ChildTrek Blog

Green Play: A Toy Safety Fair sponsored by ChildTrek - Dec. 6, 2008, 10 am - 6 pm

• Are your children’s toys safe from harmful elements and chemicals?
• If you’re breastfeeding, do you know how much lead you may be passing on to your baby?
• What are the current laws around toy safety?
• What makes a toy educational?

Come to Green Play: A Toy Safety Fair to get answers!

Toy Safety Fair at ChildTrek’s Storefront

ChildTrek’s First Toy Safety Fair
ChildTrek invites you to join us at Green Play: A Toy Safety Fair. It will be on Dec. 6, 10 am - 6 pm at the ChlidTrek storefront located in Tacoma’s historic Freighthouse Square, off Exit 133, 2 blocks north of the Tacoma Dome.

Full address: 430 E. 25th St, #3, Tacoma, WA 98421. ChildTrek is right across the food court.

Meet toy safety experts, family advocates, and educators. 

• Free toy testing to detect harmful elements and chemical levels
• Learn about laws and initiatives designed to protect you and your family against toxic pollution
• Test for lead levels in your body (for breastfeeding and pregnant women)
• Get school readiness advice for your child from preschool and elementary teachers
• Take advantage of great toy specials at the storefront and especially for the fair!

Please join us for fun and facts!

Learn more…

ChildTrek specializes in safe, unique, natural toys.

By Miebeth Bustillo-Booth, ChildTrek Founder

ChildTrek Natural Toys - Voted Top 5 Winner
King 5’s Evening Magazine 2008 Best of Western Washington
Customers voted ChildTrek Natural Toys as Top 5 Winner of King 5’s Evening Magazine 2008 Best of Western Washington - Children’s Gifts category. Because of your votes, ChildTrek placed #2. Many thanks to all of our customers for honoring us with your business and vote. The ChildTrek team will continue to do our very best to win your loyalty and praise.

Check out our Top 5 Winner Best of Western Washington Special!

What Customers Are Saying
Below is a sample of the reviews customers posted at the official website for the King 5 Evening Magazine 2008 Best of Western Washington.

….

“I can not say enough positive things about this store! I love it so much and I refer it like crazy to all of my family, friends, and parents. The toys are my sons favorite and it feels good to be buying toys that are safe for him and the environment. Customer Service is outstanding also!” ~Kelly48

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“One of my favorite places to shop in Tacoma. I love the store itself, but I keep coming back because the owner is so wonderfully helpful, and finds the greatest toys and books. Their online presence is great as well. I feel very lucky to have their retail shop nearby!” ~tanaf

….

“This is the only store that I’m aware of that has ONLY safe/natural toys. The owner was so helpful and generous with her information that I took home her little fliers and when folks come over to see my new baby, I make them take her flier home with them!!” ~courtneyloved

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“It is so great to see this store in Tacoma. We can walk in and feel good about anything that we buy. The helpful suggestions have resulted in some new favorites for our 8 month old. We can’t wait until he is old enough to play with everything in the store. In the meantime, we will continue to visit to get age appropriate toys, and to “test” our favorites. We have also dropped lots of hints to all of those in the market for gifts–no more toxic toys!” ~greysma

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“The best all around - prices, customer service - AMAZING SHOP!!! I LOVE THEM!” ~WynneF

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“This is a wonderful earth friendly toy store for children! Great customer service. A store all parents must go to with their little ones to have a great experience and to encourage the healthy development of their children. HIghly recommended as the best toystore in Tacoma!” ~Melissa54

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“This is the best toy store we have ever seen. As new grandparents, I’m sure we will be back many times. The owner and staff are knowlegable and creative and led us through the maze of available toys to make the best selection.” ~roncharley

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“If you are looking for a green and one of a kind gift this is the store for you! I’ve been back several times for my son and for gifts. The shop owner is very helpful and she carries a wonderful selection of books. Currently my 1 year old’s favorite book is from ChildTrek!” ~yeldsy13

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View more Best of Western Washington customer reviews.

