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SOUTH JORDAN — After nearly two months of discussions on South Jordan's proposed ordinance to ban toy weapons on public property, the City Council has unanimously voted to pass the ordinance. In a work session before Tuesday's council meeting, council members discussed the proposed ordinance. Mayor Kent Money said he was concerned that the public did not understand the purpose of the ordinance. "First, we are only talking about the use of these projectiles in public places," he explained. The ordinance had originally been worded to ban the use of toy weapons on public and private property. However, after a...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday passed and sent to the White House legislation that bans lead from children's toys and seeks to ensure that chemicals posing possible health problems will not end up on toys and articles that kids chew on and play with. The Senate, stymied by partisan differences over the energy crisis, put aside those differences momentarily to vote 89-3 for the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The House passed the bill Wednesday by 424-1, a reflection of the national outcry over a rash of recalls last years of toys and children's products contaminated by lead...

Bo (woof) In Product Review: Kong-every dog knows what it is. It’s the iPod for the canine set. But is it really all it’s cracked up to be? Well read this review and find out. How did the greatest invention in canine treat history, The Kong, come about? Well, it begins with a German Sheppard named Fritz, his owner and a Volkswagen Van. Fritz, a police dog, enjoyed chewing rocks to relieve the stress of the day. This activity wore Fritz’s teeth down, frustrating his owner Joe Markham as well as his dentist, Dr. Christian Szel One afternoon while working...

Bo (woof) In Commentary: Imagine, if you will, walking in the rain but instead of raindrops coming out of the sky it’s bacon flavored bubbles. Sound like a dream you’d twitch to? Well, purchase the Bubble Buddy and according to its maker, Happy Dog Toys, it may very well come true. Recently I was in PetSmart, perusing the aisles with the old man in tow when the Bubble Buddy caught my eye. Once I read the packaging, I knew I had to get one for myself. It read… * Blow ‘em! Chase ‘em! Chomp ‘em! * Get ready for bubble...

5/20/2008 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- Approximately 40 volunteers from the base Company Grade Officers' Council here are on a mission to bring joy to the faces of local Iraqi orphans. Through Operation Toy Drive, the group collected toys and plan to present the gifts to Iraqi children in May. "We just received care packages from so many great organizations back home, and almost everyone we opened had a stuffed animal inside," said Capt. Nora Nelson, the president of the Company Grade Officers' Council. "We were thinking, 'What do I do with this? Well, why don't we collect all of...

Staff Sgt. Joseph Marcy, of the 511th Military Police Co., shares a moment with Iraqi children after a food distribution mission in the Zuwerijat district of Al Kut, Iraq, April 30. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Daniel T. West. FOB DELTA — Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and American Soldiers recently gave humanitarian assistance to more than 200 families in the Zuwarijat district of al-Kut, 163 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, as part of Operation Thunder II. The humanitarian mission furthered the operation’s goal of establishing a permanent ISF presence in the area.During Operation Thunder II, ISF occupied three buildings to serve...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, April 16, 2008 – U.S. and Iraqi soldiers made April 13 a happy day for Iraqi children at two schools near Taji, northwest of Baghdad. Iraqi soldiers from 1st Battalion, 34th Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, hand out toys at the Asim bin Omar school in Sab Al Bour, northwest of Baghdad, April 13, 2008. During Operation Bounty Hunter Pencil, the Iraqi soldiers worked with Company A, 225th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multinational Division Baghdad, to hand out toys and school supplies to children. Photo by Army Sgt. Waldemar...

FUNTASTIC is recalling about 26,000 sets of "Hillbilly Teeth." The gray surface paint on the teeth contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard. This recall involves a 2-pack fake Hillbilly Teeth with item # 2657. The item number is printed on the packaging. The gums are brown and the teeth are yellow. The false teeth were sold at grocery, drug, convenience, and mass retailers nationwide from March 2005 through March 2008 for about $2. They were made in China. Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact FUNTASTIC for information on receiving...

