Down To Earth Toys

Bread Making Kids

Have 60 minutes? Make great tasting bread with your kids!

Have a bread machine? Here is a super easy and yummy recipe that we love to make at home!

Carrin's Garlic & Rosemary Bread (1.5 pound loaf)

1 cup and 2 Tbsp hot water (115-125 degrees F, use thermometer to test)

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp white sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried Rosemary

1 tsp garlic cloves

3 cups bread flour

4 1/2 tsp Quick Rise or highly active bread machine yeast

Add all wet ingredients to bread machine. Add flour and make a well in the center, add yeast. Set bread machine to Expressbake (58 minute) cycle and press start.

These days it seems plastic is everywhere. It is used for bottles, containers, toys, and many other items we use daily. Plastic has been an affordable material, but the hidden cost may be our health. Many plastics leach harmful chemicals into food and drinks. The dangers are increased when plastics are exposed to excessive heat such as in a microwave or dishwasher.

What can you do to insure you aren't feeding these toxic chemicals to your children? If possible replace your plastic food storage containers with glass containers. If you are going to store food in plastic containers at least reheat the food on a plate and don't put the plastic in the microwave.

Some plastics are safer than others. Select safe plastics that use polyethylene (#1, #2, and #4) and polypropylene (#5), which require the use of less toxic additives. They also are non-chlorinated. Avoid choosing products that use polyvinyl chloride (#3), polystyrene (#6), and polycarbonate (#7) which often are found in baby bottles or sippy cups.

Be aware of plastic in your child’s surroundings. There are so many options for children's natural toys including fabric dolls, playsilks and wooden toys. There is no reason to subject your loved ones to the toxins in petroleum based toys.

The chemical that is released from polycarbonate plastics is Bisphenol A (BPA). Many recent studies show that exposure to BPA may cause negative health effects. BPA leaching is greater in polycarbonate that is scratched or showing signs of wear.

Another chemical to be concerned with is polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC plastics may expose you to lead since lead is used as a stabilizer in PVC. The lead breaks down with exposure to heat and light. PVC forms hydrochloric acid when it degrades, which causes the plastic to lose strength. Stabilizers, often times lead are added to prevent this deterioration from occurring.

Use of certain plastics may also result in exposure to phthalates. You may digest diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) from using plastic food wraps for storage. DEHP is classified as a probable human carcinogen and also causes health problems, such as liver and kidney abnormalities. Breathing dust contaminated by phthalates that have escaped from vinyl products used in the home may be a significant exposure for children. Also, many children’s toys are made out of phthalate-softened vinyl.

Recent studies have linked plastics to endocrine disruption in babies, many cases of cancer, birth defects, and poor brain and nervous system development.

BPA exposure may impair brain function, leading to learning disabilities. A study on lab rats found that exposure to BPA before birth permanently changed DNA, increasing the odds of developing cancer.

The bottom line is that plastic definitely poses a health risk. When you think of the plastic you may have in your home or that you allow your children to play with, it is scary. There are many other options available for food storage and for children's toys. Your child would be just as happy with organic and natural toys.

More on Imaginative Play

Think back to your childhood. What are some of your fondest memories? What kind of things do you remember playing? What were your favorite toys?

For me it really was all about imaginary play. I remember spending many hours making mud pies, playing house in a neighbor's fort and dressing up.

Looking back it was never really about the toys. I asked for and received the latest and greatest toys put out by the large toy manufacturers of the time, but that isn't what made the playtime fun. It was really my imagination or ideas my sisters or friends came up with. The toys were simply a tool to bring out situations to let my imagination run wild.

A stroll through the toy section at a big box store is shocking. If you look at toys as a tool to unlocking your child's imagination for creative play, the big box store is not the place to shop. Most mass produced toys have a predetermined plan for how your child should play with it. They usually have buttons to push to make the lights and noise begin. Many toys available want you to do something and watch the show, then do it again. They don't open new doors for your child's creativity to be expanded. No wonder kids always want to play in the box it comes in, this allows them to use their imagination.

