Archive for October, 2009

Travelling toys for toddlers

Friday, October 30th, 2009

All parents need the break from routine: be it visiting friends, going to a restaurant or going on holiday, but the idea of getting away from it all with your kids in tow can seem anything but relaxing, particularly if you’ve not done it before.  Having kids at these social settings makes a noticeable difference to how people interact with you. But more than that, travel almost always has a positive effect on the whole family: children’s natural capacity to stop, be absorbed  and play tends to cross over to adults once we’re freed from the pressures of daily life, and this paves the way fro some truly fantastic moments together. And no matter how young your children are – even if they only remember your trips through the stories you tell them and the photos in the albums – the impact of travel on their view of the world and sense of self-worth becomes ever more tangible as they get older. And for the adults, travel allows you time to pause and reflect on home life, work life or issues at hand - something that’s rarely possible when at home.

There’s no denying that going away with children isn’t always straight forward, but the key to making it work is to be well prepared.  Its good to have one or two toys that pack away neatly into a box or your handbag for just those moments where boredom sets in.

Their are different types of toys for different types of traveling, here are some suggestions and links to a sight with great ideas:

  • If you are in a restaurant, some pens and a colouring book for girls is brilliant while for a boy anything on wheels or animal fun packed in a handy box.
  • If you are at a friends house and there are no toys around, maybe some building blocks , a car for the boys or push stick for the younger ones.
  • if you are in the car or aeroplane for a long time, a magnetic box with shapes to keep them busy or  even modelling dough!

There are plenty of handy little toys but not all can be easily transported, it is always good to look at the box they come in to make life easier for the parent and to keep all the parts together!  Good luck :)

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Posted in Educational Toys, Ideas for activities with Kids, Travelling Toys | 153 Comments »

Bonus’ are back

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Barclays and Goldman Sachs are on the verge of announcing multi-billion bonus’.  Surging profits in specialised areas of investment banking are creating new windfalls for the banks, while the broader economy remains on its knees.  All the expected payouts will conform with the new standards, which call for a greater proportion to be paid in shares and deferred over a period of years. The property market in upmarket areas are already feeling a hike in the house prices.  And if the property market is improving then other markets will feel its ripple effect. This is just one year away from the announcement of global recession.  Its an indication that we are coming out of a recession. Christmas just might be bright and festive!

It seems that Christmas shopping may be back on the shopping list and the children will be happy that Santa could get them a few toys from their letter to him!  Click here for top Christmas present for boys and here for girls.

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Posted in Educational Toys, General | 38 Comments »

Bank the Green Dividend

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

The Sunday Times Green List is the benchmark against which businesses can test their green credentials. For the bosses of Britain’s companies the ticket to green credibility comes only if the staff are included on the journey. The contest not only measures efforts to cut the corporate carbon footprint, it also seeks employees’ views on how green their company is.  The top 60 green companies of 2009 ranged from blue-chip multinationals to construction companies with a high environmental impact.

Although Green Owl Toys is too small to enter such a competition, we are definitely following suite by cutting our carbon footprint. We only import toys from within the EU and all our products are made of natural materials.

The toys are either made of wood, cotton or leather.  These are all materials that are long lasting and a pleasure to touch.  Parents enjoy the thought that our children are enveloped in natural products and not the touch of cold plastic.

By importing these beautiful toys from the EU the company not only minimize the carbon footprint but we can also ensure their safety.  The toys all have passed safety control tests set out by leading European Laboratories. To read more information on the stamps found on toy boxes to ensure their safety please click here.

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Posted in Eco friendly products, Toy Safety | 67 Comments »

Which educational toy is best?

Monday, October 19th, 2009

“Which toy to buy?”. “What does he/she want?”  There are many questions going through our heads and especially before Christmas.

Do we just opt to buy the things given to us on a Christmas list or do we choose to buy a toy that is similar but has a lot more to it? A toy that can fire the imagination and become a irreplaceable, rather than a cheap, mass produced toy that is cast aside in days.  It may be the toy is wooden and not plastic, it may be the toy needs to sing or jingle or even have an educational feature.

A wooden toy crafted and polished to present round corners and smoothness is much more pleasant than a synthetic product that has been moulded under heat. For the amount of value you receive from a wooden toy is much more than the slight increase in cost.

There is a growing popularity in educational toys. Toys for a child from birth to Primary school age.  In these first few years children play with many different toys as they grow and learn new things. Not only are they developing their coordination and speech but also their role in society, how to behave and in opening their minds to imagination and creativity. With toys they can learn new things and very importantly practice them. Practicing enhances their self-esteem and confidence to move onto the next step. Some toys need parental input but most (if bought correctly) can be self learnt which is brilliant for our busy lifestyles.

With so many toys that are out in today’s market, it is up to us, the consumer, to make a good decision depending on which quality you think is most important. Keep in mind the following features when shopping next:

  • Safety
  • Educational
  • Durability
  • Design.

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Posted in Eco friendly products, Educational Toys, Toy Safety | 55 Comments »

Cheap Christmas toys but..at what cost?

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Not only are manufacturers trying to cut costs but so are we – the consumer! We have contracted out Christmas to the lowest bidder. Which in the case of toys, mostly means manufacturers outside the EU. But what costs do we bare for cheaper toy production? In the past 2 years there have been several scandals where toy manufacturers shipped children’s toys containing lead (even crib toys were found to have lead paint!). I think, what worried the consumer the most is that these toy recalls were carried out by major toy manufacturers with factories in far flung parts of the world.

This doesn’t mean that we can blindly trust toys manufactured within the European Community. However, a factory that is just round the corner is easier to control than one that is thousands of miles away.

The toy industry has experienced a massive growth in the past say 20 years and so have adapted their manufacturing process to accommodate it. Legislation, on the other hand, has not been able to keep up-to-date with the changes until this year. The European Commission has released a new directive in July but will only be in force in its entirety by 2013. The new directive states, “For certain substances like nickel the tolerable limit values have been reduced and those heavy metals which are particularly toxic, like lead or mercury, may no longer be intentionally used in toys.”

The question to ask is how can we be responsible parents and not let our children come into contact with potentially harmful substances in the toys we buy? Well, unless you have a laboratory in your backyard it is pretty difficult to know exactly what the toy is made of! Another more practical way is follow the labels. You can either avoid all products that are labelled “Made in XXX” or choose those products that have reliable test certificates. Each European Union country has their own reliable test certificates and are always shown on the packaging. Please bear in mind the “CE”* mark does not indicate the toy has undergone any tests.

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Posted in General, Toy Safety | 11 Comments »

How can I help my children to develop with ease?

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Parents play an important role in their children’s development. There is no more valuable gift than an educational toy. The toy can be used for play, to build strong bonds and the time for parents to measure the child’s current interests and difficulties.

Green Owl Toys has hand-picked its toys, carefully placing them on our website to help you find exactly the toy to nurture your child’s needs from birth to 5. They are all Eco-friendly making them lovely to touch and long lasting. Each one is manufactured in the EU to ensure they  follow European toy safety standards.

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Posted in Behaviour, Educational Toys, Toy Safety | 35 Comments »