Simple wooden Earthentree toys are safe for kids and the environment

Deepti Shankar's concerns for her daughter's safety and the health of the environment were the catalyst for her fledgling business, Earthentree, which designs, oversees manufacturing of and imports safe, eco-friendly toys from India.

Inspired by the traditional wooden toys made for generations by artisans in Channapatna, a small village in southern India near where Shankar grew up, durable Earthentree toys are made with soft seasoned wood from fast-growing, sustainably harvested hale and rubber trees.

The toys are colored with natural dyes -- yellow comes from turmeric, blue and black from the indigo plant -- and are lacquered with natural, nontoxic shellac.

The year-and-a-half-old company sells more than 30 products, from key chains and bracelets to pull toys and musical instruments. Best sellers include the cup-and-ball toy ($12), a rain shaker music maker ($12.75) and a train engine with five large stackable pieces ($26). Other cool products include an abacus ($40) and Tommy Turtle, a pull toy with an adorable shell ($30).

Shankar designs the toys, which are then crafted by artisans in Channapatna. Many of the artisans are fourth-generation toymakers, and Shankar pays them a higher daily wage than other manufacturers in town. "I'm Indian, so I believe in karma," she says.

Earthentree products meet standards set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which addresses lead and phthalate levels in children's products. In addition, the toys do not contain any small parts that can be swallowed.

The toys are sold online and at Curious Kidstuff, Clover and Top Ten Toys.

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