Childrens Gift Ideas Blog Toys and gifts to inspire the Imagination

New Health Scare Over Scented Toys

Allergy-provoking chemicals in scented toys could be putting children's health at risk, US scientists are warning.

In research published in the Journal of Chromatography in April, chemist Ian Musack and his colleagues pointed out that while the use of fragrances in toys is limited in the European Union, no such restriction exists in the US.

"The emission of fragrance allergens from scented toys depends on the temperature and on the content of fragrance allergens present," Mr Musack said, adding that warmer temperatures increase the emissions of and exposure to chemical fragrances

Lourdes Salvador of anti-chemical campaign Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) America said: “Scent is a completely unnecessary addition to toys.

“It has nothing to do with the function of a toy and everything to do with branding at the expense of our children's health.”

MCS America advises parents not to purchase scented toys for their children, although they also advise all people to minimise the use of any fragrances or perfumes.

The group makes the following claims about fragrances:

• Some 3,000 – 5,000 chemicals are used in to produce fragrances, 95 per cent of which are derived from petroleum.
• Over 80 per cent of the chemicals in fragrance have not been tested for human toxicity, but some are listed on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hazardous waste list.
• The US perfume industry is not subject to government regulation and does not have to disclose any of the ingredients in fragrances.
• The US National Academy of Sciences includes fragrances among six categories of chemicals that it says should be tested as possible nerve poisons.

Dorset Museum Hosts Traditional Toy Exhibition

Beaminster Museum in Dorset is delighting children of all ages with a new display of traditional toys dating back 200 years this month.

The summer exhibition, entitled “When We Were Very Young: revisiting Childhood” celebrates two centuries of childhood wonder.

The exhibits include a child’s toy sword from the 1820s, tin-plate trains, lead farmyard animals, a classic wooden Noah’s Ark, paper model buildings, ivory dominoes and a porcelain doll.

Young visitors can follow the Teddy Trek take part in some of the children's games of bygone days.

While some manufacturers still offer traditional wooden toys, porcelain and lead figures and everyday items made from ivory are now things of the past for obvious reasons.

The exhibition also explores the darker side of childhood before our more enlightened times. A collection of images and objects from the 19th century to the 1970s show how children worked as well as played.

The Museum is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Bank Holiday Monday from 10.30am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 4.30pm and on Sundays from 2.30pm to 4.30pm

The “When We Were Very Young: revisiting Childhood” exhibition runs until September 5th.

Teddies Tended At Yorkshire Bear Hospital

A Yorkshire woman mends much-loved teddy bears from around the world at her home in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Dot Bird bought her first vintage teddy bear at an antique shop in Leeds 20 years ago. Her hobby became a full-time job, and now she is internationally renowned as an expert restorer and repairer of traditional soft toys.

Dot specialises in teddy bears made from the 1900s – when the ubiquitous toy first appeared – to the 1960s.

She has treated poorly old bears from as far away as Australia, America and Europe.

Some hold enormous emotional significance for their owners. One elderly woman's teddy, which Dot repaired after it was attacked by her dog, was her only memento of her parents who died in the Nazi Holocaust.

"A lot of times you are dealing with a childhood friend,” says Dot. “It is a great honour for me to be able to look after the bear, and restore it for someone, because it has been so precious."

"I never know what I'm going to get through the post, and when I open up the box containing the teddy bear, it's always a surprise. Some can be very quick to repair, others can take a long time.

"Sometimes I get a little frustrated when I have spent a whole day dyeing a piece of fabric to match the teddy bear and it still is not right, and I have to start again the next day.

"But then I remember that I am working with someone's precious teddy bear, and the history behind it," she added.

Avoiding the Hazards of Driving With Kids

Travelling with babies or children can be a nightmare. Here are some tips for parents on keeping children entertained and out of mischief and babies happy and quiet on long journeys.

1) Pack a bag for baby

Make sure that you take everything you need to keep your baby happy, comfortable and quiet. Dummies, comfort blankets, toys, baby milk or food, nappies, wet wipes and tissues plus a first aid kit of baby pharmaceuticals is a must for even short journeys.

2) Toys

For toddlers and older children, pack some of their more suitable toys for the journey, or buy as few cheap ones. Keep control of the toy stash and ration them out over the course of the trip so your kids don't get bored with them straight away and so that the car, train carriage or airline seating row doesn't get cluttered with discarded toys.

3) Games and Activities

Portable video game consoles, DVD and MP3 players or the lower-tech travel chess and chequers may keep older kids absorbed for hours, but it's worth learning some good old-fashioned traditional games and activities like I-spy, peek-a-boo, songs, story-telling,

4) The three Rs

Why not use the hours of travel to expand your children's minds? Pack reading and colouring books to keep your kids busy and get them educated at the same time. If you are travelling by road, get the children counting how many animals they can see such as cows, sheep, dogs, horses, or how many of each coloured cars you pass, but keep the numbers low so as not to bore the children.

Follow these tips and hopefully you will pass a pleasant journey with no complaints, sulks, tantrums, fights or naughtiness from your little 'uns.

Soft Toy Auction Could Raise £1 Million

A collection of luxury traditional teddy bears could fetch more than £1 million when it goes under the auctioneers hammer in London on October 13.

Experts at Christie's auction house in London's Kensington have valued the private collection of 1,300 stuffed toys by high-quality – and high-cost – German manufacturer Stieff at between £800,000 and £1.2 million.

The company said that the collection presents a "unique" opportunity for museums and collectors from around the world.

Announcing the auction, Christie's said that this was "largest and best quality collection" still in private hands.

Founded in Germany in the late 19th century by Margarete Steiff, the firm is famous for its hand-finished bears, elephants, rabbits and other animals with a trademark button sewn into ear to prove their authenticity.

