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Melanie Andersen's Website God | Family | Health | Education | Environment |
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Family
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Recommended Toys There are so many toys out there, it's hard to know which ones will become favourites and which ones will never be played with. It's also easy in our culture to end up with too many toys in the home creating a big mess and overstimulation. From the beginning, I decided that I would not give my children any toys that required batteries (though lots of people bought them gifts of that sort and I eventually relaxed on that point) and that each toy should be educational in some way (I've also relaxed on that point over the years). I also recommend being brutal about regularly eliminating toys that aren't used very often and/or don't fit into your standards by giving them to charity or selling them at a garage sale. I also feel it is important to only have toys of high quality and durability. I'd rather have fewer toys but the best quality than lots of cheap dollar-store toys. And beyond that, organic, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly toys if possible. You can visit my webpage that specifically lists online stores that sell environmentally friendly, non-toxic, organic toys. If you have a choice between buying a plastic or wooden version of a toy, I would opt for the wooden because plastics emit estrogen-like chemicals that are very harmful to our bodies and because touching and playing with wood (and other toys made out of natural materials or pieces of nature like pinecones, sticks and stones) will develop a love and respect for nature in our children (this is part of the Montessori and Waldorf philosophy). Toys for Preschoolers
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Health Education Environment |