a quick guide to safe non-toxic, plastic-free play for your babes
What is Toxic Play?
If you’re a parent aiming to lead a non-toxic life, make sure you consider detoxing your kiddo’s toy bin. As a parent living in the 2021, you'd hope that any toy made for your baby should be safe, but unfortunately not all baby toys are completely harm-free. Toxic exposure is especially a big concern for young kiddos because of their frequent hand-to-mouth activity.
Toys are fundamental to a babe's development, however if not consciously made, they tend to contain toxic materials like:
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Bisphenol (BPA)
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Lead
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Formaldehyde
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Phthalates
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Cadmium
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Flame retardant chemicals
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Petroleum
These hard-to-pronounce toxins are commonly found in plastic toy products. Research shows: lead is linked to neurotoxicity, phthalates have been linked to increasing the risk of asthma and eczema , BPA is linked to disrupting normal development and prompting hormonal disturbance. Scary, right?
What’s the Alternative?
Just because mainstream toy producers don’t pay attention to chemical hazards doesn't mean you don't have to! Thankfully, there are alternatives and as a consumer, you have the power to choose what you buy. After all, it is better to be proactive and double-check for toxic materials before a toy is recalled. Put simply, the safest toys are ones that are devoid of the previously hard-to-pronounce chemicals mentioned above.
here are a few easy tips for shopping toxic-free:
- Opt for toys made with wood
- Ditch the plastic and opt for dolls made with natural fiber
- Stick to teethers made from safe-woods, such as maple, alder, or pine
- Double-check that paint-finished toys are VOC-free
- If you're shopping for non-wooden toys, make sure you're buying natural rubber, latex, or silicone
- Avoid toys that could have metal contamination
Wooden Baby Toys
Non-Toxic Teethers
Plastic-free, Silicone Toys