Teddy bear specialist Daniel Agnew said: "It's pretty much unique. There is such an amazing array and it's in such fabulous condition. It really is a once in a lifetime collection."

Mr Agnew described Steiff as the "Rolls-Royce of the soft toy world."

He expected the collection to be split up, with international museums and collectors snapping up items, although he said it would be "lovely" if it was kept together.

"You've got an instant museum there which would look wonderful on display," he said.

An air of mystery surrounds the auction with the collector's identity and reasons for selling being kept secret.

Christmas Comes Early For US Toy Retailers

US toy shops have hit upon a new wheeze to increase sales during the recession – Christmas in July.

In a ruse seemingly lifted directly from the seasonal film favourite Santa Claus: The Movie, starring Dudley Moore, retailers launched Christmas II – The Sequel last summer.

Several large stores in New York – including Toys R Us, Sears and K-Mart – decked their halls with boughs of holly and employed off-season Santa Clauses in an attempt to boost flagging sales. This year discount retailer Target has jumped on the bandwagon.

Target spokeswoman Molly Hanus said: "We really wanted to create that sense of excitement, that sense of urgency."

The official justification for this unseasonal seasonal jollity is to help people spread the cost of Christmas over more of the year. But it is hard not to suspect that it is just a hard sell aimed at parents with impressionable young children.

Not all retailers think it's a good idea. J C Penney chief marketing officer Mike Boylston said: "Customers don't like it when you push Christmas too early."

Consulting firm Accenture global managing partner for retail Janet Hoffman considers the July holiday sales "a risky bet," warning that while consumers could be inspired to buy more, summer promotions could also reduce back-to-school spending and depress December business.

Local toy shop faces closure to make way for ‘big brand’ retailer

St Albans residents are being asked to show their support for a traditional toy shop facing closure this month.

the St Albans and Harpenden Review reported that The Little Wonders toy shop will be evicted from its town centre premises at the end of July in favour of a “big branded client”.

Owners Elena Ripoll and Andrew Mott are unable to pay the £53,000 annual lease on their shop in the Maltings shopping centre demanded by the landlord, nor can they afford to relocate to another shop.

The shop, which specialises in toys for 0 – 7 year-olds opened eight years ago.

In 2009 it was awarded a Retailer of the Year prize for its welcoming atmosphere and expert knowledge provided by staff, and also came first in the Specialist Shops category.

Ms Ripoll and Mr Mott have post signs announcing the pending closure in their shop window and have launched an online petition to save their business at http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savelittlewonders.

Ms Ripoll told local reporters: “If we lose our business, we lose our home."

Chorleywood resident Lucy Hurst said: "Little Wonders is what makes St Albans different. Independent shops like this one enhance the look of the city.

"It sells such beautiful and unique toys which you don't find at other toy stores. It's such a nice experience to shop there because you don't get pushed into buying anything and they are so kind."

St Albans resident Lucy Needham added: "I have always bought toys for my nephew and grandchildren from here. It's a proper toy shop and that's what I love about it."

The near-forgotten charm of paper dolls

A once-popular but now oft-forgotten category of traditional toys is the paper doll, a cheap and simple form of amusement for children for children and adults for hundreds of years.

Strictly speaking, the term includes only dolls that have accompanying clothing or costumes. But paper figures have existed for thousands of years. Asian peoples have used paper figures in ritual ceremonies for over 2000 years, and other civilisations have made popular art forms from paper for centuries.

The earliest use of paper dolls in Europe was in the fashion industries of France, Austria, Germany and Britain in the mid-18^th century. These dolls were hand painted and made to entertain adults. They were often used to display the fashions of the day, or to represent popular figures of the time.

These kinds of dolls were first manufactured in Britain and North America in the early 19^th century and many were exported from Europe to America in the late 19^th century.

Cut-out paper dolls began to appear in magazines in the mid-19^th century and in newspapers from about 1890. The dolls would be printed on one page, with clothing and costumes (which could be coloured in by hand) on the next page.

These simple dolls became very popular in the early 20^th century. They provided cheap amusement for children and were especially popular during the Great Depression, when money was scarce.

Paper dolls included recurring characters. Some were short-lived, but others are still around today. They include Barbie and Ken, Blondie (the comic strip, not the pop group), Dennis the Menace, Judy Garland and many other film stars, celebrities and cartoon characters from the age of silent movies onwards.

Fashion paper dolls appeared in the 1940s, with designs by Louis Vuitton shoes, Timberland boots and a host of gifted artists.

Paper dolls are still popular and are an endearing childhood treasure, both as toys for children and as a curiosity for collectors.

Plastics Health Scare Sparks Demand For ‘Organic Toys’

In recent years there has been increasing concern over the possible health risks of a group of chemicals called Phthalates or plasticisers.

Phthalates are added to plastics to make them softer and more flexible. They are found in a variety of household items such as toys, shower curtains, vinyl flooring and even medicinal pills.

Phthalates are released from plastics as they slowly break down into their chemical components. Babies and toddlers love to put their toys in their mouths (and everywhere else), increasing the chance that they will ingest these chemicals.

While the effects of phthalates on children's health and development are as yet uncertain, widespread concern has led to some classes of plasticisers being banned for use in toys and childcare products since 1999 in the European Union and since 2008 in the United States.

Some toy manufacturers have since declared that they will not use phthalates in any of their products. However, the scare has sparked demand in 'organic' traditional toys.

While carving, sewing and knitting home-made toys is a thing of the past for most families, many companies still make toys from organic materials such as wood and natural fabrics.

One on-line retailer which specialises in high-quality, educational and creative traditional toys is The Imagination Station.