With their bling-bling glittering through the plastic of their stylish boxes, they dish out attitude on the Barbie aisle. Happy D., Kiyoni Brown, Liam, P. Bo, Tika and Tre. Hip-hop culture in a box. Setting out to give older girls a reality check, this month Mattel introduced Flavas, its first doll designed to catch the eye of a modern tween (8- to 12-year-olds). Wendy Wedemier-Hinds, 33, of Miramar, says when she looks at the dolls, "I automatically think of hip-hop." Even the name Flava (hip-hop slang for personal style) is trendy. "It's Barbie with a twist," says Robert Rosenberg, manager...

Boys and their toys? It's biological, not social By Nic Fleming, Science Correspondent Last Updated: 4:01pm BST 07/04/2008 Boys prefer playing with cars to dolls because of basic biological differences rather than social pressures, scientists say. The males monkeys played with the 'boys' toys while the females played with 'boys' and 'girls' toys Researchers observed young male monkeys spent more time playing with vehicles than with cuddly toys. They believe this suggests that in most cases boys have an innate predisposition for masculine toys, which is then reinforced by what they learn from their parents, friends and wider society. Dr...

A young Iraqi girl holds her new Beanie Baby, donated by children of North Hills Christian School in Salisbury, N.C. Soldiers of Company D, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, distributed the toys to children from the Oman and Nassir schools in al Buaytha, March 24. Photo by 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs. FOB KALSU — Iraqi school children in Al Buaytha received toys from children their age from halfway around the world, March 24. Soldiers of Company D, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry...

A Lithia family says a cuddly, programmable Elmo doll revealed its dark side yesterday after fresh batteries were installed. Instead of singing songs or reciting the favorite color of its 2-year-old owner, James Bowman, the doll started making death threats, the family says. With a squeeze of its fuzzy belly, the Sesame Street character now says, in a sing-song voice, "Kill James." "It's not something that really you would think would ever come out of a toy," said Melissa Bowman, James' mother. "But once I heard, I was just kind of distraught." The Elmo Knows Your Name doll, which connects...

Ferrari for kids to be available next month Berg Toys has created the Ferrari FXX pedal cars for the kids. FXX Racer pedal car comes equipped with a seven-speed transmission, an on-board computer, disc brakes, semi-slick racing tires and styling, which, as you can see, is modeled on Maranello's developmental track-car. For those to whom cost is no object, the FXX Exclusive upgrades with a premium racing bucket and four-point harness, leather steering wheel and even an aero kit. Berg will be offering both models ($700 and $2100 respectively) through its own dealer network and through Ferrari dealerships starting next...

On Monday, Lego is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the day it filed its first patent for the iconic plastic brick. Since the beginning, Lego sets have been themed, and the very first theme was space. Not long afterward, Lego added castle and pirate themes. One of the first major elements of the "System of Play" was the Lego Town Plan. To celebrate the 50th anniversary, the company is releasing a new, updated commemorative Town Plan this year. While updated, it includes '50s-era elements like a gas station, car wash, and garage, plus a movie theater and, of course, a...

(WASHINGTON) - About 15,000 Chinese-made metal toy wagons sold at Tractor Supply Co stores are being recalled because the surface paint contains excessive levels of lead, the U.S. Consumer and Product Safety Commission said on Thursday. The wagons from Tricam Industries Inc of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, contain the model number MH1250 and were sold from September 2002 through November 2007 for about $30. No injuries have been reported from the recalled wagons, the CPSC said. The agency said consumers should contract Tricam at (800) 867-6763 for instructions on how to return the wagon and get a refund.