Even dolls aren't dolls anymore! The dolls I've seen advertised lately talk to you, pee when you feed them water, or even swim when you put them in water. So instead of your child making up a situation on their own they are taught to play off of what the doll says to them or the doll is made of such a hard plastic to make it swim. You can't hug or snuggle with a hard plastic doll. It is much harder to truly fall in love with a hard plastic doll than a soft snugly doll you can sleep with.

I believe that we are who we are thanks to the experiences we have had. I think that childhood play is a big part of the adult we grow into. That is why our son is playing with open-ended natural toys, dress up clothing items, and lost of mud and sticks. Give them the tools to let their imaginations run wild!

Teaching about the Natural World

Spring is here! All the little critters are coming back out and trying to find ways into your house. How do you teach your children to deal with Nature in your house? Do you teach them that all of these creepy crawlers are important to the natural world around us? Or do you smash them and use harmful chemicals to put them out of their misery?

I understand that many people are scared of spiders. Arachnophobia is a serious condition for many Americans. But spiders actually play an important role for the ecosystem around your home.

This is a great opportunity to teach your children about the world around them. Children can learn that everything even these little bugs are important in the greater cycle of life. Teach your children that Spiders are actually the original insecticide. They help reduce the number of other pests including flies and mosquitoes. Then they become food for birds, wasps, and other animals.

Catching the bugs and spiders and releasing them outside is an opportunity for your child to see these creatures up close and learn about them. Your child doesn't learn anything productive from smashing bugs. And the use of hazardous chemicals is very dangerous to your child. Research shows that conventional bug sprays contain toxic chemicals that harm your child's brain and nervous system. These important organs are still developing in your child and can be very harmful for exposure to all kids under the age of 12.

So do the right thing and be the fun mom who catches bugs and lets the kids check them out and learn about all the different parts of this exciting world we live in.

Take a peek at our Nature Box, it's a perfect way to carry critters and encourage discovery!

Children and the importance of living a sustainable lifestyle

It seems like there is a lot of talk about being green or making changes in our lives to live more sustainably. You might hear about a local tree planting or the local super market giving away reusable bags to celebrate this event, but what can you do to bring a natural way of living into your home and why should you bother?

The argument in the media about global warming is pretty well known and both sides get pretty heated about how to interpret the science. To me the bottom line is that our society is living in a disposable world where we throw away everything. We don’t seem to be phased by plastic spoons, paper plates, plastic bags, and way too much packaging.

We recently visited a local county landfill as a family. This is an eye opening event for adults and kids too. It is very important to start the conversation with our children about where our trash goes and what impact our daily choices have on the Earth. Most children would be in awe at the pile of garbage and immediately want to do everything they could to help reduce waste.

It is pretty overwhelming when you live in a society that has accepted a disposable lifestyle. However, the idea of throwing everything away isn’t that old. Disposable diapers have only been considered the standard for about 30 years, plastic bags and plastic forks were introduced in the 1950’s, paper plates may have been invented 100 years ago but most elderly people are shocked at how easily we all throw things away.

The attitude change has happened in my own lifetime. This relatively new trend is not something we have to accept. In fact, I think it is extremely important to help our children see the big picture so they can right the wrongs of our generation, after all, we are handing this problem down to our children and grand children to solve. The only way to make a real difference is to start the conversation in your own home.

So how can you bring a love and respect for the Earth into your home? I think looking at your homes garbage is a great place to start.

What items do you bring into your home?

You can buy used and repurposed goods, items made of natural or recycled materials, and quality items that can be reused for many years. All of these help lessen the amount of garabge that your family sends to the landfill.

What do you do with trash in your home?

Items that can’t be reused should be sorted as compost, recycling, scrap paper, potential art projects, and at a last resort they go in the trash. If you can teach your own children to question the way we look at garbage there is hope that they can stop this destructive path of a throw-away society.

You can use all the reusable bags in the world but it won’t do any good unless you are creating a sustainable mindset in the eyes of your children. Real change starts at home. I hope you will consider ways your family can create a positive change within your own home that go beyond Earth Day and become part of your daily lives.

