With toy recalls and reports of unsafe toy manufacturing and imports creating a cause for concern, in an effort to observe more sustainable choices, naturally, some families opt for greener toys made from renewable resources. And of course, a smart and economical alternative to mass produced toys are unique, handmade goodies. Beyond whittling your own collection of handmade toys yourself, thank goodness for the treasure trove that is Etsy! I always say this, but you can’t buy the kind of craftsmanship that you find in Etsy in a mainstream store —no matter what the product might be!
Today’s Etsy find is from a toy shop that I’ve featured before—I love these toys that much. Happy Squash Toys sent us a trio of Natural Cars for review, and based on the kid’s inability to put them down for one second, it’s official: they’re a hit.
Like most boys his age, our almost 2-year old is fascinated by anything with wheels or rolls. Cars, trains, animals with wheels, bikes, tractor trailers—you name it, he loves it. The Natural Cars from Happy Squash Toys are no exception. He loves wheeling them around the floor, furniture and whatever surface that will let him mobilize these cars. The trick is always finding a way to make all 3 roll at once since his little hands aren’t quite big enough to push them all at once yet. I love the way our little guy makes his own little car sounds when playing with the Natural Cars. I’ll take those sweet imaginative noises over the loud battery-operated honks, beeps and flashing lights any day.
The Natural Cars we received are made from Oak and finished with a safe and natural beeswax. The grain from the wood gives each car its own uniqueness. This particular set boasts three body shapes and is slightly chunky in size, making it perfect for a toddler or pre-schooler’s grasp. Each car is approximately 2.5 inches tall and between 4 to 5 inches long and comes in other wood such as cherry, poplar and ash. Sure, they’re not as flashy as many store-bought cars, but they’re just as loved.
The quality of these cars is simply incomparable; they’re gorgeous! (Can a toy car be considered gorgeous?) A wooden car that we own that the kid also loves is the car by Plan Toys. From months of wear and tear, the Plan Toys car has already started to chip. Though its paint is said to be safe, it just goes to show that the detail and care that goes into handmade products just can’t be replicated. To be fair, with the demolition derbies that go on in our house, this sort of wear and tear and paint chipping is to be expected. The Natural Cars appear to be durable and have so far withstood the destruction that toys for this age group tend to endure.
Sustainability and value, to me, should go hand in hand. At only $15 for the set of cars, when compared to other toy cars, the Natural Cars by Happy Squash Toys is an absolute bargain. The die-cast cars that many little kids love are probably in the $5 range these days; the Plan Toys wood car is right around $12, so at $15, the set of three handmade cars is a bargain.
Happy Squash Toys goes beyond pirate ships and cars, they also makes animals, dinosaurs, games and even custom orders—all of which are appropriate for boys and girls. In addition, with many of our little guy’s friends celebrating a birthday soon, I think the Natural Cars would make a truly unique and cool gift.
Speaking cool gifts, Happy Squash Toys is generously giving one NKT reader a set of the Natural Cars!
Want to win it?
Just tell me one of the other styles of cars that Happy Squash Toys makes. Please comment below.
For extra entries, share on any social networking site or tweet about this Happy Squash Toys giveaway!
This giveaway ends September 2, 2009. Good luck!