WASHINGTON – As consumer safety recalls of Christmas products made in China continue at a torrid pace, a new report shows the average Chinese worker making toys is paid a meager 36 cents an hour – just 2.5 percent of what U.S. toy manufacturers pay domestically. Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the latest recall of a Christmas import – a holiday candle set that tips over and whose exterior coating is flammable. The snowman and Christmas tree candles were manufactured in China. The Consumer Product Safety Commission warned the candles should not be used because of the...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Dec. 20, 2007 – Afghan troops and local leaders and U.S. soldiers from the Kohe Safi Police Mentor Team handed out stuffed animals, blankets and coats to villagers in Angurdarrah and Gadaykhel on Dec. 18 in an operation named for an Army major’s childhood toy. Afghan security forces, along with Abdul Whaid Khan, Kohe Safi subgovernor, transfer stuffed animals from U.S. Humvees while Afghan children line up to receive a gift Dec. 18, 2007, in the Kohe Safi district of Afghanistan’s Parwan province. Photo by Staff Sgt. Erin Tallman, USAF  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

It is one of the most popular toys on children's wish lists this holiday season, but independent laboratory tests show the "CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationT Fingerprint Examination Kit" contains asbestos. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and Public Justice, a Washington, D.C. public-interest law firm, are demanding that companies involved in the distribution of the toy protect children and other customers from exposure to the substance, which has been linked to fatal lung cancer and other serious diseases. The toy is made in China. In a letter to CBS, the toy's licensor; Planet Toys of New York City, the toy's...

Dollar Tree announced Thursday the recall of about 300,000 toys. (A previous version of this story incorrectly listed Dollar General as an affected retailer.) They include bead and wire toys for babies and Speed Race Pull Back and Go Action cars. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said that the toys, which were made in China, have high levels of lead that violate federal paint standards. There were no reports of injuries. One group of toys has colored beads that slide on wires attached to a natural wood platform. They have item number 903419 and date code 71 printed on...

Legos — they're not just for good kids anymore. A book written by two former employees of the Danish plastic-brick giant is burning up the Amazon.com sales charts — and raising eyebrows on the other side of the Atlantic. "Forbidden LEGO: Build the Models Your Parents Warned You Against" was published in August by No Starch Press, a small independent publishing house based in San Francisco. Its authors, Ulrik Pilegaard and Mike Dooley, both worked at the Lego Mindstorms robotics division before leaving to join an independent robotics firm. "You'll learn to create working models that LEGO would never endorse,"...

They're marketed as the all-American girls, each representing a different period in American history. But CBS 11 found the American Girl dolls that teach our heritage aren't really American.

NEW YORK — Ian Culhane won $10,000 for designing a 7-foot-tall toy roller coaster. Not bad for a 10-year-old. "It's money for college," the aspiring engineer from Olympia, Wash., said Thursday about the savings bond. Ian's creation was on display at the Toys "R" Us store in Times Square, where he accepted the prize from the president of K'NEX Brands, a building toy company in Hatfield, Pa. The boy, who first started playing with building sets when he was 4, was one of thousands of children ages 6 to 12 who entered the annual contest. Ian began the project last...

Santa's Workshop takes you to the real world of China's toy factories. Workers tell us about long working hours, low wages, and dangerous work places. Those who protest or try to organize trade unions risk imprisonment. Low labour costs attract more and more companies to China. Today more than 75% of our toys are made in China. But this industry takes its toll on the workers and on the environment. The European (and American) buyers blame bad conditions on the Chinese suppliers. But they say that increasingly hard competition gives them no option. Who should we believe? And what can...

Although millions of toys have been recalled this year, toys containing toxic ingredients are still on store shelves. So how does a holiday shopper choose safer products? On Wednesday, December 5 the Michigan-based Ecology Center - the same group that released the first-ever consumer guides to toxic chemicals in cars and child car seats - will be releasing new research on over 1,200 toys in collaboration with the Washington Toxics Coalition and other leading environmental health groups across the country. At www.healthytoys.org parents will be able to easily check how products rank from highest to lowest in terms of lead,...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2007 – It may be just a dress rehearsal for Clara, the toy soldiers and the Sugar Plum Fairy, but for servicemembers and their families in the audience, it’s a big “thank you” from the cast of “The Nutcracker.” For the past four years, the Community Ballet Association of Huntsville, Ala., has recognized the sacrifices of servicemembers past and present with a special performance of the holiday classic. Originally a night reserved for a full-dress rehearsal, the association closed the performance and dubbed it “Military Night.” “The Huntsville community is comprised of thousands of military and...

