Read Cookie Magizine's Review - August 2008

Kids' Toy Reviews

Recycled materials and an alternative power source make these toys super-eco-friendly.

By Christopher Healy

Adventure Series Vehicles Sprig Toys, from $25 each

Before you roll your eyes at yet another line of toy cars "with working lights and sounds," know that Sprig vehicles perform such feats with no double- A batteries or AC adapters.

Sure, these bold, chunky buggies are electronic toys, but they're kid-powered.

As children play with them, rolling the wheels or bouncing the frames, they charge up the power supply.

Then they can pop their little Adventure Guides—featureless heroes from places like the Serengeti and the Arctic who evoke Fisher-Price Little People—into the seats to see their helmet lamps beam and, on the Discovery Rig, hear them relate their adventures.

Each piece is crafted almost entirely from recycled materials, too, so beyond the built-in entertainment value, kids get both multicultural and environmental awareness. —Ages 2 to 9