High Quality Wooden Toys Versus Cheap Wooden Toy Imitations
Just because a toy is made from wood doesn’t mean it is a quality wooden toy and subsequently safe!
Sometimes plastic toys may be safer than wooden toys that have been poorly manufactured and which don't adhere to recognised safety standards.
Did you know that there are wooden toy imitations? These are copies of established well-known toys and yet are produced cheaply and therefore compromise quality and safety.
It is important for parents to know that they do need to check that the wooden toys they choose for their little ones meet required safety standards.
Parents need to be aware that many toys out there may contain toxic materials. Especially if the toys are priced very cheap, beware as it is likely that they are from a mass production manufacturing process and this usually means heavy chemicals are used in the manufacturing to achieve quick and cheap results.
One of the chemicals often used in paints and varnishes for wooden toys is formaldehyde. It is being used as a deterrent to bacteria and also to fungus. However, it is a volatile organic compound (VOC) and is known to be a carcinogen.
One toy containing Formaldehyde might not be an issue, but what if its two, three, four or more toys. Nowadays we know that parents are looking into the safety of toys. There are the producers that use this to their advantage. They advertise that their products are made from wood or natural wood. They will have “eco-friendly” packaging and advertise their wooden toys as safe. However, the question is who determines that the toys are safe. Is that the producers themselves? Or their marketing company?
Because it is hard to know for a consumer which wooden toys are safe there is the need for independent standards. The EN71, the European standard for toy safety is among the highest, if not the highest standard in the world. If you buy a toy that meets EN71 standards you are on the safe side.
When you shop for wooden toys or toys in general be sure to look out for the EN71 certification. If the toy you pick has this certification than you know it has gone through extensive testing and is safe to use.
Furthermore, it is always a good idea to check out the manufacturer. Read their “About Us” Page, check out their philosophy, what is their background. Get to know them, get to trust them.
We hope to have given you a bit of an insight into the safety of toys. If you would like to know more or have questions you would like to ask don't hesitate to contact us.
All the best,
the Team of AMouseWithAHouse
