Cardboard Is Not Just for Packaging Anymore

Toys that are kind to the earth are becoming more popular as parents look to provide eco-friendly, safe and educational alternatives that encourage imaginative and creative play. Repurposed materials from manufacturing processes and 100-percent cardboard playhouse structures, furniture and models are making a name for themselves as the “green alternative” to plastic toys. Celebrate Earth Month with these sensational environmentally-friendly toys from Trash for Teaching, Paperpod Cardboard Creations Ltd., Cardboardesign, Calafant and Kidsonroof!

Trash for Teaching Recommends Castaway Kits

Trash for Teaching is a non-profit organization that repurposes clean and safe cast-off materials from manufacturing processes—wood, glass, plastic, fabric, vinyl, foam, rubber, and metal—to create toys and decorative items that scream “Green”! Minimizing waste while maximizing education, these products encourage critical thinking skills and fuel children’s imaginations by challenging them to find creative applications for non-traditional objects.

The work of Trash for Teaching is supported by its sale of a number of do-it-yourself projects known as Castaway Kits. With the JunkIt, kids sort, stack and compare a variety of cast-offs to expand their vocabulary and stretch their imaginations through simple, fun games and exercises. The BuildIt Decorative Cores are a perfect way to develop a child’s dexterity and enhance problem-solving skills. Both toys are recommended for children ages 4 and up. The decorative Bottle Vase comprises a reused industrial cylinder and an empty water bottle. The child supplies the green plant!

For more on Trash for Teaching, visit www.trashforteaching.org
For information on the green play kits, see www.castawaykits.com

Remember When the Box Was the Toy?

Remember building a fort out of old cardboard boxes or erecting an inspired creation from empty cereal boxes? Now children can have this experience with creative cardboard play spaces from U.K.-based Paperpod Cardboard Creations and its U.S. partner, Cardboardesign.

Specializing in environmentally-friendly, cost-efficient, sturdy and practical recycled corrugated cardboard toys and furniture for children, these companies offer products ranging from chairs to toy forts, doll houses and play houses. Inspiration for Paperpod came to owner and award-winning product designer Paul Martin when he saw Christmas and birthday presents often discarded so children could have hours of fun playing with the boxes!

The real beauty of these products lies in their blank canvases. Children play, create and decorate their structures using paint, collage, pens and crayons—and pure imagination. Perfect for home use, childcare and school settings, these structures add a personal touch of fun in 15 designs, including the brand new Car, Aeroplane, Shed, Pyramid and Room Divider, as well as the Brick Pack, Den, Adult and Toddler Chairs, Toy Fort, Rocket Teepee, Doll’s House, Playhouse, and the signature Paperpod, a series of triangles that create an igloo of sorts. The traditional Playhouse measures 35x31x47 and sports windows, a front door and even a mail slot!

To learn more about these creative cardboard kits, go to www.paperpod.co.uk or www.cardboardesign.com

Calafant Fights Boredom with Cardboard!

Calafant’s cost-effective and eco-friendly cardboard toys are just the ticket for parents who want to promote creativity and imaginative play. Children can design their own worlds—a farm, castle, pirate ship—for their dolls, stuffed animals or die-cast cars.

Calafant toys are also great tools for artistic school projects. Choose from the spaceship, dinosaur, race car, carriage, Dragonrock Castle, pirate ship and more. The large toys, such as the castle, fort, dollhouse and treehouse, are ideal for play with 3” dolls or other small toys. Children get a kick out of building and decorating their own toys, while gaining a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Made from recycled cardboard, the structures are covered with a layer of white paper to make decorating easy and fun. Kids can use markers, crayons, acrylic paints, glitter, watercolors, and scrapbook supplies to make the structures their own. Small and medium-sized toys come with six and 12 non-toxic washable markers, respectively. These creative crafts allow children to fine-tune their motor skills, encourage independent thinking and boost self-esteem.

To learn more about cardboard toys, visit www.calafantusa.com

Kidsonroof Builds Imaginations

The mission of Kidsonroof is to reconnect modern life with nature while rediscovering basic values. The Dutch company, established in 2005, offers an ecological approach to the act of playing, stimulating creativity and imagination through its cardboard structures, furniture and toys. The Casa Collection includes sturdy houses made of white recycled cardboard, allowing children to use their decorative imaginations on such features as a cat on a tree, a crawling ant and a squirrel.

Easy-to-tote MobileHomes are perfect for on-the-go children who wish to carry an eight-room “dollhouse” with them to a friend’s house for an afternoon play date. Children who enjoy models will love the imaginative Totem Collection, which features embellished cardboard models of a City, Nature Scene, Dragonfly, Papillon Day, Papillon Night, Mini Spider, Mini Rooster, Tree, Christmas Tree, and various figurines. There’s a manual enclosed with each model for easy assembly.

The lastest Kidsonroof furniture collection is Volume Zero. Made of solid beech wood, this collection comes flat-packed and is easy to assemble without screws or nails. The wood is finished with water-based paint and lacquer.

Playing with Kidsonroof gives kids all the adventure, without the danger! See more at http://kidsonroof.com/new/index.php