The Company The founders of Natural Pod are a family that had a hard time finding natural creative toys for their children who also came to find that other parents had the same concerns. They strive to provide natural toys for play and daily living that are mindful, creative and inviting for families. They are passionate about their work and hope that their products become heirlooms that are passed down from generation to generation.
Toy Concerns With scary recalls on toys with toxic levels of lead parents are becoming more and more concerned with the toys they buy their children. In a recent study, a coalition of environmental health groups tested 1200 children’s products and found that 35% contained lead- many of which were far above the standard level for recall in lead paint. Only 20% contained no trace of lead or other harmful toxins. (associated press 2007)
Our Review As a parent of a toddler I know that it is hard enough choosing the right toys for our children that are age appropriate, contain no small parts that can pose a choking hazard and that will help them develop important skills as they grow. Having to worry about toxins just makes it that much harder. Part of toddler learning and development is the fact that they like to explore with their mouths which makes the statistics that much more alarming.
When I was presented with an opportunity to review Natural Pod toys I jumped at the chance! Natural Pod has a large selection of beautifully crafted, imaginative toys for babies on up through preschool aged children. They are all high quality, natural and non-toxic. I was given Natural Stacking Rings for review. They are hand-crafted out of alder and western maple and finished with a blend of pure oils (no peanut oil). No dyes, perfumes or additives were used in making this toy. The rings have a smooth finish with no sharp edges. My 18 month old loves stacking the rings in different combinations and it keeps him thoroughly engaged. I love watching him play with the stacking rings. I can just see his mind working and concentrating on how he is going to stack them. I especially love knowing that he is completely safe even if he decides to have a little taste of a donut shaped ring 🙂
Natural Pod toys would make excellent Christmas gifts. Gift certificates are available and they even have a gift registry! The more I explore the Natural Pod website, the longer my list grows. There are so many fun and open-ended toys that I know my son would enjoy and that they will last so that his as-yet unborn sister will be able to enjoy them as well.
I was also able to try out one of the Natural Pod toys. I received the car for my selection. I figured with a new son, he needs some “boy” toys, but my daughter loves those toys almost more than she loves the girly ones. She has been zooming the car all around and it has been a lot of fun for her. It is very simple how it is put together and there are no small parts for children to choke on or any way get hurt. These definitely will make great Christmas gifts!
Natural Pod would like to offer our readers a 10% discount on their first order through December 31st, 2008 with code GCM08 at checkout. Explore their website and good luck narrowing down your list! 😉