Connecting Kids with Nature: Plant a Garden

One easy way to show children the wonderful powers of nature is to plant a backyard garden or to become active with a community garden. I think it is very important for kids to understand where food comes from. Many children these days think food just comes from the supermarket; all prepackaged and covered in corn syrup.

Growing food in your back yard is healthy, saves some money on the grocery bill, allows you time to spend time together as a family, and teaches kids how plants grow. Nothing makes me happier than to see my child picking carrots out of the garden and taking a bite. My neighbor's daughter even sneaks tomatoes out of the garden and eats them like an apple.

The entire gardening process is a valuable lesson for children. My son loves helping mom and dad prepare the soil, plant seeds, water the garden, pull weeds, and of course he really enjoys harvesting. Kids can also get involved in composting and seed collecting. Starting a garden in the spring is a great way to commit to teaching them about nature all summer long. The lessons your child will learn about growing food will affect your child for their entire lifetime.

A lot of us remember backyard gardening with our parents each summer. That time in the sunshine with them is something you never forget. So if you already garden, make sure to think of ways the kids can help out this year. If you don't garden, why not start a small garden this year. If space is an issue start with one tomato plant in a planter on the patio.

Kite Kits!

We've been keeping it a secret, but they are finally here! Our paper kite making kits are guaranteed to provide an afternoon filled with fun!

Our son and his cousins were fortunate enough to test them out over the weekend.

First, decorate your kite. You can use markers, crayons, paint, stickers, glitter or whatever you'd like. The more colorful the better.

Next, trim your kite. Our kid's scissors are just the perfect size for this activity.

Attach your string and get ready to take it outside for its maiden flight! You will be amazed at how easy it is for kids 5 and up to get this kite into the air. I had 3 kids that I thought would need help, but none of them did. I had the opportunity to just sit back, take pictures, and smile.

My son's only advice after the entire process....listen to your Mama when she tells you to keep it away from the trees!

You will only find this kit at Down To Earth Toys!

Last minute Easter Basket ideas

There is still time to pick up a few items for your child's Easter basket.

Just in time for Spring, your child will love our new 21 inch Pastel Playsilks. These make a great replacement for plastic Easter grass.

Don't forget the bunnies! Our Felt Chocolate Easter Bunny will bring a smile, and our Organic Cotton Bunny will instantly get a big hug.

Don't forget about our Toys under $20 category. You are guaranteed to find something wonderful!

Today only...Use code "Bunny" at checkout and receieve a free upgrade to Priority Shipping (select Priority option and $3 will be deducted from your total). Valid through Midnight EST 4/17/11.

Natural Easter Basket Ideas

Looking for alternatives to plastic grass and candy this year? Here are some great ideas for creating a memorable Easter Basket for the child in your life.

Playsilks make the best substitute for that messy plastic grass. Place one in the bottom of the basket to add a bright splash of color and a warm texture. Starting at $3.95, our playsilks come in the following sizes:

Each one of our colorful playsilks is hand sewn and hand-dyed in the USA. Use code "eastersilk" at checkout to receive 10% off your playsilks, now through 4/10/11.

Wooden Eggs won't ever spoil! After Easter ends, children love to incorporate these in their imaginative playtime.

For the young

musician in your family, consider our always popular Wooden Egg Shakers. They are handmade and Fair Trade Certified from Bali.

Lastly, don't forget about Arts and Crafts Supplies! Customer favorites, that will fit nicely into a small basket include Mama K's Aromatic Play Clay and Soy Crayon Rocks (don't they look like jellybeans?).

Art Products Stockmar-Lyra-Mercurius

We are so happy to share with you our extended art supply product line. We have gotten a lot of requests for more Stockmar, Lyra and Mercurius art supplies, so here they are!

Our improved selection now includes:

We love to see your children's artwork. Feel free to post your pictures on our Facebook page!

New Toys from Gluckskafer

New kitchen and beach/garden tools are here from Europe. So cute!

