Oompa’s Creative Group has been hard at work honing product descriptions, adding photos and videos and, most recently, adding icons to help you quickly see what educational, developmental and other qualities are relevant for our ever growing collection of quality baby and children’s toys, gear and furniture. Here are the new icons you’ll see along with their meanings:
Cognitive
This product helps to encourage problem solving and abstract symbolic reasoning. This may also include spatial reasoning, counting, matching and sorting. (ex. Puzzles)
Creative Expression
This product is especially good for encouraging imaginative and creative play in your child. This can help children learn about making decisions and developing a sense of self. (ex. Colored Pencils)
Early Learning
This product helps to encourage physical motion in the early stages of a baby’s development, such as tracking, grasping, pointing and mouthing. (ex. Rattles & Teething Toys)
Eco-Friendly
This product is produced in such a way as to create minimal or no harm to the environment. This may include the use of biodegradable packaging, recycled materials, FSC certified wood products, nontoxic dyes and low-impact manufacturing and distribution. In addition, many of the companies with this designation will be classified as Green Businesses through their every day practices, from reducing office paper waste to contributing to environmental programs. (ex. Plan Toys)
Fair Trade
This product is produced in a country that is not part of the European Union or the United States, but which has made a commitment to fair labor practices. This includes a fair living wage for artists and employees as well as controlled, safe work environments. Products with this designation are usually either produced by small groups of artisans, often attached to charitable programs that foster empowerment of marginalized groups, or produced in factories that meet ISO health and safety standards. ISO standards regulate working conditions, pay rates and quality management of industrial manufacturers and are generally only applied companies that produce on a very large scale. (ex. Blabla)
Fine Motor
This product helps to develop detail-oriented hand coordination. This includes writing, cutting, tracing and many crafts. This also encompasses many self-care skills, such as buttoning, lacing and zipping. (ex. Threading and Lacing Toys)
Gross Motor
This product encourages the use and development of large muscles in the body, as well as greater coordination. This includes walking, cycling, jumping and throwing. (ex. Tricycles & Ride-On Toys)
Independent Play
This product encourages a child to play and problem solve by themselves. This helps to develop a sense of autonomy and self-confidence in one’s own abilities. (ex. Playmats)
Language
This product encourages the development, use and comprehension of language. This can include the development of verbal speech and vocabulary, symbols and conventions of written language and storytelling. (ex. Books)
Made in Europe
This product is manufactured in a country that belongs to the European Union, and as such, is produced under the laws and regulations of the EU. To see full list of EU countries: here Our EU-made products can be found here!
Made in the USA
This product is manufactured in the United States, and as such is produced under the laws and regulations of the USA. Our collection of USA-made products can be found here!
Organic
This product is created from materials that are grown according to the practices of sustainable organic farming and cultivation with no added harmful pesticides or chemicals. This usually includes products made from wool or plant fibers, such as cotton. After cultivation, the material is also processed using organic materials, such as natural dyes and oils. To be termed organic, the majority of the product must be grown and manufactured in this way, although a small amount of inorganic material is allowable where an alternative is not available, or is deemed safer/more hygienic. Our collection of organic and eco-friendly toys can be found here!
Sensory
This product is especially good for stimulating a child’s sensory life, whether it be through vision, smell, hearing or tactile experience. This can encourage a child to further explore the world around them as well as provide a sense of comfort at times. (ex. Musical Instruments)
Social/Emotional
This product encourages social play in one or more children, as well as emotional development. This helps children to interact and work with others cooperatively, as well as to develop certain important social emotions such as empathy and understanding. (ex. Board & Family Games)
Thanks Creative Team! Nice work!
- Milanie
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