My wife introduced me to Green Toys, a company that makes toys out of recycled milk containers. And they’re made right here in the USA. To my delight, I learned that Green Toys offers USA-made tool toy sets!
The tool sets come with a small tool box, a hand saw, a hammer, pliers, a wrench, two screwdrivers, a pair of toy nails, a pair of toy bolts and nuts, and a pair of fastening plates.
I should probably give you a bit of the background of how I feel about the brand and how I came to learn about their tool toy set.
Aside: General Review of Green Toys
We started off by buying some toy keys. You the kind, where you have a plastic keyring and some keys for a baby to rattle around and chew on. I forgot that this was a Green Toys product until my wife reminded me.
After that, we bought a 4-pack of Green Eats’ feeding spoons for our son. I guess the company has different names depending on the product category – Green Toys for toys, Green Eats for utensils and dishes. I liked the spoons, and think we’ll buy some of their snack bowls or cups in the future.
My wife also previously bought our son a Green Toys stacker. I prefer Fisher Price’s tried-and-true traditional donut stacker, but Green Toys’ one has a very different design and is made in the USA. I had rather neutral feelings about the brand. But then a couple of days ago, we received the toy airplane my wife had ordered for our now-toddler son. After giving it a quick lookover, I promptly ordered a bunch more of Green Toys’ toys for our boy.
The fact that the tools are 100% made from recycled milk jugs threw off my expectations. I keep expecting the toys to be flimsy or slippery, but they’re not. The keys, spoons, or stacker should have been evidence enough, but single solid pieces of plastic vs. an assembly with movable parts is completely different. I guess the “green” environmental aspect is a selling point for some, but I’m just happy to find that the toys are tough and sturdy.
It’s worth repeating and emphasizing – the toys are tough and sturdy. They’re rigid too. I was impressed. And if something as complex as an airplane toy with spinning propeller, rolling wheels, and well-defined molded engine parts and cockpit controls can be done so well, I’m betting that all of their stuff is top-notch. Overwhelmingly positive user reviews seem to confirm this.
Back to the Point
When searching around for other Green Toys products to impulsively buy for my son, I came across these tool sets. There are two sets – one with traditional boy colors: blue, green, and yellow, and the other with traditional girl colors: pink, purple, and green.
Our son is too young for these tool toys, but you can bet that I’ll be buying one for him in a couple of months. Right now he has tool-related musical and activity toys, but I think these will be his first tool-shaped toys.
I have NOT bought these tool toy sets yet, but I definitely will when our son’s ready for ’em. My experience with Green Toys’ toys so far has me pretty convinced of their quality.
Related Discussion: Tool Sets for Kids??
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Green Toys offers these in “girl colors” too. While some might be offended by the “boy colors” and “girl colors,” I think it’s a great idea. They’re same exact tool toys, but in different colors. Right now the pink/purple/green set is a couple of dollars cheaper than the blue/green/yellow set.
Again, I haven’t bought these yet; my experiences with Green Toys are with other products, but I won’t hesitate to buy these when my son’s of the proper age.
The toys are made from 100% recycled milk jugs, they’re packaged in recycled materials and with soy ink, they’re phthalate-free and BPA-free, and dishwasher-safe.
You should also take a look at Green Toys’ other offerings. I think I’m going to buy another of their airplanes for me to try to add LED lights and sounds to.
Price: $20 to $25
Buy Now(“Boy” Tool Toy Set)
Buy Now(“Girl” Tool Toy Set)
See Also(Green Toys via Amazon)
See Also(Green Eats via Amazon)
And if you’ve got an infant or toddler at home, check out my post about how I use Milwaukee’s bucket-shaped tool box as a baby gear carrier!