Fears of unsafe products prompt parents to make their own toys

The return of the cardboard box!

The recalls since June of more than 4 million toys with lead paint — from certain Winnie the Pooh play sets to some Barbie accessories — have educated many local parents, causing them to rethink their approach to toys.

Susan and Dace Campbell, of Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood, for example, now make many toys themselves for 1-year-old son Arlan. They keep it simple, making blocks from old boxes covered with contact paper, or creating rolling toys made from oatmeal containers. Their son often adds his own touch with stickers.

In addition to knowing where their toys came from, Susan Campbell says it also forces them to be creative.

It can't hurt. Read the rest here from the Seattle Times.

Photo by Jason Cartwright; some rights reserved.