Plush Toys Talk

Plush Toys meet the Internet

Keeping Imaginative Play Alive

Since the wild success of Webkins, many plush lines have adapted to include an online component. At first I was repelled by this trend. Plush toys in particular seem to belong in the realm of their owner's imaginations. The Velveteen Rabbit embodies my image of the perfect plush friend. That sweet animal lived in it's owner's private world as his imagination grew and his own creativity developed. He was a friend so cherished that he took on a life of his own in his child's world. This romantic vision has always defined my ideal of plush.

Folkmanis puppet's WebWilds line is threatening to change my mind.

The site is filled with fantastic information about animals and I love that kids can create an ecosystem for their puppets. It's a rich learning resource and I know that connecting facts and literacy with imaginative play provides an excellent opportunity for teaching. I just wonder if it comes at the expense of fostering creativity and imagination. I want my kids to learn what Koala's actually eat, but I also want them to pretend to dine on cake during high tea with their Koala and a princess.

There is room for both well designed Internet sites for kids and purely open ended imaginative toys, of course. The choices I've made have steered heavily away from technology, but I'm not always sure they are the right ones. I know I don't want my kids to spend all of their time online, but I also know that they live in a highly technological era and that education is very important so I'll probably need to change my mind a few times along the way.

Tween Plush

Britto's Fun Plush Prints

Our tween-aged daughter has declared that her room is no longer appropriate for entertaining. As part of her metamorphosis, the plush toys from her elementary school days have been banished to a bin in her closet. Yet part of her yearns to keep a connection with her younger self and she remains attracted to plush toys. Especially monkeys and butterflies.

Artist Romero Britto to the rescue!

The bright colors and trendy shapes of his new plush line are a perfect fit for her. She can decorate her bed with bright, happy butterflies and peace symbols that are fully in keeping with her middle-school aesthetic and she is saved from having to sacrifice her love of plush. Fortunately, these pillows and friendly animals are well-made and remain fun to look at even after months of pre-adolescent angst. Britto's artistic vision is one of hope and bettering the world, and his bright, hopeful work contributes to our daughter's optimistic vision of the future.

In addition to the quality, I especially like the lack of an internet tie-in. So many of the toys aimed at children in the 10 to 12 year-old range feature an on-line component that may parents despair of avoiding it. A friend of hers recently admitted to having an on-line "boyfriend" and my blood ran cold. After calmly explaining why this is a dangerous idea, and thanking her for confiding in me, I redoubled my resolve to keep the internet out of my tween's private spaces and I bought her a colorful Britto flower to go with her butterfly.

Bamboo Plush

Sustainable but not Always Organic

Many eco-friendly plush infant toys are being made from bamboo fibers. I love them because in addition to being good for the Earth, they take color well, are very soft and they are fully washable. They may also be healthier for babies. According to the Textile Exchange, bamboo fabrics are naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, even after multiple washings. Considering the amount of time baby toys spend in mouths and on the floor, this quality is exceptionally attractive!

Imagine my dismay when I learned that while bamboo is indeed sustainable and has many advantages over other types of textiles, the process of converting bamboo fibers to cloth sometimes uses toxic chemicals.

Fortunately, mechanical processing methods work equally well, although they are somewhat more expensive. Organic bamboo fibers must be mechanically processed to maintain their certification.

When choosing between organic cotton and organic bamboo, bamboo has several distinct advantages. In addition to it's natural germ resistance, bamboo is much easier to grow than cotton. Not only does it grow without pesticides, it doesn't need irrigation. This means that bamboo farms are much less destructive than organic cotton plantations.

Several US companies produce wonderful organic bamboo stuffed toys. Dandelion Toys and Blue Hallon toys both offer organic plush toys made of bamboo. A third company, Miyim even has a fantastic organic bamboo plush line for dogs with rope limbs great for catch! All three lines are certified organic and meet both US and European safety standards. Dandelion's toys are stuffed with corn fibers which resist clumping and make them perfectly machine washable. Blue Hallon's are stuffed with polyester made from recycled bottles.

Allergies & Stuffed Animals

"Look for asthma and allergy friendly certification on plush toys. "

According to the Asthma and Allergy foundation of America, 80% of Americans are exposed to dust mites on a daily basis, and those dust mites often trigger allergies. Getting rid of plush toys is high on list of suggested remedies. Relegating a sentimental stuffed animal from you childhood to the basement might be fine, but depriving your toddler of her favorite "friends" because the new baby has allergies is likely to be harder.

Fortunately, you have some options.

Look for asthma and allergy friendly certification on plush toys. This certification means that the animal was first frozen to kill any residual dust mites from the factory, and was tested to be sure that none remain. These toys are also machine washable so any new dust mites introduced during play can be killed in the laundry. The Asthma and Allergy Certification program maintains a website with certified toys listed and they also provide manufacturers with labels indicating that the toys have been tested.

Less severe allergies may not require full certification, but try to confine purchases to toys that are fully machine washable. Most stuffed animals state that they are only "surface washable" and while this may restore the toy to it's original cuteness, it isn't sufficient to kill dust mites or fully rid it of pollens and pet dander. Companies like Dandelion and Douglas offer fully washable stuffed toys. Dandelion toys are also both organic and corn-filled, both of which are thought to reduce allergies.