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) -- Hasbro Inc., the world's second-largest toy company, plans to place a newspaper ad to distance itself from a string of lead paint recalls that have plagued its competitors, Hasbro Chief Executive Alfred J. Verrecchia said Thursday. The ad, in the form of a letter to consumers, will appear in newspapers next week, Verrecchia said. He did not immediately have details on where and when it would appear, but said the message will be that Hasbro has had no recalls for lead or other dangerous chemicals, and people can feel good about buying Hasbro toys and games. "Our...

WASHINGTON: Psychologists at the Temple University have revealed that old-fashioned toys allow children to experiment with their imagination and creativity, thus proving much healthier for them. Researchers think that simpler toys like rubber balls and building blocks are healthier for the creative development of the child, as compared to expensive electronic gizmos. "Old-fashioned retro toys, such as red rubber balls, simple building blocks, clay and crayons, that don't cost so much and are usually hidden in the back shelves are usually much healthier for children than the electronic educational toys that have fancier boxes and cost $89.99," said Kathy Hirsh-Pasek,...

A U.S. toy safety group released its annual "10 Worst Toys" list Tuesday, highlighting both hidden dangers like lead paint on a bathtub boat and more obvious hazards, such as a spinning plastic pirate's dagger. World Against Toys Causing Harm has released the list around the holidays for 35 years, but this year it came amid a number of recent high-profile recalls, particularly of toys made in China. Most recently, millions of the "Aqua Dots" toy beads were recalled and the Chinese government confirmed they contained a substance that can turn into a " date-rape" drug after ingestion. Among the...

(HONG KONG) — The Chinese government announced late Saturday that it had confirmed the presence of poison on toy beads exported around the world, while in the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said that seven more children had been sickened. The Chinese government’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine also identified the factory that manufactured the beads, the Wangqi Product Factory in the southeastern Chinese city of Shenzhen, and said the factory’s export license had been suspended. The Chinese response to the poisonous toy beads represents an unusually swift reaction, and a contrast with other recent...

(OTTAWA) -- Despite the media attention paid to the alleged dangers associated with Chinese-made toys, they pose no more risk than toys made elsewhere and may even be safer, a Canadian study has found. The recalls of Chinese-made toys are no more frequent than of toys made elsewhere, says the study, which was published Thursday by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APFC). The study, entitled "Toy Import and Recall Levels: Is there a Connection," says the recall of Chinese toys only seem more common because China produces by far the most toys. The study was written by Professor Paul...

About 175,000 Curious George Plush Dolls were recalled Thursday, becoming the latest popular toy made in China found to be contaminated with dangerous levels of lead. Manufactured by Marvel Toys, of New York, N.Y., the Curious George dolls contain excessive levels of lead in their surface paint, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Although no reports of illnesses connected to this product have been reported, lead is toxic if ingested by young children. Children's products found to have more than 0.06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall.

I hope no one minds the topic of this thread. With the holidays coming up, I thought this might be of use to not just me, but all parents, grandparents, families etc.. A list of ideas from others, and this thread could be an EXCELLENT reference guide. As a new grandparent of a child less than 2 1/2 yrs old, I am looking for safe alternative toys and toy parts that do not originate in china. If the toddler puts it in his/her mouth, (aside from being big enough that he/she can't swallow it)...it needs to be a material that...

BRISBANE, Australia, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Five children in Australia and New Zealand have been hospitalized after eating Chinese-made toy beads found to contain the date rape drug GHB. Australia Tuesday recalled the Bindeez beads after two children in Sydney who ate the beads became drowsy or unconscious and had to be hospitalized. Two toddlers in Auckland and a 19-month-old in Brisbane have also required hospitalization, the newspaper said. A spokesman for Moose Enterprise, the Australian importer of the toys -- which were the top-selling toy this year -- said the company was not aware of and did not approve...

