Great New Toy For Summer Travel

As we prepare for our summer travels, we have come across a great new toy from Leap Frog. The new Leap Frog Tag system allows children ages 4-8 to read a book while Mom and Dad are driving (or flying). The tag system is an electronic pen that the child uses to highlight words in books and the pen reads the word. The child can also choose to have the whole book or just a page read to them. Games and Activities are also included. The book selections with the system are fantastic. From Diego, I Spy, Disney Princess, Cars, Miss Spider, The Little Engine that Could (I could go on for a while) to National Geographic Animal Cards. My two year old will love to hear about the animals and their sounds on the animal cards. I will report back on the success of the toy with my children. You can purchase it by clicking here http://www.smarttoychoice.com/index.php?action=Toy%20Information%20Search (enter leapfrog tag)

My other great find is for our two year old. The Snack and Play Travel Tray straps over the child's car seat and provides them a table to play, color or eat on. The new tray is made of a foam and has been crash tested for safety. The tray can be purchased by clicking here http://www.smarttoychoice.com/index.php?action=Toy%20Information%20Search (enter snack tray)

Toys Fail Toxic Chemical Test

Yesterday at the Women’s Health Expo in Albany, NY, representatives from the Just Green Partnership used a hand-held device called an Innov-X XRF analyzer to test for heavy metals and chemicals in the Take Your Child’s Toys To Work Day Event. According to an article by JULIE A. VARUGHESE, in the Times Union Newspaper, one little girls necklace tested high for lead.

The partnership wants to see three bills signed into law to oversee toxic chemicals in toys.

One bill requires substitutes for phthalates, which have been associated with disruption of hormonal and endocrine systems and are often found in soft plastic toys, and bisphenol A, often found in plastic baby bottles and other containers.

Another bill restricts the use of flame retardants, linked to neurological problems.

A third would regulate the distribution of items that contain lead, which causes an array of neurological problems including lowered IQ and learning disabilities.

1992 Toy Recall Statistics

I read in a blog recently, that in 1992 less than 40% of toys purchased in the US were from China. So I wondered if back in 1992 less than 40% of the recalled toys were from China. Here are my findings for 1992

21 Toy Recalls
1 Made in the USA
1 Made in Singapore
2 Made in Taiwan
3 Made in Hong Kong
5 Recalls didn't list where the toy was made
9 Made in China (42%)

Lead Toys Made for the Mouth of Older Children Recalled

Most parents with children older than pre-school age have ignored many of the lead paint recalls thinking that their children don’t put the toys in their mouth. Unfortunately today, we see why all parents need to pay attention to the recalls. Almost 30,000 “Hillbilly Teeth” sold over the past three years were recalled for excessive lead paint in the teeth. (These are toys obviously put in the child’s mouth.) And Michaels today recalled over 300,000 seasonal writing pens for excessive lead. I don’t know about you but as a child, pre-teen, teenager and sometimes even as an adult, when I am writing I will stop and put the pen in my mouth.

WE ALL NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO TOY RECALLS.

See scrolling pictures on the right side of this blog to see more toy recalls and other child product recalls.