There’s panic in the streets this Christmas- which toys are safe? What toys won’t drive parents crazy? Which ones won’t be tossed aside within 5 minutes?
While I can’t guarantee just how long the kids will play with any certain toy- my own children find more enjoyment out of the boxes their toys come in and those darn plastic-tie thingies that hold every single little piece in place (they’re weird like that)- here’s some safer suggestions to help finish off your Christmas list.
You can trust K’NEX lead-free products with core-parts all made in America (imagine that!) Big spenders might splurge on the GIANT Double Ferris Wheel [$199] recommended for the older kids age 16 & up. Or if a smaller version suits your giftee, this Double Ferris Wheel [$29.99] for ages 8 & up is truly a winner and it even won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Lead-Free Platinum Award. KID K’NEX doesn’t leave the little ones out - geared for ages 3 & up with bright, chunky pieces and easy-connect rods and connectors. The Undersea Pals [$9.99] is great for any budget!
End the We forgot the batteries! guilt! SEE Toys , a new product from Zen Design Group, is the first eco-friendly kid-powered toy line. They never need batteries but still light up, make cool sounds and offer endless hours of play- you’ll have to see it to believe it!
The Dyna Fly [$19.99] and Dyna Car [$14.99] are in demand, and with just a turn of a crank they are ready to go!
With the philosophy: "When the toy does less, the child does more," Parents Magazine’s line of colorful educational toys are something you can count on. They are also phthalate -free. Gray gets so involved with the Under Lock & Key Garage by Parents, and although the age recommendation is for 18 months & up, my 5-year-old Carter loves it, too! The keys are easy to use to unlock the garage where three vehicles can be stored and then played with separately. I personally like the colors of Parents products because they are so gender neutral, and their idea of combining education with play is refreshing. Find a great selection of Parents toys and classic wooden toys online or also at Target.

Win! I’m giving away two Under Lock & Key Garages from Parents! Just leave a comment here and two winners will be chosen at random Friday Dec 14! You don’t have to have a blog to enter, but be sure to include a valid email address where I can contact you. Contest has ended.
Congrats to winner Alisha who commented: How cute! My 2 boys would love this as much as yours do, I’m sure! and Artsweet who said: Very cool. My son would love this.
Check back Sunday for another great giveaway!
Back to Close To Home .
You can also find me blogging at Adventures In Babywearing .






December 11th, 2007 at 11:45 am
I would love a lead free toy for my boys!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:48 am
This would be perfect for my son and daughter! And safe! Thanks!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:52 am
My grandkids would love this.
December 11th, 2007 at 11:53 am
This little garage looks perfect for my 17 month old!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:56 am
My daughter would love this!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Ahhhh lead free fun!!! J would LOVE this.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Great gift for my nephew.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
My son would love this! Cars are his new favorite things!
December 11th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
My son loves cars and keys, what a great gift.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Zack would love this toy!
December 11th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Lead free is always good!
December 11th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
My son would LOVE this!
December 11th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
What a great giveaway!
December 11th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I’ve been wanting to get my son a toy with locks. This one adds cars and it’s lead-free. Great!
December 11th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
My boy would love everything about this, as would I.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
I think this would keep my rambunctious 3 year old occupied for a while.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
my boys would love this. cars are their new fascination. I’d love to be entered to win! Thanks for another great giveaway.
December 11th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Ohh- we’d love this!!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Thanks for a great giveaway! That looks like fun!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
My daughter would love the garage.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
So cute! My daughters would love this! My 7-month old is currently very into cars.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
How cute! My 2 boys would love this as much as your do, I’m sure!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Perfect! One of my twin toddlers loves to open and close things like crazy. The other one is a car lover. I like it because its safe!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
i love this toy!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
My best friends son would love this!!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Cute toy, I bet the kids would love it.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
I’d love to win this for my kids.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
I would be thrilled to win this for my little one. I always worry about safe toys and with this, I wouldn’t have to! THANKS!
December 11th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
My son would love this as he is always trying to steal my car keys…
December 11th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Looks like a fun toy…Jonah would love it!
Jen
December 11th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
please enter me thanks
December 11th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
What a great toy. My children would love it!
December 11th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
My son would love this! Thanks!
December 11th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
My daughter would LOVE this
December 11th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Fabulous. I am so glad to know about more and more lead-free toys. Thank you for entering me1
December 11th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
This would be perfect for my 1 year old niece.
December 11th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
My son would love this…And it being safe would be my favorite part! Thanks for the chance to win!
December 11th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
I’ve been looking for a birthday gift for my nephew, and we always love Parents toys, so this would be perfect!
December 11th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
This is so neat! I swear Parents comes out with some of the coolest toys!
December 11th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
My daughter loves cars and would have a blast with this. Please count me in…stephanie@metropolitanmama.net.
December 11th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
OMG I SOOO want this for Connor!! Please sign us up.. thats awsome.
Im blogging you too
http://contestaddict.blogspot.com
December 11th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
I would love this for my sons!
