Be a
Detective...
& Buy Safe

Guidelines for Buying Safe Toys

Toy Safety, Product Standards, and Toy Recall
Information

Corporate Philosophy

How to Find Us

(A map in which we attempt to prove that, in fact, Cambria is the center of the known universe)

Environmental Footprints and Sustainability

Creative Play

Dorsett Publications

The Scale Cabinetmaker Miniature Museum & Workshop

(Coming Soon!)

Cambria (Christiansburg) Depot

Cambria Historic District (Cool Places in the Neighborhood)

Excerpt from Family Pastimes

Play as friends, not as enemies! Our games foster the spirit of co-operation. Players help each other climb a mountain, make a community, bring in the harvest, complete a space exploration... They are never against each other. After all, the initial impulse to play a game is social; that is, we bring out a game because we want to do something together. How ironic then that in most games, we spend all our efforts trying to bankrupt someone, destroy their armies — in other words, to get rid of one another! We soon learn how to pick on the other person's weaknesses in order to win the game.

Manufacture's Description.

"Goobi Magnetic Construction Set is an educational toy of the fascinating magnetic world, recommended for children ages 4 and up, and adults of any age. The set is composed of 1.68 inches long plastic bars with strong neodymium magnets implanted in each end, nickel coated iron spheres, and the innovative plastic tripods (interlocking pieces) for 90° connections. The introduction of Goobi Tripod brings a new dimension to the toy. It allows the builder to create rigid cubical structures; adding tremendous stability to the creations, and exponentially increasing the design possibilities. Goobi creates simple and spontaneous ways to learn basics of geometry, physics, architecture and engineering. It enhances children's eye-hand coordination and improves their problem solving skills. Goobi is an entertaining activity that brings the whole family together, revealing and enhancing their undiscovered creativity. It is an ideal and amusing activity which helps to develop a sense of proportion within younger children. Goobi appeals even to most professionals as a stress reducer. It can also be helpful for occupational therapists in rehabilitation of elderly people with motor skill problems."

Editor's Note: Goobi is the only magnetic construction set that has not had recall problems.

Product Safety Standards From Haba

Haba Environmental Standards

Excerpt from Haba Corporate Philosophy:

We want our customers to be satisfied. That's why we put a premium on the superlative quality of our products and services. The proprietors of the family company believe in the social market economy. ...

We assume responsibility for our environment. This applies to the use of materials and energy and to the conservation of our natural environment.

We play fair. Fair vis-à-vis our partners, suppliers and competitors: we do want success, but not at any price.

Halilet/ Edushape

Excerpt from Imagiplay

Kids are the future! If we’re to create a brighter future for our world, we need to instill environmental awareness in our children. Green toys teach kids to think about where things come from and where they’ll go—an early lesson in environmental responsibility and responsible buying. ImagiPLAY is committed to the development and distribution of open-ended educational toys and children’s accessories that inspire their imaginations, introduce them to the wonders of the natural world around them, and nurture their sense of discovery. We are equally committed to producing only high-quality products using materials and processes that show respect for our planet and all the people and creatures upon it. Every toy we produce is earth friendly, child safe and people kind. That is our commitment to our children and their planet. ...

Child safety is our highest priority. We test every material and paint in our products to insure it meets or exceeds US and European standards. ...

Every step of our toy production from seed to shelf is carefully thought out to minimize impact on the earth. Most wooden toys distributed in this country are made from Pine and made in China. The raw Pine is primarily produced in Canada, shipped to China where the toy is produced then shipped back to North America as a finished product! We see this excessive shipping as a senseless waste of natural resources. We select factories that are close to our raw materials to avoid this needless expenditure of gas, oil and greenhouse gases.

Company Description:

"About Klutz Based in Palo Alto, California, Klutz is the creator of kids activity products including books, kits and other kids stuff that stimulate their growth through creativity. Klutz products combine clear instructions with everything you need to give kids a hands-on learning experience that ranges from the artistic to the scientific and beyond. Founded in 1977, Klutz has been engaging kids for 29 years with such popular products as Cat's Cradle, Face Painting, Friendship Bracelets, Juggling for the Complete Klutz, and The Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes. Today, more than 150 "100% KLUTZ Certified" products are sold in book, toy and gift stores worldwide. In 2005 Klutz introduced a new brand, Chicken Socks, an award-winning line of activity books for kids 4 to 6 years old. Klutz is a division of Scholastic, the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books."

Excerpt From Maple Landmarks:

The majority of our products are toys and we take toy safety seriously. On the technical side, we follow both the US Consumer Product Safety Commission rules and the voluntary standards ASTM F-963. These guidelines govern small parts, sharp points, chemical makeup, and many other aspects to avoid hazards. Our efforts do not stop there. We strive to produce product that will last for generations. This means going beyond minimum guidelines. Everyone has experienced the toy that broke the day after Christmas. That probably isn't a lack following official guidelines but it is from a lack of concern for overall quality. For example, a softwood block is safe, a hard maple block is superior.

There is great concern about the components of finishes. We hear about things like lead in the paint of imported Chinese products. Again there are standards that are supposed to be followed. At Maple Landmark, we use a variety of finishes, depending on the specific product line. Some products have no finish, while others have whey- or beeswax-based coatings. We also use urethanes and lacquers, depending on the required appearance. Lead is illegal as a component in consumer coatings in the United States and we've occasionally had third-party testing for lead and other heavy metals, just to be sure we are getting what we expect from our suppliers. As with our other materials, our finishes are purchased as locally as possible. Nearly all are produced in Vermont, by people we know and have worked with for many years. If you would like more information about the finish on specific products, feel free to contact us.

Selecta Product Standards

Excerpt from Selecta

Wood is a natural, growing and living raw material whose warm surface imparts everything necessary to the sensual development of small children. Wooden structures fire the imagination and impart a variety of impressions according to which sense is appealed to. Selecta´s toddler toys receive a supplementary finish with beeswax, making the surfaces silky soft. This natural aroma stimulates the development of the children´s senses. Selecta products are predominently made from endemic woods. These are preferably hard woods such as maple because long life usage is then guaranteed. In order to maintain the ecological system of the forest, we are committed to sustainable forest management.

Excerpt from Suffed Animal House

All of our items meet or exceed all applicable international and safety regulations. Since we started in 1984, our plush designs have been made with the customer in mind, to provide years of lasting enjoyment and satisfaction. We have designed our new distribution centre in Langley to further improve our delivery systems, to get you your orders to you, right when you want them. We have set industry standards, refusing to waver on our stand of no child labour in the production of our toys. We also take great pride in the quality of workmanship and materials you see in our product line.

Editor's Note: There are very few plush animal toy companies that have production facilities in North America and remain in the affordable range. We chose this company because of their corporate philosophy towards the environment and child labor. The company contributes money towards the Marmot restoration project on Victoria Island, and we contribute $2.00 from each sale of the critters in a can series (local name) to the New River Land Trust.

WHITE MOUNTAIN PUZZLES

Editor's Note: While the company website does not provide production information, we, at the Cambria Toy Station, have tried them out. The pieces are larger than those from other companies, so they are easily picked up and manipulated by small hands and older hands (a feature we especially liked). The designs are engaging and have enough small images and areas in the puzzle design, so that a collection of puzzlers can say "I'm doing the moose or the Hattaras lighthouse" rather than "I'll do the sky, you take the water..." The puzzles are make in New Hampshire.