Imagination Inspiration: Green Town Toys

There is nothing more special than a child's wild imagination.  They can transform into pirates or princesses and create intricate other worlds within minutes.  Mine can stay in full character and costume for the entire day not caring a bit what anyone else thinks.

We have found the neatest ship and castle to not only spark a child's imagination but foster artistic creativity.  Check out these products made by Green Town Toys, a company headquartered in Indiana that designs and manufactures all their products in the Midwest.

Each of their products are made from 100% recyclable SFI certified corrugated fiberboard that is super strong and can be cleaned with a wet wipe.  In addition, children are encouraged to color or paint on the structures to personalize them.  Another plus is each structure is easily assembled and disassembled for convenient storage.

Not only do we love these for our own kids, but think these structures would be perfect in elementary classrooms.  Green Town Toys must think so too because they are receptive to giving discounts to teachers. We love companies who help our teachers out!!! If you are a teacher and want to read more about that, click here.

To shop all Green Town Toys, click here.

our favorite monsters

Many children find monsters scary, but we have found some that are sweet, cuddly and many a child's best friend.  These colorful, soft, stuffed monsters help children scare away all those other monsters lurking in the closet or hiding under the bed! As the creators of Lyla Tov Monsters describe: "a single snuggle from your Lyla Tov Monster can ward off the most frightening of dreams and make you feel safe and secure in the comfort of your bedroom." Children are drawn to these and so are we...

 Lyla Tov means "good night" in hebrew and they are the "perfect protector for a good nights sleep." Each Lyla Tov monster is individual and unique, as they are all hand made in New York with love and attention.  Lyla, 5 years old, is the creative force behind the monsters and her very talented mother is the head seamstress, click here to read their bios.

We also love that the makers of Lyla Tov Monsters will be donating a portion of the proceeds to a children’s charity to help ensure that children the world over might have a better night’s sleep...great idea!

We think these monsters would make the perfect, unique gift for children. To shop all the Lyla Tov Monsters, click here.

Zipfy

Zipfy pronounced zip' fee

Now this looks like FUN!  "This is the easiest, safest, most exhilarating downhill sport ever!" (Zipfy's website) We have had an abundance of holiday toy magazines clogging up our mail lately and the Zipfy sleds keep showing up on the pages.  Clearly they are the hottest luge/sled right now!  And the coolest part is that they are manufactured in New York.  They are lightweight and they claim to be very safe since they are easy to stop and steer.  The Zipfy Classic comes in many incredibly vibrant colors that stand out in the snow.  It is recommended for ages 5 and up, and can hold an adult up to 250 lbs.  Wow, the whole family can enjoy!  Now the question is, who will have more fun: the kids or the adults?

Here are a few examples of the fabulous color choices:

To get your cool Zipfly, click here!  Have an exhilarating time!

For All Your Little Bobby Flays

We know that Christmas is a ways off, although with Christmas decorations on display in the stores since before Halloween how can the holidays not be on your mind just a little bit!  You may have already begun to consider what gifts to buy your children/grandchildren this year and in the next few months we will try to offer great ideas of Made in America holiday gifts.  To start off, here is one for the kiddos...

All of our children, boys and girls, love(d) play kitchens.  Our favorite (which is the one in our home) is the Little Tikes Grillin' Grand Kitchen and I would highly recommend it for your kids.  My kids love this kitchen set.  And I love that it keeps them busy and happy, it's pleasing to the eye and it's Made in the USA!  

Some of the my kids' favorite features are: the grill lights up and makes a "sizzling" sound when the knobs are pressed, the burner makes a cooking sound when the knobs are turned, the grill rotates at a 90 degree angle, the ice machine in the fridge dispenses fake ice, there is plenty of storage for the other accessories, and the coffee maker has a little pot.  

Here are a few more pictures of the kitchen set:

We have had ours for a few years now, it has been played with almost everyday...and it is still in excellent condition.  These kitchens are sold at Toys R Us stores.  So look for a coupon and get one early!

Blocks, blocks and more blocks

As children, we used to build castles and cities, roadways and train tracks all with wooden blocks.  We had a huge blue jean bag that was filled with all sizes and shapes of blocks.  Our imaginations did all the designing and our hands did all of the construction. Most of the time we built these castles right in the middle of the kitchen floor.  What better place then to be than right under our mom's feet?  Sorry mom!

Now days everything is plastic and imported.  But one company has perfected the good old wooden blocks and has stayed true to production in the USA.  The company is Beka  It was started by three brothers in Minnesota.  To read their story, click here.  Here are a few of the sets that they sell.

And they make other great products as well such as...

puppet theaters

and art tables.

To shop Beka products, click here.
Get building!

Coloring with Crayola

Call me strange, but I love the smell of a new box of crayons!  I love when you open the top and view all the beautiful colors with their sharp, untouched tips.  It brings back such great memories of coloring as a child. The crayons these days come in so many different shapes and sizes...hours of fun in a box!

 I went searching for a Made in the USA set of crayons not long ago and was surprised to find that Crayola manufactures crayons in America!

And then I realized that a lot of their products were made in America...

Their watercolors

Their bath drops

I contacted Crayola to inquire about their Made in the USA products and they responded, "At our manufacturing facility near our global corporate headquarters in Pennsylvania, we manufacture the majority of our products, including Crayola crayons and markers ~ 3.5 billion crayons and hundreds of millions of markers."