A Chinese province is likely to join a planned libel suit against US giant Mattel, accusing the toy maker of harming the region's reputation, state press said Tuesday. The government of Guangdong province is considering the suit after Mattel issued a safety recall on more than 21 million Chinese-made toys this summer, but later apologised saying 85 percent of the recall was due to its own design flaws, the China Daily said. "The incident has stained the reputation of Chinese toy manufacturers and made a large number of toy factories in Guangdong lose a great deal of money," it quoted...

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan (Nov. 2, 2007) -- Coordinators and volunteers with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program on Okinawa will be working overtime during the holiday season to extend the reach of the 60-year-old charity in the region. Reserve Marines, activated specifically for Toys for Tots support, are scheduled to begin their 2007 toy collection drive during ceremonies at post exchanges on Camp Foster and Kadena Air Base Nov. 3. This year, program officials added Thailand and Guam to their area of responsibility, according to Staff Sgt. Suzette Smith, a coordinator with Okinawa’s Toys for Tots....

Manufacturers are hoping their range of cuddly toy versions of microbes including gonorrhea and syphilis will be a hit for Christmas.

Dishes, toys, jewelry and backpacks that have not yet been recalled all carry "worrisome" levels of lead, the nonprofit Consumers Union said on Monday. The group's Consumer Reports magazine staff recommended that people immediately stop using some of the products tested. "Our lab tests detected lead at widely varying levels in samples of dishware, jewelry, glue stick caps, vinyl backpacks, children's ceramic tea sets and other toys and items not on any federal recall list," the group wrote in a magazine report. It said the items were not included in recent recalls. Last week the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled...

COLUMBIA, Md. (AP) -- The nation's two largest makers of toy trains are nearing a conclusion to a seven-year-old, multimillion-dollar lawsuit. Columbia-based MTH Electric Trains had sued Lionel, a century-old brand, accusing it of stealing train designs through a Korean subcontractor. The dispute focused on patented computer technology that synchronizes a train set's sound, smoke and speed, critical technology in their small but competitive market. "We're happy that we've reached a settlement," said Jerry Calabrese, chief executive of Lionel, based in Chesterfield, Mich. "It was a long, terrible case." However, MTH founder Mike Wolf said the settlement is contingent on...

August, Mattel Inc. recalled 7.3 million Polly Pocket play sets with small magnets that could come loose and, if swallowed, tear holes in a child's digestive system. Hearing that, Lisa Davis didn't think twice about removing the toys from her 5-year-old daughter's room and "chucking them in the trash" rather than returning the items for a replacement. "It's just not worth my time to go through the hassle," Davis said. "It's easier to quietly stick them in the trash when my daughter's not looking." This year, manufacturers and retailers have issued a steady drumbeat of recalls for unsafe items including...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Curious George doll bought at Toys "R" Us was found to be tainted with 10 times the legally-allowed lead level, and vinyl lunch boxes and backpacks also had high amounts of lead, the nonprofit group Center for Environmental Health said on Wednesday. The Curious George doll found with high amounts of lead was made by Marvel Entertainment Group Inc, the Oakland, California-based group said in a statement. A Marvel spokesman said he was unaware of the advocacy group's finding and had no immediate comment.Millions of toys made in China have been recalled over the last three...

NEW YORK - Toy sellers' fears of a widespread boycott of Chinese-made toys have not taken hold so far, despite the recall of more than 20 million playthings made there. Merchants are reporting an improvement in business, including strong early sales of certain key holiday items. Still, shoppers' concerns over safety are still high. And mounting financial concerns could force shoppers to pull back. "Consumers are still confused," said Ron Boire, president of Toys "R" Us Inc.'s North American division, noting that there are some parents still concerned about where products are made. But he is not seeing "a sea...

