Telling It Like It Ismost popular christmas toys » http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net things you need to know about raising children, relationships, marriage and parenting Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:46:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Are Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets Toxic For Kids? 2009 Toxic Toy List http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2009/12/are-zhu-zhu-hamster-pets-toxic-for-kids-2009-toxic-toy-list.html http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2009/12/are-zhu-zhu-hamster-pets-toxic-for-kids-2009-toxic-toy-list.html#comments Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:58:37 +0000 Lin http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/?p=3471

2010 Zhu Zhu Pets

Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets are selling out in stores all across the U.S. during the 2009 Christmas toys shopping season, and questions are now being raised about the safety of these adorable hamsters by the consumer watch group Good Guide (www.goodguide.com). Are Zhu Zhu pets toxic for children or are they safe?

Dara O’Rourke, co-founder of GoodGuide, tested Zhu Zhu Pets for chemicals with his group, and says Zhu Zhu pets have elevated levels of tin and antimony – a metal with potential health hazards. “If ingested in high enough levels can lead to cancer, reproductive health, and other human health hazards”.

Good Guide partners with other companies to rate the social, environmental, and health impacts of hundreds of products, which includes testing toys like the Zhu Zhu pet for, among other things, toxic chemicals.

Good Guide says the Zhu Zhu Pets stood out because of high levels of antimony. Attempts to reach representatives of Zhu Zhu Pets by phone were unsuccessful, as their office was closed at the time this article was created.

In its research study, Good Guide reported the federal antimony legal limit was 60 parts per million. Its study on Zhu Zhu Pets found 93 ppm in the fur and 103 ppm in the nose. The danger can come from when kids touch the toy and then touch their mouths, or even put the toy directly into their mouths.

“If these toys aren’t even meeting the legal standards in the U.S. then I would say that it isn’t worth the risk for me to bring it into my household,” said O’Rourke. “We’re not recommending that you throw them away,” O’Rourke said. “But if you’re concerned about it then we recommend that you call the company or potentially return the product if you feel it’s not safe enough for your kids”.

Zhu Zhu Pets are made in China, but the company, Cepia LLC, is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Good Guide’s founder said he was not calling for a boycott or recall. He wants parents to make their own decisions about the toys, but he does advise parents to hold on to the receipts.

Regarding questions being asked about a recall, Zhu Zhu Pets official website (www.zhuzhupets.com) says, “We have received emails and phone calls with questions about Zhu Zhu Pets™ at Walmart.  There has been some miscommunication that the pets are being recalled, and we want to assure you the product is not being recalled.”

If you would like to contact Zhu Zhu Pets Corporate Office to ask questions about the safety of their product, or to get their official response to Good Guide’s study of Zhu Zhu Pets, please call 1-800-225-9319 during normal business hours (Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.), or email Zhu Zhu Pets at support@cepiallc.com. Read Good Guide’s Zhu Zhu Pets Product Ratings here.

Update: Response from Russ Hornsby, CEO of Cepia, LLC regarding Good Guide’s claims:

Cepia LLC, manufacturer of Zhu Zhu Pets, says the popular Hamster pets are “absolutely safe and has passed the most rigorous testing in the toy industry for consumer health and safety.”

“We are disputing the findings of Good Guide and we are 100% confident that Mr. Squiggles, and all other Zhu Zhu Toys, are safe and compliant with all U.S. and European standards for consumer health and safety in toys,” said Russ Hornsby, CEO of Cepia LLC.

“All our products are subjected to several levels of rigorous safety testing conducted by our own internal teams, as well as the world’s leading independent quality assurance testing organization, and also by independent labs engaged by our retail partners,” Hornsby said. “The results of every test prove that our products are in compliance with all government and industry safety standards.”

“We are contacting the Good Guide people at this moment to share with them all of our Mr. Squiggles and Zhu Zhu Pet testing data so we can get to the bottom of how their report was founded,” creator Russ Hornsby said. “We want to assure everyone already enjoying Mr. Squiggles or other Zhu Zhu Pets, and those planning to purchase Mr. Squiggles or another Zhu Zhu Pet this holiday season, that the toy is 100 percent safe and in compliance with all U.S. and European toy safety standards. I have been in the toy industry for more than 35 years, and being a father of children myself, I would never allow any substandard or unsafe product to hit the shelves. That’s why we always test to not only meet but also exceed safety standards.”

Toxic Toy List for 2009

The words “toxic” and “toys” don’t belong in the same sentence, nor does Trouble in Toyland, but parents and consumers need to keep themselves aware of potential health risks in products we purchase and that includes toys for kids of all ages. What does toy safety mean to you as a parent?

Parents, did you know that some children’s toys carrying the Barbie and Disney logos have turned up with high levels of lead in them, according to a California-based advocacy group? The Center for Environmental Health tested about 250 children’s products bought at major retailers and found lead levels that exceeded federal limits in seven of them. Lead can cause irreversible brain damage.

