I absolutely love what I do. It is such an honor to be able to introduce moms to fantastic companies that provide high-quality products. I am so pleased to be able to introduce North Star Toys to you today. Tim and Connie Long, a husband and wife team, have been producing beautifully hand-crafted wooden toys for children for over 30 years! The Longs have built their toy company around the belief that children deserve beautiful and functional toys, and let me tell you, their toys are just that….simply beautiful toys.

North Star Toys are made from quality American hardwoods, such as walnut, oak and alder, and are rubbed with a non-toxic mineral oil to bring out the wood’s natural beauty and shine. North Star Toys is 100% committed to creating green toys, and use recycled materials whenever possible. The Longs are dedicated to preserving our environment and proudly operate a green business. Working with a company that cares so much about children AND the planet is a true blessing. This company has truly made sustainability a priority. I invite you to check out what North Star Toys is doing to help preserve and protect our environment. (Learn about this amazing green business!) Tim, co-owner of this amazing toy company said it this way, “Toys are for kids, not just for this generation, but for generations to come. We want to protect our planet for this and future generations.” I can tell you, that these durable, sturdy, and highly creative toys are most certainly made and built to last! I have no doubt that the toys my children were blessed with will be around for my grandchildren as well.

My children have come to love our postal carrier. They have learned that packages that arrive at the house usually contain a fun surprise for them. As per usual, my children were THRILLED with the toys they so graciously received from North Star Toys. What I immediately loved was the creative play these toys sparked within my children. I loved that my children were PLAYing, rather than simply being entertained by a gadget or gizmo. These simple, well-made toys took my kids on several different adventures in our family room. Both of my children (almost 5 and almost 3)were drawn to these toys, as I’m sure yours would be as well. The Rainbow People Mover has been on multiple journeys since receiving these toys. My kids went camping in a camper, explored a city on a bus, and took tours of different places. The colorful rainbow people figures have been arranged and re-arranged countless times. Today, I found them “sleeping” under little washcloth blankets in their baby brother’s crib. This wonderful toy also sparked opportunities to talk about color with my children. My son and I reviewed color names, while my daughter and I talked about the color spectrum and rainbows. How neat is that?! Look how much fun these two were having!

Another awesome toy that the Longs so graciously blessed my children with was their adorable wooden camera.My husband and I own our own photography business, so I was SO excited to get this for my children! Like with the people mover, the second they saw that camera, their imaginations came alive! My kids immediately started “taking pictures” of anything and everything! I could tell that they were our children, as they were using many of the lines my husband and I use with clients to set up shots. My son was telling me to do certain things with my arms and body, while my daughter kept telling me to “do a real smile.” They were arranging toys and dolls for pictures, snapping pics of their baby brother, and carrying the camera all around the house. I was impressed with the little details that make this toy so fun! The lens wheels actually turn, so that your child can “focus” and “zoom in and out.” The button on the top of the camera actually presses down, helping the child to really feel as though they are taking a picture.My budding photographers were in love with this toy. I loved that it was durable and beautiful, and had a nice smooth finish. Check out my little budding photographers in action!

North Star Toys also has a line of “Baby’s First Toys.” They lovingly sent a  Baby’s First Elephant for my youngest son. It is just the right size for a small child’s hands, and you can feel safe allowing your child to play with it, as the finish on the toys is food-grade.

If you want YOUR child to get to experience imaginative and creative play with high-quality toys from a company dedicated to nurturing children and protecting our planet, I have GREAT  news for you! North Star Toys are available for purchase from their online-store, and are affordable! I urge you to head on over to their website and check out their online toy shop. You are guaranteed to find a toy that will spark creativity within your child. You can find all of their amazing toys here: North Star Toys Online Toy Shop! They have a wide variety of quality wooden toys to check out in addition to the fabulous toys I have shown you!