Toy stores and manufacturers are making it easier to find American-made products after scores of recalls have made some shoppers apprehensive of Chinese-made toys. Stores such as FAO Schwarz and Toys "R" Us have trained their employees about which products are made in the United States so that they can help customers, the companies say. FAO Schwarz also has labeled some of its American- and European-made toy sections in its stores. Its Web site allows shoppers to search for toys based on the country where they were made. And toy makers that manufacture their products in the United States, such...

After weeks of uproar and suspicion about the safety of Chinese-made products, an executive of the Mattel toy company met with China's top product safety official yesterday to issue an apology. Just what the apology meant, however, was caught up in translation. Mattel says that Thomas A. Debrowski, its executive vice president for worldwide operations, was in Beijing to repeat what the company had already said in Europe and the United States, that it was sorry for the recall of millions of toys, and that it was doing all it could to prevent further problems. The Chinese press heard it...

LOS ANGELES - Mattel Inc. tried to save face Friday with Chinese officials, taking the blame for the recent recalls of millions of Chinese-made toys as it strives to mend a strained relationship with the nation that makes most of its toys and fattens its profit. The world's largest toy maker sent a top executive to personally apologize to China's product safety chief, Li Changjang, as reporters and company lawyers looked on. 'Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologizes personally to you, the Chinese people, and all of our customers who received the toys,' Thomas A. Debrowski, Mattel's...

In the New York Times, Gary Cross, a professor of history at Pennsylvania State University, pens a confusing op-ed on the dangers of, not only outsourcing toy manufacturing, but allowing "licensed toys" (Dora, Barbie, etc...) from being introduced to kids. "Young people" just haven't developed the critical judgment necessary to, gulp, deal with "consumerism." Like any good nannyist, Cross uses a scare (the recent Mattel recall, in this case) to kick things off. We quickly jump to commercials. ….In the early 1970s, child advocates like Action for Children's Television recognized that television ads for toys had a magical power over...

The world's largest toy maker, Mattel Inc, apologized on Friday for damaging China's reputation after recent massive recalls of its Chinese-made toys, admitting it targeted some goods that were actually up to scratch. Mattel has come under scrutiny following the recall of about 21 million of the toys in a span of five weeks, many because of excessive levels of lead paint. "Our reputation has been damaged lately by these recalls," Thomas Debrowski, Mattel's executive vice president of worldwide operations, told China's quality watchdog chief, Li Changjiang, in the Chinese capital. "Mattel takes full responsibility for these recalls and apologizes...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Someone is going to have to pay all the extra costs of making toys safer. For now, toy makers and retailers are sharing the burden, but that's only expected to last until the holiday season. Next year, American consumers will be facing price increases of up to 10 percent to pay for the industry's increased vigilance after more than 3 million lead-tainted toys from China were recalled worldwide since June. That means a $6.99 Barbie doll could go up to about $7.70, or a $70 child-friendly digital camera could retail next year for almost $80. A...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Toys "R" Us Inc is recalling 27,000 wooden coloring cases that were made in China and sold under its Imaginarium brand because lead was found in the printed ink on the art set's outer packaging and in some watercolor paints. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the recall on Thursday, said the 213-piece coloring set includes crayons, pastels, colored pencils and water colors that were packaged in a light tan wooden carrying case. The printed ink on the outer packaging of the case contains lead, and some of the black watercolor paint contains excessive...

China says toy recall scare shows protectionist agenda Aug 30, 2007 Mattel has only itself to blame for a huge toy recall that has stoked global alarm about Chinese-made goods, state media said on Thursday, charging that a slew of foreign safety scares had exposed a protectionist agenda. Mattel Inc, the world's largest toymaker, recalled over 18 million Chinese-made toys this month because of risks from small magnets that can injure children if swallowed, just two weeks after it recalled 1.5 million toys due to fears over lead paint. Coming in the wake of warnings over Chinese-made toothpaste, pet food,...