Among those with high lead levels include the Disney Tinkerbell Water Lily necklace; Barbie Bike Flair Accessory Set; Dora the Explorer Activity Tote; TKS girl’s sandals from Sears; Walmart kids poncho; Walmart Faded Glory girl’s shoes; and Cherokee boys belt.

HealthyStuff.org, an organization that researches toxic chemicals in everyday products, said that due to consumer pressure, there’s been a 67 percent decrease in the number of toys exceeding the current Consumer Product Safety Commission limits for lead in toys. But one in three products tested still contains high levels of lead and other dangerous chemicals like mercury, cadmium, arsenic and bromine. Searching Healthy Stuff for any mention of Zhu Zhu Pets brought no results, so far.

Toys are much safer this year than they have been in years past, but parents and consumers must be diligent in staying informed – there are still lead and hazardous materials found in many toys today, and some are still found on store shelves.

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]]> http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2009/12/are-zhu-zhu-hamster-pets-toxic-for-kids-2009-toxic-toy-list.html/feed 4 Most Popular Christmas Toys 2009-Hot New Toys For Kids Christmas http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2009/09/most-popular-christmas-toys-2009-hot-new-toys-for-kids-christmas.html http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2009/09/most-popular-christmas-toys-2009-hot-new-toys-for-kids-christmas.html#comments Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:01:43 +0000 Lin http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/?p=3113

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical TableChristmas 2009 is here. Are you ready? Every Christmas holiday season parents ask, “What will be the most popular hot new toys for Christmas this year?” The latest trends in new toys for Christmas correspond closely to the economy, which is why the “Recession Christmas” or frugal Christmas gifts term is often used by people looking for affordable Christmas gifts for their kids and teens.

Toy makers and manufacturers understand that people have less money to spend on Christmas this year and are making smaller versions of large more-expensive toys, with one example being the new mini version of last years big Fur Real dinosaur from the Hasbro Fur Real Friends line of toys.

A hot new trend in toys for 2009 are Eco-friendly, “Green” or recycled toys that are made out of recycled materials to help the environment. Toys made from environmentally friendly materials are called Green Toys, such as the Fuzz That Was by Mary Meyer, which are stuffed toy pets made out of old recycled water bottles.

Green Toys for Kids

An Eco-friendly green toy company in California called The Green Toy Company sells “Made in the USA” toys for kids from 100% recycled materials, including a toy recycling truck, a toy dump truck, indoor gardening kit, jump rope, sand play set, an Ecosaucer, a toy cookware and dining set, toy tool set, a toy dish set, a toy chef set, and a toy tea set – each made from recycled milk bottles.

Popular “green” toy brands like Sprig Toys, Green Toys, Plan Toys, miYim Toys and HaPe Toys offer a large variety of children’s toys for babies, toddlers and older kids at affordable prices that will help keep you within your Christmas budget. Check out the list of best-selling toys for Christmas or Chanukah and you’ll see that the ever-popular Leap Frog Tag Reading System by LeapFrog is still high on the must-have list, along with the English version of Bananagrams and the Spanish Bananagrams by the Bananagrams company. Here are some of the best-selling green toys for kids:

  1. Green Toys Tea Set by Green Toys
  2. Sprig Toys Eco-Truck Dump Truck by Sprig Toys
  3. Sprig Toys Eco-Truck Loader by Sprig Toys
  4. Green Toys Cookware and Dining Set by Green Toys
  5. Green Toys Recycle Truck by Green Toys
  6. Plan Toy Solid Wood Drum by Plan Toys
  7. Green Toys Tool Set by Green Toys
  8. Green Toys Dump Truck by Green Toys
  9. Sprig Toys Eco-Truck Excavator by Sprig Toys
  10. Sprig Toys Discover Rig by Sprig Toys

Hot Christmas Toys 2009

Other hot Christmas toy items this year for girls or boys include electronics such as the Radica Ucreate Music and Radica Ucreate Games by Mattel; the Jonas Brothers Pix Micro Digital Camera; the Disney Floral Pix Digital Camera; Hello Kitty and Friends Plush Doll and accessories; Zhu Zhu Pets (especially the hamster) and anything by the Vtech toy company.

Jessica Hartshorn, Senior Lifestyle Editor for American Baby Magazine, examined the most popular hot new toys for Christmas 2009 from the American International Toy Fair. Predictions of the most popular toys for Christmas include the comeback of classic toys, board games and puzzles, remote control cars and frozen snack machines referred to now as freeze pop machines.