Wow, that is a lot of crayons and markers!  So when you see a Crayola product check the back to find out where it is manufactured, but many are made right here in America 

Have a colorful weekend!

Wonderous Wikki Stix

We love Wikki Stix!  Not only do our kids flex their creative muscles creating masterpieces with these simple yet magical waxed yarns, but we have also had fun creating figures and pictures with them.  Who'd have thought that a bunch of stix could provide such entertainment? 

 

They are definitely on to something...here are some examples from their website of what is possible with these stix:

Ours tend to look more like this:

Regardless of your abilities, they are a great toy for all ages...and happily they are Made in the USA!

We also love Wikki Stix because according to the company "they do not contain latex, gluten, nor peanut or other nut oils or byproducts which makes them an ideal creative activity toy for children with allergies."  You can read more about Wikki Stix here.

 

   Shop their Website here or click here to find a retailer near you that carries Wikki Stix.

Cozy Coupe

When your child turns 16, buying them a car is a huge commitment that comes with a lot of stress for many parents.  When your child is 2, buying them a toy car is an easy, stress-free decision.  We like those types of decisions!

What child doesn't love a toy car that they can open the door, get on in, steer and beep a horn?  Little Tikes has made the beloved "cozy coupe" for years and it has always been a childhood favorite!

Little Tikes cozy coupes are sold at many large, national retail locations such as: Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, and K Mart.  Or to find your favorite cozy coupe online, click here.

While not all Little Tikes toys are made in the USA, many are.  They are making a commitment to manufacturing many of their toys in the USA.  To shop all Little Tikes toys made in the USA, click here.

Green Toys

For my son's second birthday he received this truck from some friends.  

This truck is now 3 years old, has taken a beating, and yet still looks new.  Talk about a well made toy!  This is how I came to know Green Toys.  Since then I have been a huge fan!  They use recycled milk jugs as the main ingredient for their toys and all their plastic is BPA free. They truly are a "green" company and completely American made.  To read how their toys are made click here.

My kids love to play 'restaurant' and Green Toys makes the best kitchen toys.  All of the toys are dishwasher safe, making my job as Chief Germ Destroyer much easier.  Check out some of the kitchen toys.

If you want to shop Green Toys online click here. To find Green Toys at your local store click here.

It's Slinky, It's Slinky

The simplest of toys has lasted through the ages and is still a best seller.  Who doesn't love a Slinky! We can still sing the silly Slinky song...

It's Slinky, It's Slinky

for fun its the best of the toys

It's Slinky, It's Slinky

the favorite of girls and boys

We loved them as children and now our children love them.  Whether you have kids or need to tuck away a good gift idea for your favorite child, don't forget about this oldie but goodie!  Fabulously enough they are made in the USA (with the exception of their new Light Up Slinky and Slinky Dog Products)    Click here to find these slinky products online or you might find them at your local toy store.

Wooden Wonders

We have both bought wooden toys for our babies...they are durable and the kids have always loved them.  A friend told us about Maple Landmark Toys that are made in Vermont.  We haven't tried them out yet, but they make a ton of different toys (from blocks to teethers to rocking horses).  My son adores trucks, cars, planes and trains of any kind and Maple Landmark makes some great ones that we're going to try!   Click here to find a store near you who sells Maple Landmark Toys.   Or click here to purchase online.  Here are a few of our favorite wooden vehicles and planes (keep in mind as they mention on their website that the toys below have small parts and the company lists they are not appropriate for children under 3):

Semi Truck, Racing

Made By Me Truck (love this!)

Classic Bi-plane

Classic School Bus

Enjoy these toys made for you in the Red, White and Blue!

Dots

Our daughters love art...absolutely love it.  My son, however, not such a fan.  We found though that all the kids love dot art, which is a great variation from painting and coloring.  My son loves pounding the dotter on the paper, probably because it's like hammering a nail, and the girls love creating colorful designs.  Me, I love any art they all enjoy (and that keeps them busy)!  We have a lot of dotters in our house, and the best ones I have found come from a company called Do A Dot Art.  Fantastically enough, they are made right here in the USA.  Do A Dot Art makes both dotters as well as activity books for kids.  Here are a few pictures of items they sell.

Do A Dot Art Markers- 6 Pack Rainbow Colors $14.99

Do A Dot Art Markers- 6 Pack Mini Jewel Tones $14.99

Picture Me a Princess Activity Book $4.99

Mighty Trucks! Activity Book $4.99

Your local "learning/teaching store" will often carry these items or you can order them online by clicking here.

Note: While the dotter markers and all of the activity books are made in the USA, their Glam Art products (not found on the website) are not made in the USA.

Happy Dotting!

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

What kid doesn't love bubbles in the summer?  If your families are like ours, you always have a stash of bubbles on hand.  Bubbles pass the time, make children laugh and turn smiles upside down.  I went out in search of bubbles made in the USA and found some.  

Imperial Miracle Bubbles- you can find them at Walgreens or click here to buy them online.

Note:  While Imperial Miracle Bubbles are made in the USA not all toys made by Imperial Toys are manufactured in the USA.


Enjoy your bubbles made for you in the Red, White and Blue!