can't do it right now, baby is climbing on me and I need to get off computer!

[St. Margaret]

I don't think electronic toys really teach cause and effect very well. It's all a technological mystery to a baby. I know was reading somewhere about how something more phsycal and observable is better for babies. We just had crinkle toys, rattles, instruments, a sorter, that sort of thing. Great resources already given from PPs.

[Ola_]

Take this with a grain of salt cause our little one isn't here yet but I've been eyeing those "clutch ball" toys. You can have them custom made and put in a jingle bell or a squeaker or crinkly stuff so that they react, for lack of a better word, when she plays with them or squeezes/shakes them.

I think it was on DiaperSwappers that I saw a mama who has a shop and makes these. She's on either Etsy or Hyenacart too.

Here are a couple of links that have these:
http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/...d.php?t=650993
http://hyenacart.com/onestore.php?vid=2260&category=77
http://hyenacart.com/onestore.php?vid=2697&category=18

[NicolleLynne]

Thanks so much for all the excellent suggestions mamas!

I just found a few cute things from Haba and Manhattan by searching for "Waldorf toys" on Amazon and will definitely check out Etsy as well! I will also try giving Zoey an old wooden spoon and see how she likes that!