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I was originally going to post something about the classic toys being the best, and the easiest ways to keep kids safe from modern poisons. I think there have been plenty of posts with that advice, so I'll just add one tip and then hijack the topic to talk about what I think really matters.
The tip: buy Amish toys. They're AWESOME. I still have some stuff that I played with over 30 years ago, and it's still in great shape and poison-free. Thank heavens for the Innernetz, right? Anyone can easily find this stuff today, while back in the early '70s, one needed a kinda wonky Mom or Dad to really go looking for it. (Not to say that Amish folks are running many websites.)
Aside from that, I'd mention that it seems to me that the bigger issue is the war on the traditional family that's been orchestrated in the US over the past 30 years or so. It's virtually impossible today for parents to raise kids on a single average income without being dirt-poor. Our current economy virtually forces both parents to work (if they're around), which subtracts pretty dramatically from the time they can spend with their kids.
Plus the fact that exhausted parents are far less likely to be able to "make their own toys" and really take charge of providing for the play of their children... A parent at home with the kids is interested in:
building a sandbox/treehouse/etc
doing arts and crafts with egg-boxes, pipe cleaners, glue
exposing kids to "real" non-play activities, like gardening, simple repairs, etc
building blocks
(Perhaps as much to help them keep their sanity as to provide fun activities for the kids.)
The parent who drags his/her exhausted ass home at the end of the workday at the shop/factory/office just doesn't have the same enthusiasm about such projects. Cheap plastic sandboxes, plastic "arts-and-crafts" kits, magnetic snap-together toysets--they all look pretty appealing to the parent who wants to provide good enjoyment for their kids but is just barely making it through the day.
Signing off, I wave my red and black flag and chant, "Solidarity!"
