Ok so I’m a little bit excited, my daughter is 3 and we recently bought her a Tike balance bike to test it out and she can ride!

Actually she is more like a little zipper that flies down the footpath with her legs held up in the air screaming with delight. This has got to be our favourite toy at the moment as she loves her new found freedom.

We get lots of people asking us about it and the other day I spoke to a lady whose 6 year old child was having  trouble learning to ride a bike after using training wheels for so long.

These bikes are amazing and it’s hard to imagine until you actually see  a child riding them that anyone could ride a bike without pedals!

So why are balance bikes the latest craze to hit the streets?  Because when your child rides one they are totally in control and can use their feet to move and stop when needed, but most importantly they learn to balance and ride the bike. Unlike training wheels which goes against a child’s natural instinct to let themselves fall.

The Tike balance bike is Australian designed and superior quality above the rest with it’s safety standards and commitment to protecting our environment.  I believe that a toy needs to be well made to last many years and even generations of play and not only is the Tike made from the highest quality FSC certified timber (sustainable forestry), all lacquers used on the Tike are water based, non toxic and  environmentally friendly and for every Tike made a tree is planted.

The Tike balance bike is now available in both our stores (online & Hawthorn) and don’t be suprised if you see a little girl riding around the store.

 And sometimes even her teddies go along for the ride!

My three children (aged 6 & 2 years) and I experimented with Eco Toy’s new range of Botanical Glob Natural Blends Colours for the first time recently and found it a fabulous paint to use.

Choosing a paint that is specifically made for children is important . Acrylic and oil based paints are not appropriate for young children. Choosing paint, like Glob, that is made from natural compounds is a smart choice especially when you consider how much paint will come in contact with your child’s skin, and the possibility that small amounts will go in their mouths too. While most children’s paints are marketed as ‘non toxic’ they often still contain a variety of man-made chemicals which can inflame sensitive skin and irritate allergies as well as stain skin, clothes and furniture

The Glob paints come as small sachets of powder, and when mixed with a little water they turn into vibrant coloured, thick paints perfect for children of all ages.

You don’t need a lot of paint. Two table spoons of paint is enough to paint a lot of pictures and we found a teaspoon of the Glob powder mixed with a few teaspoons of water made enough for us all to paint till we ran out of paper and drying space!

Allow your child lots of time to enjoy the process. Young children often like to paint a lot in one sitting - painting until the paint or paper runs out! Join in with them and explore and experiment with the paints yourself. Talk about what you are doing. Notice the colours, how the pant feels, what you feel like when you paint.

And above all else… enjoy painting as much as your kids do!

You can purchase Glob Botanical Paints online here in the eco toys shop.

Article by Kate - Early Childhood Educator and Mum to 6 year old twin girls and a two year old boy. Blogging at picklebums.com

• Glob paints voted best natural paints by Eco Child’s Play.

Morning Eco toys!

Just wanted to send a big Thank you for your GORGEOUS TOYS!!!

I ordered the stacking and nesting boxes and love them and so glad i found your website!!

Ema

scarletterosefairy.blogspot 

Hi!

I just wanted to say that I LOVE your store! It has just the sort of toys I love and such a good store philosophy to back it. I am about to buy the tea set for my little boy (!) as he loves to make his grandma cups of tea.

Thanks again!

Virginia

mumtoddlerbabe.blogspot.com

We received the walker on Monday and our daughter loves it!  She is more into playing with the blocks at this time versus actually walking with it, but she’ll get to that point eventually, and the important thing is that she is having fun!

Thank you very much for all your assistance, we love the walker and the service and fast shipping was outstanding!

Thank you again and all the best,

Jennifer

Thanks very much Melinda,

It’s easy being a loyal customer when you provide great, personalised service and such a good range of fantastic products.

With a second child due in December you’ll be hearing from me many times in the future!

Best wishes,

Rae

Hi Melinda,

I just wanted to let you know that Lucas absolutely loves his ride-on fire truck. It was so great to see how excited he was when he saw it on his birthday - he just knew it was for him - very cute!

Thank you for being so obliging for allowing my husband Dean to collect it from your home.

