HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY (SAFE, NON-TOXIC) HOLIDAY
About this time of the year I start panicking. Not that I don't panic every other time of the year, it's just at this time of the year my panic has a real purpose. What do you get children that will keep them happy and quiet for an extended amount of time, make their eyes light up as they open it, and not do physical damage to them or anything in the near vicinity? With the recent lead paint scare in connection with toys, my panic reached a new height this year. There are, however, alternatives to the big box toy stores and the plastic battery powered commercial items whose main purpose is to indoctrinate your children into a cult overseen by a little animated figure.

Acompany that sells handcrafted items created by independent artisans and small cottage industries is Craftsbury Kids. Founded by mother and artist Cecilia Leibovitz, Craftsbury's mission is "to inspire children's imaginations, and encourage them to be themselves. We believe that children exposed to items created by artists lead more enriching lives!" Remember as a child that wooden work bench with the pegs, and the hammer you used to bang them in? I know they have plastic ones today, but just like the thunk of an aluminum bat is not as aesthetically pleasing as the crack of a wooden one, those plastic imposters cannot compare. Craftsbury Kids offers a Wooden Classic Toy Bundle, which comes with a classic wooden work bench, wooden stacking rings and jumbo lacing beads. If your child is not at a banging stage yet, the handwoven hemp teddy bears designed in Denmark and handmade in Nepal will become a favorite snuggle toy. Hemp is a renewable fiber that has 10 times the tensile strength of cotton and naturally does not mildew. For those future sailors, the toy wooden rocking dory will have them imagining pirate games and fishing expeditions worthy of Moby Dick. Craftsbury Kids' Web site is www.craftsburykids.com.

Nature's Crib is a small family-owned business in New York State on the Delaware River that provides organic products for babies, toddlers and parents. Their natural wood toys are handcrafted out of hard maple in Vermont by Maple Landmark. The natural wooden blocks will keep your toddler busy for hours, and if your younger child happens to decide to use them as a teething ring, no problem. The blocks are not painted. In addition, the natural wooden train sets will be a great stand-in for those lead paint train items that were recalled earlier this year. Nature's Crib can be reached on their Web site at www.naturescrib.com.

Another eco-friendly toy company that also has a philanthropic bent is Hazelnut Kids out of Traverse City, Michigan. Their toys are all made of natural wood or organic cotton and are fully functional with no batteries. The wooden toys are finished with nontoxic paints and finishes, using natural oils and beeswax. The organic soft toys are stuffed with natural materials instead of plastic pellets that can be toxic. They also have beeswax art materials that, even though I wouldn't serve them as a lunch entree, won't do any damage if your little one happens to find them palatable. In addition to the eco-friendly construction of the toys, for every item purchased Hazelnut Kids plants a tree through Trees For the Future, and one percent of the sales goes to land conservancy. You can reach them at www.hazelnutkids.com.

Planet Happy Toys also plants trees through Trees For the Future. Their mission is "to promote imaginative and intelligent play while setting a higher standard for children's products. We focus on carrying beautifully crafted natural toys, games, books, and more, and all of our products fall into at least one of the following categories: all natural, organic, fairly traded, green (environmental awareness), responsible (labor), and multi-use." Their Contemporary Dollhouse with Furniture is made from recycled rubber trees and finished with non-toxic water-based paint. For the musically inclined, the Ceramic Bird Water Whistle, designed and crafted in Vietnam from non-toxic materials by a fairly traded company, introduces your child to different pitches of sound based on the amount of water versus the amount of air. If you have a science prodigy running around your house, Planet Happy Toys offers a Hydrocar that introduces your child to the concept of hydrogen-fueled cars. Add water to the tanks on the rear of the vehicle and watch as the water is split into hydrogen and oxygen to fuel the car compliments of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Don't ask me how that works. Your child probably will be able to explain it once you get him the gift! Even though this toy is plastic and crafted in China, the concept it introduces is advanced and important to a world that needs to find alternative energy sources. You can reach this company at

www.planethappytoys.com.

If social consciousness forms the basis for most of your buying decisions, Global Exchange is the toy company for you. Their Web site is store.gxonlinestore. org, but you'd do better to just Google™ "global exchange toys." Global Exchange is an "international human rights organization dedicated to promoting environmental, political and social justice." Their toys are fairly traded and handmade. In addition, the country of origin is listed on each item. You can purchase teddy bears from Sri Lanka, hacky sacks from Guatemala, and handknit baby blocks from Nepal. My favorite is the Jamtown Musical Instrument Paks that bring together musical instruments from Ghana, Peru and Indonesia. It's a way to take that screaming, whining child and give them something that makes noise in a beautiful way!

Last but not least is a toy company that does not exist to be socially conscious or ecologically friendly, but was started by a group of dads whose mission is "to keep searching for toys that will inspire children and teach them, without them ever suspecting our motives!" Daddy's Toy Shop, as is typical of most dad-inspired activities, specializes in toys that are action oriented. The Beginner Band in a Box comes with a xylophone, a kazoo and castanets so your kid can start his own playroom band. Agood gift for the mechanically inclined is one of the Mighty Builders Building Kits for Kids, where your child can choose to build a wooden race car, jet plane, tow truck, sanitation truck or fire engine. There is no cutting or glue required - just a screwdriver. For those kids who want to fish just like daddy, the Let's Go Fishing kit comes with a wooden fishing rod and a red magnetic bobbin so your child can catch magnetized wooden fish. You can peruse all the daddy inspired gifts at www.daddystoyshop.com.

Whatever you choose to do for gifts this holiday, remember that the greatest gift of all is time. The time spent with the little ones in our life is an investment not only in their future but in the future of our world.

Happy Holidays! I