My good feelings about Melissa and Doug were fleeting. If you haven't seen this amazing (albeit scary) resource called HealthyToys.org, you are missing out. This wonderful nonprofit out of Washington buys and tests thousands of toys on the shelves right now. They test for lead, mercury, barium, cadmium, bromine and chlorine. I posted about this fantastic resource last year,and it has only gotten better this year, with countless more toys listed with pictures. They are sortable by brand, and the best toys as well as the worst are listed. HealthyToys.org also has a mobile phone service so you can check ratings while you are shopping. How cool is that?
So I stayed up way to late last night looking at the Melissa and Doug results. They were completely mixed, with some safe and low risk ratings, and some terrible medium and high risk ratings. If you have Melissa and Doug toys in your house, you have to check out the extensive list they have. Let me just say that some of our puzzles listed as a medium risk for lead, as did many stuffed animals which I didn't understand at all. I emailed the folks at Healthytoys.org to see why and how stuffed animals can contain lead! This is not something I thought was possible. I thought lead was used only in paint and in vinyl. I do hope it was a mistake, but sadly because many of the stuffed animals were listed as containing lead, I don't think this is the case. These are darn cute animals, especially the giraffe, which was listed as containing lead! I am still in disbelief. A simple set of cloth baby blocks came back as a high risk from bromine as did a musical instrument set that we have an earlier version of.
The take home message for me about Melissa and Doug? Don't trust them. Check every out every one of the toys you have on this site to see what is safe. I know I will NEVER buy a Melissa and Doug toy again, and will be telling family members (who are probably sick of this topic by now-- sorry!) to not buy this brand for our girls. Frustrating, to say the least.
Check out HealthyToys.org to research the safety of other toys brands as well. It is an incredible resource.
11 comments:
It is the eyes in the stuffed animals that have lead. I got rid of my Melissa & Doug toys at the beginning of this year when I hired a lead consultant to come to my home to test my toys with an XRF analyzer. Many of the Melissa & Doug toys contain lead and PVC. If you call them they will lie to you. Boycott Melissa & Doug!
Hi,
I will pass this post on to my friends who have little ones.
Thanks for the work you are doing to keep children safe:)
Susan
question to margaret: is it because some of the eyes are painted? that they contain lead? i've 'eyeballed' some of the stuffed toys around here and have been nervous... like Care Bears and the like. please let me know if you have further info. thanks!
thanks for the awesome update!
Books at Bedtime,
I just got an email from Healthytoys.org and they said it was from the eye or mouth parts which could be made from plastic (I believe they are), from wood, or ceramic.
I know, I too look around at all the stuffed animals with a new skeptical eye. I thought they were so harmless before---
Thanks for the tip, Margaret! You were right. And organicsyes, you ar welcome!
Hi Katy! I found your blog through a post on Velveteen Mind. I will subscribe to your blog because you and I have similar concerns. I hope to write on this topic on my blog http://mypartforourplanet.blogspot.com and will reference your blog. I did just buy the M&D free standing easel for my daughter for Christmas which I posted about on my other blog http://tiffanyteske.blogspot.com/2008/12/quins-1st-christmas-that-she-will.html. My good friend owns a toy shop, which carries mostly M&D, here in Canada. She is under the assumption that they have only had toy recalls for choking issues! I want to talk with her about this but she is going to be crushed... I work in the shop two days a week, and I bring my daughter to work, and now I feel like we are surrounded by poisons! Oh, man, it is hard not to go off the deep end with this stuff, is anything safe? Thanks so much for blogging on this important topics, and for bringing Healthytoys.org to my attention. Off to check out all our toys... I look forward to reading your future posts! Cheers Tiffany
Thanks, Tiffany! I know, it is all so frustrating. I have been wanting a new easel for my girls, too. I have a beat up one I found for free on the side of the road. How's that for reusing? Of course, I have no idea what that is finished with. I will check out your blog too. Thanks being a new reader, for your thoughts and for linking to my site!
take care,
Katy
I tried to follow your Melissa and Doug link to look at the results and there is nothing there. Help!
This link you posted takes me to healthystuff.org, and they only have 3 Melissa & Doug toys tested. None of which of course are the numerous wooden M&D puzzles we have at home! Do you where I could get more info on specific puzzles? thanks very much!
Marie
Something happened with my links for Melissa and Doug. Healthy toys updates their results, and combined with another group-- so some of the data is gone. There used to be lots of information about specific puzzles. I got an email from healthy toys stating that the data changes every year. Sorry I can't be more helpful with this. I did just learn of another site called the Good Guide, but I don't know alot about them yet.
Thanks for your comment and I am sorry that you can't find the information you seek. I have a few puzzles from M and D and I am just keeping an eye on them to see if they chip or flake. But I certianly won't let anymore into our house.
Katy
Tiffany!
Somehow I missed your comment. I've seen your blog! It's great! Thanks for visiting and come back again. It must be really hard to run a safe toy store these days!
Katy
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