With the recent recalls of certain Chinese-made
Dora,
Elmo, and
Thomas the Tank Engine toys, parents are afraid to walk down the toy aisle of their local department store. To many, "Made In China" has become synonymous with "May Contain Lead."
And with over eighty percent of the toys sold in the United States coming from China, the remaining twenty percent are looking for a way to cash in on the hysteria.
Some parents are boycotting toys made in China while others
are signing petitions calling for mandatory testing of toys. Because of this, American toy manufacturers K'Nex and Little Tykes are planning on stressing their nationality in upcoming advertisements. Maybe "Made In America" will have meaning once again?
But aside from creating your children's toys, there is no true assurance that the toys your children play with are actually safe and lead-free.
With the holiday orders already placed, most retailers' hands are tied. Most toys on the shelves this holiday season will still be from China. This Christmas, it looks like Santa Claus will be bringing the naughty kids toys from China instead of lumps of coal.
