Earth Day has come and gone, but hopefully, the important lessons from the day continue to linger in your home, as I hope it will in ours, too.
There are so many fun and fabulous green toys on the market, especially now that the eco-friendly segment continues to grow as parents become increasingly more aware. But one concept of green toys I hope to see more of, are upcycled toys such as Makedo.
Makedo, a concept that I learned about at Toy Fair, is a connector system that enables materials including cardboard, plastic and fabric to easily join together to form new objects or structures.
Upcycling, in case you’re not aware, is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. Upcylcing is nothing new; think of those old refrigerator boxes-turned-living room forts. What about the homemade gocarts or custom dollhouses made with parts found in the garage?
The beauty of MAKEDO is that it simplifies the process of repurposing and recycling those old boxes and packaging to make into new toys. With these connectors, kids can create and play with objects, kid’s costumes, furniture, decorations for the home and whatever their imagination desires.
I absolutely love the premise behind MAKEDO, especially the upcycling, repurposing and encouraging imagination, not to mention, the company is socially responsible. These qualities, to me, epitomize what a green toy should be. And the best part—after you and the kids are done making your creation, you can take it apart and start over and create something new.
MAKEDO’s booth at Toy Fair showcased a wide range of robots and creatures, but check out their gallery to see all of the amazing structures and more.
In addition to being an awesome addition to the arts and crafts closet, I think Makedo is an ideal activity for rainy days. And teachers, don’t you think this would make a great learning tool?
MAKEDO, based out of Australia, is just starting to make their way to the U.S. Right now, they can be found online, and at $25 for one kit (69 pieces) with free shipping, Makedo is reasonably priced.
Expect to see more of MAKEDO…and hopefully, soon, we’ll see them on shelves here in the U.S. But for now, check out their nifty promo video:
how to makedo – extended version from MAKEDO on Vimeo.
