Imagine a world where toys please the senses and stimulate the imagination. Now imagine a world where all of those toys are made in fair trade facilities from eco-friendly, sustainable materials.

It is easy if you try… just visit ImagiPlay. They make beautiful, clever wooden toys for infants, toddlers, and children…

At a recent playdate for my preschooler, I had a big playset with two slides, a play cottage, a play kitchen, and tons of smaller toys out for the kids but the biggest hit of the day? The Sand & Water Transportation Table from Step 2.

This group of three and four year olds clustered around the table and contentedly filled, poured and splashed for almost two hours. Meanwhile, the moms sipped lemonade and chatted in the shade…

When I was expecting my infant son, we introduced a baby doll to prepare my older child for her new sibling. Since then, she’s been inseparable from her baby dolls. And, like many of her celebrity counterparts, including Suri Cruise and Violet Affleck, her favorite baby dolls are made by Corolle…

Classic toys are timeless for good reason. Wooden building blocks never go out of style–durable, creative, open ended toys that allow for hours of exploration.

HABA makes quality toys primarily from cloth and wood. These organic materials, combined with a European aesthetic, lend HABA toys a warmth and charm that encourages tactile play.

The HABA Plug and Pile Royal Tower Wooden Blocks are a fun twist on traditional building blocks…

Reuse, reduce, and recycle for a more eco-friendly lifestyle. The new Recycling Dump Truck from Green Toys teaches all these concepts by example and through play.

The Green Toys Tea Set is a favorite of ours and Green Toys has rescued more treasure from the trash heap with its new action toys made from recycled milk jugs. Check out this video tour of the new line of Green Toys we previewed at Toy Fair 2009…

We love our Sprig Toys! We reviewed a selection of the new Sprig Hollow Eco-Friendly Nature Toys for toddlers and preschoolers and they were a big hit at our house.

These adorably cartoonish toys are made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic. “Sprig Wood” is easy on the earth, durable, and child-safe, too. Kids can play with Sprig Toys in the dirt and the water. Sprig Wood even smells fresh and woodsy. And each toy comes with a seed paper flower, which you can plant and watch grow–a perfect way to explore nature.

I love the puzzles and games from Melissa and Doug. They are my go to brand for affordable wooden toys. Their safety record is great–in fact, they teach other toy makers how to manufacture safely! I regularly give these beautiful, quality, educational toys for birthdays and holidays.

This week only, save 30% on all regularly priced Melissa & Doug products at Little Jet Set. To receive discount, coupon code M&D30 must be entered during checkout. (Offer Expires: April 14, 2009 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time)

You can also find Melissa & Doug on Sale at Amazon.com right now.

Unique, funky, and oh-so-chic, Color Zoo from Allen Ave. is a perfect gift forany child or even a kid-at-heart, animal-loving adult.

Exuberantly vivid, retro prints will add flair to any child’s room and, if your kid insists on bring her friend along, you’ll have no problem spotting the brightly-colored plush animal hidden in the jungle gym.

As part of the Love of Learning Month, Little Partners is giving away 20 Learning Towers (ARV $200 each). Mamanista has one to give away to a lucky reader.  Check the Love of Learning Month to find out which 19 other bloggers are giving away one, too!
In December, Debbie reviewed the Learning Tower, which was one of our Hottest Holiday Toys:
If you love cooking, the Learning Tower from Little Partners is a must have. Kids love to help in the kitchen, and it’s a lot easier if they aren’t perched precariously on …