Kind regards,

Melissa

Hi Melinda

The toys were wonderful thank you, looking forward to seeing Finnley’s expression when he opens them on Christmas morning. Thank you for providing us with such a great source of stimulating gifts for our children. The work you do is very important and you do a great job!

Regards,

Emily

Hi Melinda,

The toys have arrived this morning, and they are gorgeous!

I haven’t had a chance to read the book to my little girl yet, but she is enjoying her first tea party with her dolly.

Thanks so much,

Megan

Just wanted to drop a line to thank you for the fast processing of my order which I placed on Monday 29th March. I didn’t expect it to be delivered in time for my daughters first birthday which is Friday 2nd April, so thanks so much! Will definitely be using this store again!

Regards

Elizabeth

Oh very excited as a box arrived today with some lovely things in it, thankyou very much - I am very pleased

Thankyou again

Warm Regards

Kristy

If you would like to leave a testimonial and / or a photo then we would love to hear from you! Please do so via the comments links below

Leaves crunching under your feet and a refreshing nip in the air. Who doesn’t love Autumn? 

As a child I remember Autumn as a time to explore, collect and create things and I have a strong yearning to do the same with my daughter which is why I am so excited to introduce these gorgeous new Seedling kits to Eco Toys!

Our range of Seedling kits includes: 

1. Make your own erupting volcano
2. Handmade paper kit
3. The worm farm kit
4. Paint your own Russian dolls

Their products are a complete ‘experience’ allowing children to gain ‘real’ skills and confidence. They encourage adults to get involved, thus building strong relationships, opening the lines of communication and creating memories.

All their products are:

• Made in New Zealand using local, natural and untreated pine.
• Certified and non-toxic
• Packaging is made from box board made in NZ from New Zealand’s sustainably managed forest pulp.
• Manufacture without plastic inners or fillers and use as little packaging as possible.

These kits make great gift ideas for your own children, Grandchildren,Nieces, Nephews, for
Birthdays, Christmas, Easter or just to give that special person in your life.

A gift that will give hours of enjoyment and will leave a footprint of the experience and time shared together in their memory!

I am so excited to introduce these gorgeous new handmade Camden Rose dolls . .   . .

Meet Kate, Anna and Lulu!

 Aren’t they gorgeous???

Oh and I musn’t forget the sweetest boys, Shawn and Charlie .  . .

These dolls are lovingly handmade using 100% wool and cotton by hearing impaired women in Peru as part of a Fair Trade cooperative that fosters self-esteem, personal growth and an opportunity to gain economic independence. 

It is a great reward to observe our children nurturing their dolls, much in the same way that we nurture them. Each doll is crafted with simple embodied facial features that allow a child to imagine their doll in many different moods and situations.

I simply love watching my daughter create endless play opportunities with these Rainbow Nesting Blocks.

A cave for a bear.

A house for a small toy person; a tunnel for cars; or a cradle for a baby. The possibilities are endless when you allow a child time to play and explore.

Children of all ages love to build and to nest toys and this set of wooden rainbow nesting blocks allows them to do both. The blocks, which are a combination of different sizes and colours, come in four shapes, including a number of sequentially sized blocks, to nest, stack and build with.

My daughter can spend hours lining up, stacking and nesting things, which means these blocks are great for lengthening her concentration. At the same time, she’s also learning about sequencing and sorting.

The blocks, with their beautiful bright colours, are also perfect for playing colour and shape recognition games with kids from a young age.

It’s not just younger children that enjoy these blocks; they’re great for kids from two right up to eight or even nine years of age.

School-aged children will use the blocks to make constructions that get more and more complex each day, and these nesting blocks lend themselves wonderfully to creative and imaginative play.

Informal block play is the perfect way to learn a host of early maths skills such as classification, measurement, sequence, pattern, counting, balance, and problem solving.

Given a fabulous toy like this and lots of time and space, children will do what they do best: play and learn.

