Dancing Alligator

I am a big fan of the "Dancing Alligator" by Plan Toys, for a bunch of reasons. One, is that this toy keeps my 18-month-old very entertained. He loves to pull this little toy around and watch it "dance." This Alligator makes a "slinky" back and forth movement, and a little "clacking" sound when you pull it around- which just thrills my son.

I have become a lot more picky about the toys I purchase for my kids ever since the major "lead paint" recalls that have occurred over this past year. My son loves to put everything in his mouth, and because of this, I have done a lot more research on toy manufacturers before I make a purchase decision.

I am particularly impressed with the Plan Toy Company. All of their toys are made from organic, renewable rubberwood, which is painted with water based dyes. All of their toys are formaldehyde and lead-free.

Plan Toys also has an environmental focus. All of their toys are packaged in recycled materials, and the company even uses solar panels to power their kilns.

What I am most impressed with, is that Plan Toys can do this all- and still keep their toys reasonably priced. The Dancing Alligator retails for about $14.99, which is considerably cheaper than many of the European-brand pull toys I had considered (which have a similar safety "resume").

Plan toys has an expansive product line, and I am excited about seeing more of them in the future.

Please be aware, if you are considering purchasing this, that your child will need a lot of smooth floors to run this around on. If you have wall-to-wall plush carpeting throughout your home, this is probably not the toy for you.

You can purchase the Dancing Alligator (which won the Oppenheim "Gold Award," by the way) at Amazon, Babycenter, and Oompa.

If you have not entered the Muffatee give away, read the following post, and do it! You have until midnight tonight.