December 11th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
WOW! You are so awesome for posting about these toys! I can only immagine the amt. of time it must have taken you to put it all together.
December 11th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Please randomly select me!!!
December 11th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
What a terrific giveaway! My little guy would get a kick out of this. He’s just getting into the “car” phase, and these look safe and age appropriate!
December 11th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
cute product, great info! THANKS!
December 11th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Okay so I think I love toys just as much as my 4 little ones…WE NEED THIS!!!! Vrrooomm!!!Beep! BeeP!!
December 11th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
I love this! My son loves to lock and unlock this would be great!
December 11th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Sounds like fun!!!
December 11th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Nice color.
December 11th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
My kids would love this! Thank you!
December 11th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
This is great, my son loves anything with cars.
December 11th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Very cool My son would love this
December 11th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
So cute…we’d love it!!! Thanks so much!!
December 11th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
I’d love to win this for my son, who is due in March. What a cute toy!
December 11th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Please count me in! These are adorable!
December 11th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
My son would love this!
December 11th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Wow, my kiddies would love these toys!
December 11th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Oooh, yes please. Clark would *love* that. He is very into pushing things with wheels around on the floor.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
My 2 year old loves keys, her favorite thing to do is try to open locks. She would love this toy.
December 11th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
My little one would love this!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
That lock and key garage is adorable!
December 12th, 2007 at 2:52 am
I have a playroom at my home to entertain my little grandkids when they come over. I’d love to add this cute toy to it:)
December 12th, 2007 at 6:22 am
My son would love this!
December 12th, 2007 at 6:22 am
I’d love to give this to my nephew for Christmas
thanks!
December 12th, 2007 at 7:03 am
This would be a great toy for my son!
Thanks
December 12th, 2007 at 7:55 am
What a great toy!
December 12th, 2007 at 9:04 am
This is great!
December 12th, 2007 at 9:46 am
I know my son would love that! He’s big into cars right now.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:44 am
Lily is 19 months and loves cars.
December 12th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
This is a cute toy…count me in!
December 12th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
WOW, what a nice gift!
December 12th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Count me in!
December 12th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
we’d love this!
December 12th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
My son would absolutely love this! Thanks!
December 12th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
My son loves to build - please count me in! Thank you
December 12th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
My 2 year old would love this!
December 12th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Cute toy! My boys would love it! All the recalls lately are so sad! Its hard to know if anything is safe for our kids anymore!
dansan826 at yahoo dot com
December 12th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I have so been drooling over this at Target for my boy. Thanks for the chance!
December 12th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
[...] copies of her new sewing book, Jeaneology: Crafty Ways to Reinvent Your Old Blues. Ends December 18.Where Have All The Safe Toys Gone? Win one of two Under Lock & Key Garages from Parents. Ends December 14. Puddlehoppers is giving [...]
December 13th, 2007 at 12:36 am
My daughter would love this!
kelli (at) pfrog (dot) net
December 13th, 2007 at 2:00 am
very cute!!
December 13th, 2007 at 7:49 am
My little guy would go crazy for this thing!
Please sign me up.
heidistrawser (at) hotmail (dot) com
December 13th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Thanks for the contest I’d love to win this!
cokelushATgmailDOTcom
December 13th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Me, please! I didn’t even know you had another blog but I read you often at AIB.
December 13th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
My son would love this! What a great lead free, made in America toy.
December 13th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Sorry-I forgot to leave my e-mail cookiecutter72AThotmailDOTcom
December 13th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
That looks great for my 1-year-old!
December 13th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
My daughter would LOVE this!!
Thanks!
kings.3@comcast.net
December 14th, 2007 at 6:32 am
Please enter me! Thanks!
December 14th, 2007 at 7:17 am
My son would love this. Thanks for the great giveaway!
December 14th, 2007 at 7:59 am
I would love this for my 3 year old!! This is a great giveaway, thanks!
December 14th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Thanx for having this drawing!
December 14th, 2007 at 11:52 am
my daughter would LOVE this!
December 14th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Yay for a cute little garage! I have some friends I would love to give this to!
December 14th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
You’re so right about finding safe toys! My little nephew would love this for Christmas.
December 14th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Those are so cute…every little boy would want one. PLEASE enter me too
December 14th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Am I late?
December 14th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
My kids would love this!! Thanks
December 14th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
I was looking for a cute garage to buy my nephew! Crossing my fingers!
February 21st, 2008 at 12:12 am
[...] But quite literally. I have won some very cool prizes on the internets lately over the last couple of months. Mostly thanks to the wonder that is Prizey. And my guilty conscience forces me to interrupt my unplanned blogatus to say thanks. I won… Putamayo Kids Music, a tres cool funky ring (& barrette, which has been in my hair constantly since I got it), a beautiful book, which I am looking forward to reading with P’ito. I know he’ll love the cover: in his vocabulary all animals with fur are currently “CA! CA! KIKA! (kittycat).” Finally, I won a toy garage. [...]