Friday 20 November

Eco play dough - is it worth the dough?

Mama K's Aromatic Play ClayWe've all got play dough connoisseurs for children at Cool Mom Picks, so I know that a few of the organic versions I've had a chance to try out recently have some tough standards to live up to. Past pick Eco-Dough so far is the benchmark, with great texture, vibrant colors, a new and improved formula, and some really gorgeous packaging.

Another option that I just discovered through the Goddard School and Eco Child's Play, and their new list of top ten rated eco-toys, is Mama K's Aromatic Play Clay (left). These doughs smell amazing. AMAZING. And I don't use all caps a lot. Organic essential oils like cardamom, bergamot and chamomile keep kids' noses in it as much as their hands.  The dough itself is gluten-free and has a nice pliable texture, if a little stickier than the big brand stuff you're used to. Two Play Clay-coated thumbs up.

Fairly new on the block is Miss Brittany's Organic Fun Dough (right). Created by a NYC preschool teacher, the deluxe fun dough kit has a real homemade feel to it which is actually kind of charming. Miss Brittany's Organic Fun DoughThe very cute box is s ready-packaged for gift giving with a kid-sized rolling pin, a sweet organic apron, and some wooden shapes called "stampers" (although they might better suited to their own craft projects than stamping anything).  You actually get a ton of dough in here, so ration it out just a little bit at a time unless you like scraping it all off the floor all at a time.

The one thing is that you have to refrigerate the dough first, as directed, or end up with a big gooey mess which is what happened to me. What can I say, I was eager. I still think the consistency could use a little work. But she's got some new products coming down the pike I'm looking forward to seeing. -Liz

Find Eco Dough, Mama K's Aromatic Play Clay, and  Miss Brittany's Organic Fun Dough all online through their websites.

Looking for more eco-friendly kids' toys for holiday gifts this year? Find great green gift ideas in Cool Mom Picks' 2009 Holiday Gift Guide!

 

Find More: Organics, Toys and Other Playthings