New for 2010, Dandelion, the eco-friendly baby company, will be introducing a new line of plush toys that shows us a ‘Different Shade of Green’. The new Bamboo Zoo collection, children’s favorite zoo superstars are reinvented with a new posh look fit for the king of the jungle and his fierce friends. The Bamboo Zoo creations are made from soft and silky bamboo velour and filled with natural corn fiber.

Bamboo velour has a natural luster and silky softness, making a crew of charismatic characters shimmer with their own special pizzazz!

Bamboo Zoo features Lion, Monkey, Giraffe and Bear, in an adorable assortment of styles and color. Four fun styles: Plush, Puppets, Shakers and Cuddlies in five creamy colors: vanilla bean, pistachio green, orange sherbet, ice blue, and white frost.

Expect to see this collection in stores in May.

Maxim Toys has introduced a great new solid wood toy line called EverEarth. This eco-friendly, kid-safe collection features a large selection of toys that are made of solid wood from renewable forests and finished with water-based, non-acrylic, non toxic paint.

Packaging is made of attractive recycled materials.

1. Activity Walker
2. Work Kitchen Set with Pots, Pans and Utensils
3. Busy Pond Activity Center by Maxim Enterprise
4. Heart Shaped Doll House with Furniture and 2 Dolls
5. Triangle Activity Center for Toddlers

Sprig Toys is a great company our of Colorado that is dedicated to infusing creativity, smart design, quality manufacturing, earth-friendly materials, product satisfaction and responsible business practices into a superior line of fun, kid-powered toys.

We found them last year just before Christmas and have been in love ever since!

New for this Fall, Sprig is expanding their Adventure Series to include some great new products that can be used in the pool or bathtub.

We had the chance to play with the new line in Vegas. Below, I have included our pictures and Sprig’s official press photos.

Jump in the boat and join Willie Ocean on a Caribbean scuba adventure. This cool set includes: 1 Sport Boat, 1 Adventure Guide – Willie Ocean, 1 Scuba Mask – interchangeable, 1 Airtank and 1 Scuba Flipper

Dolphin Boat Explorer – Join Captain Owen on the open seas! This 8-piece set includes: 2 boats – Explorer Boat and Rescue Boat, 1 Life Preserver, 2 Dolphins – Mother and Baby, 1 Adventure Guide – Captain Owen, 1 Adventure Hat – Interchangeable, and 1 Backpack Accessory.

Dino Adventure Rig – Join Rex Jungle on a fantastic dinosaur fueled adventure. This eco-friendly playset includes: 1 Adventure Truck, 2 Dinosaurs – Mother and Baby, 1 Adventure Guide – Rex Jungle, 1 Adventure Hat – Interchangeable and 1 Backpack Accessory.

Every parent knows that sometimes the simplest toys keep kids occupied the longest. A bit of imagination goes a long way.

Last week we got a new TV and our son played for hours in the box while we set everything up. This inspired me to look for other playspaces that we could buy for him to play with in our basement.

A cardboard playhouse is a great eco-play choice for kids because most are made from recycled, corrugated cardboard and they can be recycled after your kids are done with them. They are also a great way to inspire imagination and creativity. Every cardboard toy is a blank canvas for kids and can be decorated using paints, pens and crayons.

Here are 8 playhouses that we love, with #3 being my personal favorite!

1. Cardboard Paperpod - $72
2. Cardboard Rocket – $63 CAD
3. Little Playhouse I – $49
4. Carboard igloo kids playhouse – £24.99
5. Cardboard Design The Playhouse – $52.65
6. Villa Julia – $285
7. Cardboard Teepee – $85
8. Large fortress kids playhouse – £44.99

Ore’s SugarBooger wooden rattles are made from European Beechwood with a natural beeswax coating and water-based inks. Offered in 3 styles, these clever rattles are just big enough to fit into the hands of a little monkey. They feature personable details and pieces that might be good enough to chew – or at least my son thinks so!

Each rattle has a ring on the back perfect for chubby fingers to grasp and a bell in the middle that gently jingles.

Babies love them and parents treasure their clever design and natural materials construction. All SugarBooger® rattles are ASTM and CE approved for safety and completely non-toxic.

Green Party Goods has a really nice collection of vegetable dyed wooden toys.

These Fair Trade wooden toys are extraordinary. They are the handicrafts and skills of rural artisans from a village in Southern India.

The beautiful shining finish is obtained by using lac which is a natural resin and is considered one of the few naturally available organic finishes. The wooden toys are colored using organic dyes:

• Blue: Extracts from the Indigo plant
• Yellow: Extracts from the Tumeric plant
• Orange: Kanchi KumKum and Tumeric
• Red: Kanchi KumKum and natural lime
• Dark Brown: Extracts from the Ratanjyoti Tree
• Light Brown: Extracts from Katha

The toys are crafted out of Hale wood and the entire tree is not felled, instead the bigger branches are cut. Keeping with our eco-friendly philosophy.

All toys are tested and found to be compliant with ASTM standards. Safe for the environment and non-toxic for our children.

Ecotronic toys offer kids all of the lights and flash without the worry of having to change batteries.

To bring these toys to life, all you need to is wind them up or give them a shake, the dynamo inside will do rest.

The best part: unlike their battery operated counterparts, ecotronic toys never run out of juice.