Article written by Kate - (Early Childhood Educator) and Melinda (Founder  of Eco Toys)

To read what other parents are saying about our Nesting Blocks please visit:                                                                                                                                                                                Our Worldwide Classroom Blog

Today we had a lovely visit from the gorgeous Joe. Sadly he had lost his Cherry teething rattle so his mama came over to get a new one. 

Looking at the sheer excitment on his face, he was very happy to get another one!

After a little play, it went straight into his mouth to relieve his sore gums! 

His mama said that he loved the old one so much that she felt quite upset when they had lost it.

Why are our cherry wood rattles so good for babies?

• Wood is naturally antibacterial.
• Cherry wood taste’s good.
• 100% totally natural and finished with organic Jojoba oil and beeswax.
• The smell of the wood and the uniqueness of the grain stimulates their senses as they explore the texture.
• It has been handmade by with love.
• It’s the perfect shape and size for little hands!

Have you seen our new range of Wildlife Conservation games for older kids? They are absolutely stunning  and I am so thrilled to add them to the Eco Toys collected of games for older kids!

Each game teaches children about endangered species and their diverse habitats that are being threatened. Play a classic game of Congo chess in magnificent Africa where the almighty Highland Gorilla lives.

Or help the polar bear navigate the ice caps of the Bering Sea to find his way back home in this fantastic game of Polar Bear Labyrinth.

By inspiring children to learn about the world around them and to become aware of important conservation work happening every day we can make a difference!

These games are made from FSC certified wood which ensures that our beautiful natural forests remain unharmed and printed using soy based inks. They come packaged in recycled cardboard boxes made from post consumer waste paper.

So not only do these games teach children about the amazing animals on this planet, they are 100% eco friendly and 5% of proceed from each games goes to support the wonderful work of World Wild Fund.

Sure to inspire a new generation of cool games for kids!

Get outdoors this summer and have some fun with our new range of eco friendly outdoor games by “Fun in the Sack”!

Remember those old time favourites when you were kid? The three legged race or  jumping with all your might as you head to the finish line in a sack race?

Well thanks to Australian company “Fun in Sack” those good old favourites are back again!

We all want our kids to get active and play outdoors, so these game packs are the perfect Christmas present! They are a great for birthday parties, getting the family together for a laugh on Christmas day or for taking with you on holidays this summer.

Our single game packs include the Ring Toss and Egg & Spoon Race but if you want a value game pack we have the 4 in 1 Game Pack which includes 6 hessian bags for a sack race, 3 hessian bands for a three legged race, 6 wooden eggs & spoons for the Egg & Spoon race & a Ring Toss.

I love these games because they promote outdoor & active play and in a world where so many kids grow up playing video and computer games, these games are such a breath of fresh air!

They are made from high quality, natural & eco friendly materials by an Australian company. So you can feel good that you are helping the environment while also getting everyone to have fun together outside!

Click here to view our full range of Outdoor & Active Play Toys.

Eco Toys is excited to introduce another fantastic eco toy range to our store!

Green Toys is a US company that makes environmentally friendly children’s toys from 100% recycled milk containers. They use milk containers because it is completely free from Phthalates & BPA and one of the safest & cleanest plastics around. I‘I be honest, I was a bit hesitant at first to add them to my store due to them being made out of plastic, but the more research I did on them, the more I realised that they were an exceptional, high quality, 100% green product!

One of the things that I love about Green Toys is that they are FDA (food contact standards) certified. If your child is like mine and loves to have tea parties pouring with real water then you can be rest assured that it is safe and unlike wooden tea and cooking sets can get wet. It is also dishwasher safe and meets the highest international standards ( EN71 and ISO 8124) for safety.

The outdoors toys are extremelley durable and strong, so although you might initially pay more for a sandpit play set or jump rope, they will last much longer. Unlike the cheap bucket & spade we bought my daughter last Christmas for the sand pit which has literally broken down in the sun! The jump rope is made from  100% pure and soft cotton so won’t hurt your child’s legs.

Oh and one more thing! They come packaged in the coolest, 100% recycled gift boxes that look fantastic and you know you are doing something good for the environment when you buy a Green Toy.

So they have a big thumbs up from me, Green Toys are good for the environment!

Click here to view our full range of Green Toys.