Look what arrived yesterday!

Safari loved the finger puppets

. . but Bluey the dog was her favourite!

These gorgeous wool felt toys are simply stunning and have given new life to Safari’s playroom. They are handmade in Nepal (fair trade) and designed right here in Melbourne by Australian designer Renske Carbone. I am still adding the products to my store so keep a  look out for them!

We want to hear from you, our customers on what you think of our website, products & services and any toys you would like to see. So please complete our online survey and you will go in the draw to win a $75 gift voucher to spend at Eco Toys!!

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Yes you read right! We’ve had lots of customers asking us if we have a store to buy from so we decided to be part of the Melbourne organic Expo. I’m so excited that we can finally give our  Melbourne customers a chance to come  and see us and shop directly from us. Not only that we will be launching our new range of felt toys and other new wooden toys that I’m sure everyone will just love.

I went to the Organic Expo in Melbourne 2 years ago (alternates between Sydney each year) and it was one of the best Expo’s I have ever been to. I was carrying  a 4 month old baby in my sling and I got a chance to get lots of free samples of baby care products, food, snacks, you name it as well as see some of the most beautiful organic products available in Australia. Oh did I forget the food? Please don’t eat before you come as you’ll get to sample some of the most delicious and finest organic food in the world and yes that includes chocolate, wine and cheese!

See us in the Green show area on stand 147 and plese come and say hello! For all the kids there is a organic kids fun zone area so penty to do for everyone and a great day for the family to enjoy.

Play is central to every facet of a child’s development, yet it is often overlooked and regarded by many as unimportant. In today’s fast paced world we seem to value tests scores and academic success at a younger and younger age loosing site of the foundation upon which all learning is built - play.

The benefits of play encompass all areas of a child’s development and carry over into all areas of adult life.

Young children learn best when allowed to play freely at activities of their own choosing. When a child is allowed time to explore, create and experiment freely with adult support (rather than adult direction) they develop the skills needed to succeed in life.

Through play, children learn complex social skills, such as sharing, taking turns, and making friends. They develop confidence, are able to process and express their feelings, and work through difficult situations in a safe way. Play encourages problem solving, creative thinking, versatility, imagination and inventiveness - all  traits that are valued in the adult workforce. Play builds the cognitive skills needed to learn later academic skills such as reading, writing, numeracy, science and more. Play encourages language, communication skills and creativity. Play allows a child to blossom and grow into an active learner.

We all want our children to be successful and competent in our complex, fast paced world, and one of the best ways to prepare a child for this world is by simply letting them play…. or better yet, follow their lead, join in and play with them!

Article kindly written by Kate Fairlie, photos courtesy of Barefoot magazine.

I always love it when I get more wooden rattles as each box that arrives is slightly different than the last.

Today I received a box of our beautifully hand carved cherry wooden rattles and teethers so they are back in stock. These gorgeous rattles make a perfect gift for a newborn as they are light and easy to hold. I couldn’t resist taking some photos on the rocks by the pond, the rattles blended in perfectly with nature!

These rattles are handcarved from cherry wood and have organic beeswax & Jojoba oil applied to them making them a completely safe and natural teething toy and rattle.

Eco Toys is offering its newsletter subscribers a 10% discount on their entire order for the last week of June. Don’t worry if your not on our email list then all you need to do is sign up  and you are immediately emailed a coupon code that you enter during the checkout process.

So if you want to grab some great bargains then hurry up as some stock is limited and may run out before the end of the week.

Minimum order of $30 applies and sale ends on 30th June (standard eastern time).

Please note that some stock is limited so this sale only applies to what we currently have in stock. The highchairs & Rainbow puzzle blocks have already sold out within the first 2 days of sale!

Every child loves to create their own magical kingdom and this beautifully handcrated wooden castle can make your child’s dreams come true.

Not only can the pieces be put together to build any sort of castle you like, they can be used as building blocks for younger children.

These blocks are completely natural, they have no finish or laquers on them so you can smell and feel the warmth of the timber.  Great for sensory exploration and even safe to chew on.

Whats more its made right here in Melbourne by a very talented  Grandfather who loves making wooden toys for children so you can’t get more eco friendly than that!

I can already see this beautiful wooden castle is going to be a hit! It comes complete with a horse & knight set.

The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year, but marks the moment when the days start to lengthen towards Spring, new hope and new life.

There are lots of magical things to do and see this weekend so grab a warm blanket, beanie and scarf and head out to one of the many child friendly festivals on this weekend. I’m still trying to decide which one to go to but I can’t wait to spend time with my wonderful friends & family.

In Melbourne there are 3 main events: Ceres Yule celebration, Solstice celebration at Federation Square or the Collingwood Children’s Farm.

There is a huge 3 day festival in the Tablelands (near Cairns)  if you are up for some camping, awesome music and workshops (how come I find out about all these great events in Cairns after we move back to Melbourne?).

Some other good festivals are the Burleigh Solstice festival in the Gold Coast which has lots of  fun activiites for children, Northey street city farm in Brisbane, Winter magic festival in Katoomba N.S.W, Lismore Lantern parade or if you are in Hobart then head to the Antartica midwinter festival.

And if you really want to party this weekend there is also a great cultural festival called Emerge happening  this Sunday from 12pm in Melbourne at Fitzroy town hall & adjacent streets. Anyone that knows me knows how much I love African culture, people & music! This festival will feature 2 stages of world music, free cultural workshops & inspiring performances form Melbourne’s most newly arrived African communities, local Indigenous and Pacific artists.

I promise to update with plenty of photos!

I was playing around with our new camera today and got some beautiful photos of our  Rainbow Puzzle Blocks. This Steiner inspired toy is just gorgeous and the possibilities for play are endless.

My daughter &  I built arches, patterns, tracks, tunnels and twirls!

These blocks look fantastic displayed in your child’s room.

These blocks make a perfect gift as they really are unique and whats more they are made locally, right here in Melbourne by a lovely man Mike who has been making wooden toys for children for a very long time.

I had a delivery over the weekend of the winter issue of Barefoot magazine & I couldn’t wait to curl up on my cosy lounge and have a read.

I must say as soon as I opened it and read the editor’s welcome my heart was warmed. Finally a parenting magazine that honours and acknowledges the important role of fathers in our society. This issue of Barefoot a must read so be sure to get your copy available from Eco Toys.

Barefoot magazine is designed and produced in Australia and printed using the most environmentally responsible printing methods available. The paper is made from 100% pre-used waste paper and is not chlorine bleached. Vegetable inks and benign press chemicals are used - preserving forests and water.