Aluminum plates, cups and saucers will be the talk of any tea party. Also, they will love our new Little Spoon and Bowl Set. Pefect for feeding dolly or baby. You will find plenty of other Natural Toys and Organic Toys in our shop.

We know a lot of you have been waiting for our Gard en and Beach Tool Set to come back. It's here just in time for some Spring digging!

Palmer's Playhouse Review

Yesterday, my son was saying "Mommy, I need you to get a box from the basement so that I can make another puppet show." Literally, within moments, we heard a knock at the door. It was FedEx with a box. Our Palmer's Playhouse had arrived!

It arrived in a box that had the instructions clearly displayed on the outside. The box also serves as a storage space for the Palmer's Playhouse when it's not in use.

The cardboard house was really easy to set up. The box says that it can be set up in under 2 minutes, which is quite accurate. After my son supervised my work, he ran around it to explore all of its features. He loved the fact that it had so many windows, a chimney and 2 doors!

The playhouse measures 58 inches tall by 30 inches wide and folds up to store inside of a 30"x 43"x 2.5" box.

This playhouse is a child's dream come true. Lots of imaginative playtime has already occured inside of ours.

It was a quick scramble around the house to find furniture and other items that would fit inside of his new residence. He managed to find some furnishings (including the rug that usually lives in our foyer....it fit perfectly inside, and now he has carpeting).

We were really excited to have the opportunity to add the Palmer's Playhouse to our ever expanding selection of American Made Toys. Once we found out that these were designed and made in Michigan, our home state, we just had to share them with our customers.

As I type, my son has markers and stickers out, and is working on his new home's decor. This toy is a huge hit!

New Wooden Pretend Play Toys

As we add to our selection of toys for older children, we are including more imaginative toys. Wooden toys are unique in that they have such a great feel and radiate warmth. Children will long remember the wooden toys that they played with when they were young. Our new additions won't be ones that they forget about any time soon.

Our Wooden Ba lance Scale provides opportunities for learning during play time. Your child will have fun discovering how many weights equal their favorite small toy.

A Tabletop Ironing Board is a toy that can be easily moved from place to place. Durable and easy to manipulate, this is a great toy for children ages 2 and above.

Our Art Box is the perfect companion for any kid on the go. It has a both dry erase and chalkboard surfaces to draw on. Inside is a storage area for chalk, markers, crayons or anything they might want to carry along with them.

Don't forget to keep an eye on our New Arrivals page as we will be adding lots of new things this Spring!

Our First Spring Arrivals

New toys are being added to our shelves for Spring. We have added items from several new toymakers. Here is a peek at our new wooden puzzles....Made in USA!

Loyalty Point Giveaway!

We want to enhance your shopping experience. We also want your feedback so that we know which of our toys you love the most. Down To Earth Toys will now feature Product Reviews!

Now through January 31st, review one of our toys and receive free loyalty points* (see rules below)! For every toy you review, we will add 50 bonus loyalty points to your account. What does that mean? For every 3 toys you submit reviews for, you will recieve a total of $6 toward your next purchase. Basically, that is FREE SHIPPING!

Want more free loyalty points? Submit a photo of our toys in action. For every photo we use on our website, you will receive 100 free points! See details below**.

*Rules for submitting reviews to earn loyalty points:

You can review as many toys as you like, as long as you purchased them from Down To Earth Toys.
You must have an active customer account. If you need help logging in, please contact us .
You must submit your name along with each review. We will NEVER publish your name, but need this information in order to credit loyalty points to your account.
Your loyalty point balance must reach 150 points before an automatic gift certificate for $6 will be issued and emailed to you.
This promotion ends at Midnight EST on January 31, 2011.
To view our standard Loyalty Point policy click here.

**Photo submission rules:

Photo must be of a toy that you purchased from Down To Earth Toys.
You must have an active customer account. If you need help accessing your account, or need help setting one up, please contact us.
For every photo submitted that we use on our website, your account will be credited 100 loyalty points.
Submit your photos to photos [at] downtoearthtoys dot com
Photos must be submitted before Midnight EST on January 31, 2011.