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Annette Roth, Marketing Director
IR2 Media Group Inc.
Phone: 253-212-0379
Email: aroth@ir2media.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATURAL TOYS FOR A GREEN GENERATION
Introducing ChildTrek, Tacoma’s Newest Natural Toys Store
Grand Opening Celebration from August 17 to September 14, 2008

Are you looking for unique, natural and educational toys that are safe for your child? Then come visit ChildTrek, a new toy store located in Tacoma, Washington’s historic Freighthouse Square.

Good for Kids & Planet
Miebeth Bustillo-Booth created ChildTrek to marry her love for children, education, and the environment. As a former teacher, Bustillo-Booth understands the importance of toys that promote positive childhood development. As a parent, she understands that parents want toys that are safe, fun and educational as well as good for the environment and affordable. “I believe parents and grandparents are looking for quality, unique, open-ended toys that stimulate their children’s intelligence. When they come into ChildTrek or visit ChildTrek.com, they will find toys that provide this and more,” says Bustillo-Booth.

ChildTrek believes that the best toys are good for both kids and the planet, and actively promotes the idea of living in harmony with the environment. To support this belief, ChildTrek offers green toys. They are made with natural, biodegradable, recyclable or recycled materials under sustainable practices. Most are wooden toys. Very little new plastic is used. All toys are child-safe and non-toxic. They are finished with beeswax, water- or vegetable-based dyes, or non-toxic paints. Because the toys are made under stringent quality and safety specifications, few will end up in landfills anytime soon. They will become beloved toys that are passed down to siblings, friends’ children, and perhaps grandchildren.

Childhood Discovered Naturally
ChildTrek will soon offer fun, engaging, beautifully-illustrated children’s books. They are carefully selected to instill a love for reading — the foundation for a love of learning and lifelong success. The ChildTrek storefront is family and kid-friendly, where children can openly play with toys on display. “I love to see children play at the store. It also helps parents choose toys that are just right for their kids,” says Bustillo-Booth.

Come help celebrate ChildTrek’s Grand Opening celebration from Aug. 27 - Sept. 14, 2008. There will be door prizes, specials and daily promotions. For more information, please contact Annette Roth at 253-212-0379 or via email, aroth@ir2media.com. You can also visit the user-friendly and highly-informative website at http://www.childtrek.com.

ChildTrek Storefront Address
ChildTrek is located just two blocks north of the Tacoma Dome. Take Exit 133, right at the off ramp. Freighthouse Square is the green building just 2 blocks ahead. See you soon!

ChildTrek Toys, Books & Gifts
430 East 25th St., Suite #3
Freighthouse Square
Tacoma, WA 98421

800-406-8735 (Customer service available M-F (10 am - 5 pm PST)

Store Hours
Monday - Saturday: 10 am - 7 pm
Sunday: 12 noon - 5 pm

Come see us soon!

By Miebeth Bustillo-Booth, ChildTrek Founder

Really Cool Cars
ChildTrek is proud to carry heirloom-quality construction vehicles by Automoblox. Designed by world-class industrial designer Patrick Callelo, Automoblox cars fuse the durability and character of classic wooden cars with the sophistication of modern design. Check out the 2008 X9X Sports Utility. It is the perfext mix of style and utility. Take a look at value packed Automoblox Minis. They are scaled-down versions of the C9 Sports Car, S9 Sedan and T9. Both the full-sized and mini vehicles are designed with interchangeable parts for customized, three-dimensional play.

Create Custom Vehicles
The Automoblox line of interchangeable car parts truly inspires building and playing out of the box. The removable connectors, interchangeable roofs, and changeable wheels, tires and body blocks among the different Automoblox cars allow for plenty of exciting custom designs. The patented removable connectors offer a level of complexity to the play experience. Each car comes with a 17 digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) just like real cars. It identifies the year and model of your car.

