Categories: Parenting

Review: Magic Cabin Dolls Catalogue

I have been a fan of natural toys for quite a while now, since I learned about the importance of natural toys in children’s development. When I was younger HearthSong had an outlet store in our small town of Sebastopol, CA, where I was able to purchase some great natural toys at low prices. Their ‘sister company’ is Magic Cabin Dolls. I have been getting both the Magic Cabin Dolls catalogue and the Hearthsong catalogue for quite some time now. I have noticed that they both go through cycles of having good quality toys and not. They never seem to be too trendy, but at times they lack open-ended toys and feature ones that are more constricting to a child’s imagination or have toxins in the form of plastic. I received the Magic Cabin Dolls catalogue yesterday in the mail, and I have to say that it is the best that I have received from them in a long time. Maybe they are remembering the appeal of natural toys as well.

Presentation

As always, upon receiving the Magic Cabin Dolls catalogue, the cover is appealing. All pictures appear to be hand drawn in colored pencil accurately, and they are works of art in themselves. There are whimsical borders and pleasing representations of the toys. The cover of the Fall 2007 catalogue features children dressed up as fairies in a forest catching fire flies. Products from within the catalogue are placed well, but the scene is featured more than the product. It is pleasing to look at and invites a second look from a natural-minded parent. As someone who does not choose to celebrate Halloween, it is refreshing to see a tranquil picture in a fall catalogue and not something to do with the holiday that we prefer to keep out of our home.

Open Ended Toys

In opening the catalogue on the first page is a ‘Dear Friends’ section. That is a nice personal addition that is missing from the ‘shop from home‘ industry that captivates so much of our money in this day in age. Featured on the front spread are natural simple toys that are pleasing to the senses and look to be durable heirloom-quality toys. There are Blooming Mini Fairies, Playsilks, Fairy Bookmarks, Traditional German School Cones, Playground Balls in fun new colors, Connectagons (which appear to be a more natural Knex), and a good quality wooden Cash Register. The layout is pleasing and the description is written so that it is easy to read. The German School cones capture my interest and I read about them first. If I had school aged children I might just order a few of these fun cones and make a family tradition. Next I look at the Playground Balls, they are just like the red textured balls that we used for Dodge Ball in Elementary school, but now are in different colors, a multicolored set and a ladybug print. They come in 2-piece sets. I think about asking my Mother-In-Law for them for my baby for her birthday, but then read on to find that they are manufactured in China. This is disappointing. As a concerned parent I am reluctant to buy children’s toys that are manufactured in China due to child labor laws and the recent press about toxic paint that has been used in the manufacturing.

In further browsing the catalogue I see more toys that are nice and open ended and promote creative play, like Cherry Tree Blocks on page 15. There is a nice selection of children’s craft supplies on page 30, with more variety than I have seen in the past.

Learning Tower

On page 37 the Learning Tower is featured, a great addition to a home to enable a child to safely work right alongside Mom. Another example of what looks like a well-made toy that will last a long time.

Musical Instruments

Colorful fun and simple musical instruments are featured on page 49, including a Glockenspiel that looks to be high quality, crafted in Germany. A Melody Lap Harp, handcrafted in Romania, looks like it would be a beautiful addition to our home, and is $39.95- an amount that I would spend on a quality toy for baby’s upcoming 1st birthday.

Dollmaking

I turn to find the dollmaking section, and have a hard time finding it. It appears that it has been either discontinued or is not in this catalogue. I have ordered dollmaking supplies in the past from them, but now prefer to order from Weir Dolls anyway.

What could be improved

I would like to see more detail about where a product was made, as we try to avoid things made in China, and also the materials used. For example, on page 5 there are beautiful felt hats for dressup that cost 26.95. This would be a wonderful addition to a play room if they were wool felt, but inferior acrylic felt would not be worth that expense. There are some toys that are not as open ended, like Pirate Bandages on page 9. These are very specific to one type of play. A better substitution would be small silk scarves that can be used for multiple things.

Ordering To receive a catalogue you can call and request a free one. The phone number is 1-888-623-6557. I am pleased to say that this is a catalogue that I feel confident I could give to friends and relatives and not have to give a disclaimer about most of the things in it.