RLT Industries is based in San Antonio Texas.  They are a family owned and operated business and all their products are Made in the USA out of natural products.  All of the kits are made up of wood, twine and leather, no plastic or metal.

They make a variety of wooden model kits that allow you to make your own catapults, trebuchets, ballista, bridges, engineering marvels and even recreations of some of Da Vinci’s inventions.

The pieces for the kits are cut by a computer controlled machine to ensure precision and accuracy.  The more precise you are when putting your kit together, the better your catapult will perform.

This is one of the first lines we have carried that is more appropriate for school age children rather than infants and toddlers but there will be plenty more to follow for that age range.  You can check out what we have in-stock at this time on our Wooden Catapult Kits category page

Mountain Boy Sledworks

With the winter months upon us, we have added a new supplier that specializes in high quality wooden sleds.  The company is Mountain Boy Sledworks and they are based out of Silverton Colorado.  They make a nice variety of sleds and toboggans and all of their products are hand-crafted.

Unfortunately, they no longer make the bulk of their sleds in Silverton.  They are at odds with the town over zoning laws.  The town shut down their operation until the zoning issue can be straightened out.  In the meantime, the sleds are being made over in China.  Now, we are not the biggest fans of products made in China but this is a different relationship.  This isn’t some mass manufacturing operation where products are spit out under unhealthy conditions.  The owner of Mountain Boy Sledworks has partnered with a team of highly skilled wood workers that meet the same quality standards that Mountain Boy is used to.  The products are made from wood that is harvested in a sustainable manner and the quality and care is evident in everything they produce.  The coatings and finishes that they put on their sleds are durable and safe for your children.  They are heirloom pieces, they might cost more than the lower quality stuff you can get at the big box stores but they will last many generations.  You can see our selection by going to our Wooden Sleds and Toboggans page.

Maple Landmark Woodcraft

We met this company earlier this year at Toy Fair and we were really impressed with the company and the product that they produce.  Maple Landmark Woodcraft is based in Vermont.  It was started many years ago when the owner was still a teenager.  He started using scrap wood that was left from his fathers projects and started making toys and games for fun.  Soon, people started paying him to make toys and the rest is history.  Well, I am sure there is a LOT more to the story but that’s enough for now.  We will do a longer write up in the near future.  What we want to focus on is the wide range of quality products that they make.

Everything that Maple Landmark sells is made right in their Vermont location.  They handcraft all of their toys, games and collectible products right here in the USA using Vermont hardwoods that are harvested sustainably.  They use as much of the wood as they can and whatever left is turned into sawdust and given to local farms for cow bedding.  You can see the full line that we carry on our Maple Landmark Woodcraft page.

Giant Building Blocks from Smart Monkey Toys

We found this company at Toy Fair earlier this year and we were pretty impressed with their product and company philosophy. The giant blocks are made from cardboard and much sturdier than you would expect them to be. They are made from 100% recycled material and non-toxic ink so you can feel confident that these building block will be safe, fun to play with and will stand up to the abuse that they are sure to be put under. There are 5 different sets that come with different colors, block sizes and even some cool themes like Castle Building Blocks. You can check them out at Giant Building Blocks

Wooden Building Blocks from Holgate Toys

We have a great selection of wooden building blocks from a company that has been around forever and is actually pretty close to our office. The company is called Holgate Toys and they are one of the premiere wooden toy makers in the country. The wooden blocks have a natural and safe finish on them and the blocks are sanded and shaped to remove rough corners and edges. They come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Everything we carry from Holgate is Made in the USA. You can check them out at Wooden Building Blocks

We have Trolleys, Toys, and a step stool up on the site. You can check them out at Mr. Rogers Merchandise.

Here are some samples of what we have up on our store:

Pictured to the left is just one of the finishes the very popular Learning Tower comes in. It’s one of the first items we started carrying at AmazingChildhood.com. Typically we are looking for items made in the USA that we can certify as safe and of the highest quality. Well, unfortunately, this item is manufactured in China but in this case we aren’t going to hold it against this particular product line.

Why? Well for a few reasons. First, the Learning Tower is a fairly unique item and as such, we believe it fills a need. Secondly, we met with the company that manufacturers the Learning Tower and we were impressed. The Learning Tower may not be manufacturered here in PA but it not made cheaply either. It’s a very well made item and it certainly passed our quality standards and it is lead free.

The Learning Tower is the ultimate child step stool. It gives your child the freedon and ability to join you at counter height and work with you while you prepare a meal or help you clean up after dinner. My wife uses it when she bakes cookies with my oldest son. It gives our son the freedom to climb up on his own, it gives him a safe and balanced platform that he can’t easily fall off of and it brings him up to the perfect counter height.

The Learning Tower retails for $199.99 but we have it marked down to $189.99 at AmazingChildhood.com. It comes in nine different finishes: Natural, Dark Cherry, Ebony, Soft White, Red, Azure Blue, Royal Blue, Pink and Apple Green. We also sell a variety of accessories that you can buy to expand the playability of the learning tower.

Please take a moment and check out out this new line at The Learning Tower section of our web site. Don’t forget, 5% of every sale on AmazingChildhood.com goes to charity.

Some of the key elements we look for when selecting a manufacturer are:

• Where is the product made?
• What materials are used in the construction?
• Has it been thoroughly tested for lead and other harmful elements?
• Was it made with GREEN practices in mind?
• Have their been any previous recalls or issues with that particular company
• How closely does the company oversee the manufacturing process?
• Is the Product FUN!!!!

The list is endless. Our favorite products are products that are made right here in the USA with safety, the environment, reliability, and fun at the forefront of their production process. We are looking for manufacturers who have products that will last and can be enjoyed by multiple generations, toys that can stand up to the abuse that only a 1 year old can dish out day after day.

If you are interested in the childrens toys that we carry, check out our site at AmazingChildhood.com

5% of every sale we make is donated to children’s charities. We split the donation between the USMC’s Toys for Tots Program and Alex’s Lemonade Stand to help fight childhood cancer.