Description:
This eco-friendly toy is a whimsical way to help kids create a positive association with fruits! Under the Nile’s organic cotton stuffed fruit tote play set has braided handles and is embroidered with the healthy message "Fresh organic fruit basket.” Tote includes: a Chiquita banana, grape & watermelon.
Product Features:
- Made and stuffed with 100% Handpicked Organic Egyptian Cotton
- Pesticide free
- Organic dyes
- Extremely comfortable and durable
- EDI and CPSIA compatible
- Certified by Demeter
- Certified to the National Organic Program Standards
- Tote includes a Chiquita banana, grape & watermelon
- Creates positive memories of healthy fruits
- Imaginative play toys
Sizes:
Color:
Under the Nile offers an alternative to conventional cotton apparel for infants and children. All products are made from 100% handpicked organic cotton, without the use of pesticides or chemicals throughout the entire production process. Grown exclusively in Egypt, the products reflect the extremely soft and durable features that Egyptian cotton is known for. Under the Nile's dyeing process uses metal-free or vegetable dyes. Accessories such as buttons and zippers are made from organically friendly elements such as wood, shell or nickel-free metals. The line is EDI compatible.
About Under the Nile Stuffed Vegetable and Fruit toys
Getting children to eat their vegetables rivals teething and potty-training on the list of 'least fun' parental experiences. But Under the Nile believes that children are more likely to eat healthy foods if they have an opportunity to learn and play with them throughout the day. The company encourages parents to use a process they call, 'show, tell, and taste'. For example, keep a colander full of the brightly-colored Veggie Toys on the kitchen counter so they are always accessible for an impromptu chat on colors and shapes or to let the kids use the smiley-faced characters for imaginative play. Once the children are enjoying the activity, capitalize on the fun times by serving carrot sticks, broccoli trees, or other kid-friendly 'green' snacks to reinforce the notion that eating vegetables doesn't have to be a chore.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents can introduce fruits and vegetables into a baby's diet as early as six months of age working up to three-to-five vegetable servings a day for a toddler-age child. Since getting toddlers to do anything against their will can be a daunting task, parents who help children establish a positive connection to vegetables early will likely fare better than those who wait until the power struggle begins. Under the Nile's Veggin' Out collection is non-toxic and stuffed with 100% organic, Egyptian cotton, so it is safe for infants to play with (and chew on!)
How Veggies Are Helping Villages:
By participating in the 13-Villages-Project, organic toy manufacturer, Under the Nile, is doing more than just providing healthy toys for customers -- they're also providing healthier living conditions for impoverished people in Egypt.
Under the Nile, manufacturer of organic toys and apparel, is doing more than just helping kids make a positive association with healthy foods. They are also proud participants of the 13-Villages-Project -- a SEKEM initiative to fight against poverty and its causes in rural Egypt. Under the Nile's "Veggin' Out" collection of stuffed fruits and vegetables are made exclusively through this program.
Janice Masoud, President of Under the Nile, joined the 13-Villages-Project because she believes as they do.that poverty cannot be addressed solely through financial aid. So while many manufacturers choose to give a portion of their proceeds to underprivileged countries, charities, and so forth, Masoud wanted to do more than just donate. She wanted to part of the solution.
Here is what she's done:
- SEKEM, our partner farm in Egypt, identified 13 nearby villages in the region of Sharkeya in desperate need of better livelihoods and healthier living conditions.
- Many women in these villages, though capable of working and desirous of contributing income to the family, are unable to leave their villages to do so because they are needed to care for family members. So Masoud brought the work to the villages.
- To ensure quality, each village is trained and assigned responsibility for making one style of Under the Nile.s stuffed fruit and vegetables toys. A carefully selected woman from the village manages the workers and trains new women wanting to participate.
- When the women are ready to start production, Under the Nile cuts the fabric, prepares the embellishments, and delivers the raw materials to the village. The date product is needed by and a fair wage for the labor required to complete the work is agreed upon at that time. The women are paid when the toys are picked up.
The results of this project are incredible. Masoud says, "The women feel a sense of self-worth and empowerment. Learning a trade is inspiring them to try other things they would not normally have attempted. When I visited the villages a few months ago, not only were the women happy, but the entire village was proud of what they had accomplished."
Under the Nile has enough work to keep all 13 villages busy manufacturing fruit and vegetable toys for the remainder of 2008 and is looking to continue outsourcing projects to these communities long-term. Products manufactured through this program will begin bearing a 13-Villages-Project hang tag starting in the fall.
