Safe Toys For Your Baby & The Planet

Dr. Toy names Young Minds At Play a 2011 Best Green Product Award Winner

WESTON, MO – May 27, 2011:  For young parents, going green isn’t just about caring for the planet today - it’s about safe-guarding their baby’s future.  A typical trip to a local store may make an eco-friendly toy seem impossible.  Jeff and Charlene Smith felt that way in 2009 while shopping for their infant son.  They decided to make a difference by starting their own eco-friendly toy company, Young Minds At Play, in 2010.  Their efforts have been rewarded with a 2011 Dr. Toy Best Green Product Award for their First Jigsaw Puzzle – Square.

A leading national toy expert, Stevanne Auerbach, PhD, aka Dr. Toy, started the Dr. Toy Best Green Product Award, “We are pleased and proud to identify the BEST GREEN PLAY PRODUCTS again this year and to commend the conscientious companies that are making these products.”

The award-winning toys are made safely, are healthy to use and have a high play value.  Green criteria includes:  being made from safe materials, clean production methods, use of renewable/recyclable materials, designed for disassembly/recycling/remanufacture, efficiency of materials and natural resources, durability of product:  ability to be repaired/reused/biodegradable, and use of renewable energy.  “Many parents are interested in eco-friendly toys, but they do not know where to find them.  Dr. Toy helps them by identifying the best choices for each age.  It is an honor to be selected as a 2011 winner”, says Charlene Smith, co-founder of Young Minds At Play.

Dr. Auerbach is a national expert on play and children’s products.  She approved the first proposal for “Sesame Street” and has authored 15 books and hundreds of articles on toys and play.  She holds a Ph.D. in Child Development and has over 40 years of experience evaluating toys/children’s products.

What makes a toy green?  Materials matter.  Toys made from renewable, natural materials are the best.  The less processed a material, the less impact it will have on the environment.  Recycled materials are a second option.  Finishes and glues should be eco-friendly.   Look for reusable or recycled packaging.  Toys and packaging should be biodegradable or be able to be recycled.  Locally made is best as it minimizes the fuel used and emissions generated to get a product to your door.  Look for longevity – can it be handed down to another child to use?



Young Minds At Play’s award-winning First Jigsaw Puzzle – Square is a chunky, 4-piece solid hardwood jigsaw puzzle for 1-3 year olds.  It has the unique feature of interchangeable pieces which enables multiple solutions - keeping your child’s interest over time.  It is made from locally sourced, sustainably harvested solid maple and cherry wood and hand-finished with a beeswax/oil.  Packaging is 100% recycled material.   It is made in Weston, Missouri, from American materials and packaging is American-made which minimizes fuel and emissions.  A powerhouse for the brain, it promotes spatial skills, language and mathematical development, eye-hand coordination, and motor skills.  The puzzle retails for $40 at www.youngmindsatplay.com and Amazon.com.