THE FIND
Good Clean Fun
Get them started young with this all-natural toy kitchen.
Using sustainably harvested trees (either felled in storms or culled from large canopies to lower fire risk; some pieces are bought as scrap from cabinetmakers) and working with a co-op of Amish craftspeople are just part of Ann Arbor, Michigan, toy maker Jason Gold's mission. The father of two girls wants them "to grow up in a clean environment," he says. "Every day when I come to work, I get to feel like I am doing my part. And, of course, I get to play with toys, too." The play kitchen ($350 at Hatched) is made of solid cherry with birch knobs and maple "burners," and it comes assembled except for two handles parents will find easy to attach - knock on wood.
Hatched
5 Green Street, Jamaica Plain, 617-524-5402, hatchedboston.com 