Top 10 Most Popular Games

  1. Mindflex Game by Mattel
  2. Bananagrams by Bananagrams
  3. The Settlers of Catan by Mayfair Games
  4. Quiddler by SET Enterprises, Inc.
  5. Wild Planet Hyper Dash by Wild Planet
  6. SET Game by SET Enterprises, Inc.
  7. Scrabble Slam Cards by Hasbro Games
  8. The Settlers of Catan 5-6 Player Extension by Mayfair Games
  9. Twilight Board Game by Cardinal Industries
  10. 100 Assorted Pokemon Trading Cards Lot by Pokemon USA

Children’s Learning Toys

Educational toys, aka “working and learning toys”, are making a big comeback as some of the best Christmas gifts for kids. Crayola has a “Drop and See” ball drop-style toy that uses “TaDoodles” to teach small kids colors, shapes and sounds, but is also fun for kids to play with. Toy brands like Hasbro, Fisher Price, LeapFrog, Melissa and Doug, Think Fun & Insect Lore working and learning toys for children are battling for the #1 spot of most popular educational toys for children on Amazon.

  1. LeapFrog® Tag Reading System by LeapFrog
  2. Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby’s First Blocks by Fisher Price
  3. Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper by Hasbro
  4. LeapFrog® Learn & Groove Musical Table by LeapFrog
  5. ThinkFun Zingo by ThinkFun
  6. Live Butterfly Garden by Insect Lore
  7. Melissa & Doug See & Spell by Melissa and Doug
  8. Fisher-Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights Deluxe Gym by Fisher Price
  9. LeapFrog® Leapster® 2 Learning Game System – Green by LeapFrog
  10. Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Alphabet by Melissa and Doug

Keep a close eye on Melissa & Doug toys/arts and crafts for kids because these are cleaning up on Amazon! Melissa & Doug Arts and Crafts are selling like Hot Cakes, especially the Deluxe Standing Easel, and they are all getting rave reviews!

Mindflex GameThe toy fair also revealed a new and innovative kids toy called the Peek-A-Boo Bag from I-Play for toddlers that has become quite popular, which is a small square cloth bag filled with beads and various colorful shaped toy items. There’s a see-through plastic window sewn into the peek-a-boo bag where kids can shake, squish or squeeze the toy to move the beads around, revealing new shapes and colors of pink, blue, yellow and white.

The 2009 Toy Fair in London offered a few “best new toys of 2009” recommendations including toys from brands like Ben 10, Charlie and Lola, In the Night Garden, Peppa Pig, Timmy Time and Yo Gabba Gabba. What about you? Are you looking for Green Toys for kids to help the environment, or just trying to find cheap Christmas toys for your kids?

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]]> http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2009/09/most-popular-christmas-toys-2009-hot-new-toys-for-kids-christmas.html/feed 10 Most Popular Christmas Toys for Kids – Christmas Toys for Boys and Girls http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2008/09/most-popular-christmas-toys-for-kids-christmas-toys-for-boys-and-girls.html http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2008/09/most-popular-christmas-toys-for-kids-christmas-toys-for-boys-and-girls.html#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:00:20 +0000 Lin http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2008/09/most-popular-christmas-toys-for-kids-christmas-toys-for-boys-and-girls.html

Top 10 List of Christmas Toys for Boys, Girls, Babies and Toddlers

Many of the most popular Christmas toys in 2008 for boys, girls, babies and toddlers are included in the list of the hottest Christmas toys of 2008, and it’s important to buy these toys before they sell out and parents have disappointed children come Christmas morning. This is a guide list of Christmas toys for kids to help you find Christmas gifts for your children and other kids on your Christmas list, starting with Christmas toys for boys, then Christmas toys for girls and finally, Christmas toys for babies and toddlers.

Christmas Toys for Boys:

  • Playstation 3 is the latest version of Playstation, and the popularity of PS continues on with new playstation games and accessories sure to please any boy you are buying Christmas gifts for.
  • Harry Potter toys are amongst the most popular Christmas gifts for both boys and girls and are listed as a favorite by kids who are Harry Potter fans.
  • Batman Dark Knight toys for Batman movie fans are cool Christmas toys for boys, and if you’ve seen the movie, you likely understand how popular these toys are as Christmas gifts this year.
  • iPods also made the list of the most popular Christmas toys for children in 2008
  • Nintendo Wii and games for boys (and girls) is listed as one of the best “must have” Christmas gifts this year

Christmas Toys for Girls:

  • Jewelry and bead-making kits are on the list of hot toys for girls this year, encouraging active play that inspire creativity and girls feel proud of things they’ve made
  • Nintendo Wii one of the hottest Christmas gifts for girls this year, and the Nintendo Wii Fit is expected to top 3 million sales this year alone
  • Nintendo DS Lite is a handheld video game system expected to be sold out before Christmas due the high demand for girls (and boys)

Christmas Toys for Babies and Toddlers:

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