MAIN Toy Reviews Eco-Friendly Toys

With the move toward earth-friendly products and eco-friendly gifts becoming more popular year after year, toymakers specializing in eco-friendly toys have really taken off as the go green movement catches on worldwide.

While independent toy manufacturers have led the way, major nationwide toy manufacturers have jointed the bandwagon in response to growing demands by parents for environmentally safe toys made from natural, sustainable or organic materials,

What makes a toy earth-friendly?

Green toys are those that perfectly dovetail into the "reduce, reuse, recycle" principles of environmental sustainability. (In addition, buying toys at craft fairs or neighborhood markets reduces their carbon footprint since shipping is not required.) Generally, their manufacture saves fuel, reduces greenhouse gases, and keeps usable materials from local landfills.

To that end, eco-friendy toys are also usually made of the following materials:

• rubberwood - From trees that produce all of the world's latex rubber, rubberwood is actually a sturdy material that is a byproduct of rubber manufacturing. At one time, these trees were burned to make way for another crop after they stopped producing sap after 25-30 years. Today, instead of going up in smoke, rubberwood is used by toymakers to make toys of unusual beauty and durability.
  
  
• bamboo - Used for centuries in China for building houses, boats and furniture, bamboo is a sustainable grass, as tall as a tree, which grows back in three years and remains a lightweight, flexible and strong material perfect for kids toy manufacturing.
  
  
• organic cotton - Because traditional cotton farming results in the greatest use of pesticides than any other crop, choosing plush toys or dolls made of organic cotton goes a long way toward reducing the amount of pesticides that find their way into the water supply.
  
  
• recycled materials - Toys made from commonly recycled materials range from structural plastic outdoor playsets to plush toys made from recycled yarn and other reclaimed products.

Recent health scares have also produced a public outcry against the use of lead paint or suspected harmful plastics by toymakers. Phthalates or BPA, suspected of adverse health effects in young children, has resulted in at least one US state (California) banning their use in 2009.

Eco-Friendly toy reviews and buying guides

Just up ahead, find out more about popular green toys, with first-hand reviews from our Toy Guru team, along with a collection of top resources with information on how to choose and where to buy eco-friendly toys around the Web:

More about eco-friendly toys around the Web:

Natural, Earth-Friendly Toys for Kids - A good resource list of online stores selling organic cotton dolls, wooden toys, science kits, educational games and more.

The Best Kids Toys - Green Toys - Regular blog posts with reviews of top toys made from natural or recycle materials.

How to Buy Inexpensive Green Toys - eHow guide with reviews of top sites around the Net for finding the best prices on solar-powered toys those from natural or recycled materials.