Green and Safe Vehicles
Each body block is made of sustainable beech wood and finished with clear, non-toxic lacquer for durability. The colorful and aggressive tires are made of rubber. The dynamically styled roof and stylish wheels are made of polycarbonate to make them virtually indestructible. Automoblox cars are designed and engineered in the United States. They are assembled in China under stringent quality and safety controls. They meet or exceed both North American (ASTM) and European (EN-71) safety standards.

Check out our growing selection today at ChildTrek.com.

By Miebeth Bustillo-Booth, ChildTrek Founder

Natural & Wood Teethers
The best teething toys are made of natural materials like wood. Wood is naturally anti-bacterial. (That’s why there are wooden cutting boards.) So it is self-cleaning. Wood is hard and will help ease teeth in. But not all wood toys are ideal. The best wooden teething toys are either unfinished or lightly finished with beeswax, water-based stains, or other non-toxic paints. It’s best to gain the manufacturer statements to this effect. At ChildTrek, only toys that have met or exceeded safety standards are available.

Great Teething Toys
Consider the Infant Grabbing Toy Mah or Giraffe by Kathe Kruse. They are made out of non-porous beech wood, lightly finished with beeswax, and made using non-toxic dyes. There are no harmful chemicals to leach out while your baby gnaws on the hard wood. The wooden ring is extra large for easy handling by small hands. The lamb and the giraffe can be removed for machine or hand wash. And they are completely adorable!

The Grabbing Star Red or Blue also by Kathe Kruse has a wooden teething ring and interesting textures for early learning stimulation. A special feature is a velcro loop at one of the star ends so that it can be fastened as a stroller toy. This achieves a couple of things: the teether is always nearby and it doubles as a grabbing toy. Smart!

The Girali Rattle by Selecta, aside from being a practical teething toy, is uniquely beautiful. It is made of native woods from Germany and finished with beeswax and non-toxic paints - completely safe for your baby.

Also, it’s hard to beat the Cherry Rattle by Camden Rose. It is lightly finished with beeswax. Its contoured design makes for interesting tactile stimulation. Its gentle rattle is soothing. As a teether - it is naturally hard to facilitate teething. Watch as your baby gnaws on this beautiful toy for hours.

Cold and Soothing
One of my personal favorites for the summer are the organic teethers by miYim and Under the Nile. Take the Bunny, Elephant, or Bear teether. Dampen, not soak it. Put it in the freezer. Then let your baby gnaw on this cool toy to help soothe tender gums. Do the same for the Fruits or the Vegetables by Under the Nile. Besides gently soothing for your baby, you are teaching your baby to “eat” his or her fruits and veggies!

Vary Teethers
It’s best to keep a few different teethers around that have varying textures and hardness. Some teeth come in easier than others. The molars, for example, are especially hard on infants.

Check out ChildTrek’s selection of ideal teething toys.

By Miebeth Bustillo-Booth, ChildTrek Founder

One ship sails East,
And another West,
By the self-same winds that blow,
Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales,
That tells the way we go.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The above quote is one of my favorites.  It reminds me that life’s direction is largely determined by one’s choices. It also reminds me that like sailing a good-sized boat, it often takes several knowledgeable hands on deck working together to reach a desired destination.

ChildTrek is fortunate to have the assistance of its very talented Advisory Team made up of parents, educators, child-specialists, business owners, and accomplished professionals. Advisory members review toys and advise ChildTrek on how best to serve its customers. They will soon write blogs and parenting tips.

My heartfelt thanks to each and every advisor for graciously giving time, head and heart to ChildTrek. They are beautiful human beings. I wish you could meet them personally. They exude kindness, lightness, and are, frankly, scary smart.

Also, my unbounded love to my husband Bart, who is a superb sailor and partner in the sea of life. Thank you for helping ChildTrek set sail.