Sustainable Play: GREEN TOYS
GREEN TOYS are preschool-aged toys made from recycled plastic that rely on imagination instead of batteries. Sara used research, sketching, focus groups, CAD and rendering software, Adobe Creative Suite, and collaboration with her design team to create product families from concept to manufacturing.
This page : VEHICLES | BATH | ROLEPLAY | RENDERS | DISNEY BABY | SESAME STREET | DOUGH | Powered by Play
VEHICLES
STACK & SORT TRAIN features shapes to be sorted in a boxcar and numbered blocks that stack on a flat car. This update to the classic Green Toys Train was designed to utilize legacy tooling, while adding additional play patterns and developmental skills.
DUMP TRUCK WAGON combines two of Green Toys’ most successful toys – the Dump Truck and the Wagon. The wagon is perfectly sized to drive stuffies around the house and durable enough to get messy in the sandbox.
The design process used a combination of high tech and low tech – renders, CAD, and 3D printed prototypes as well as good ol’ cardboard and tape.
BUSY BOX DELIVERY TRUCK was another product born from cardboard and tape. Kids can hide toys inside, roll cars up and down the ramp, flip, spin, twist & more!
BATH TOYS
HDPE (plastic from recycled milk jugs) is dishwasher safe, making it the perfect material for Green Toys Bath and Kitchen Toys. PADDLEBOAT features a pouring spout, easy-to-grip-handle, and spinning wheel. The hull is removable for easy cleaning.
TIDE POOL DELUXE is a 12 piece bath set with colorful shells and creatures that funnel, strain, pour, and spin.
SEAWEED BAG is the perfect size to hold and tote bath toys – great for the tub, water table, pool or beach.
ROLEPLAY
BAKE BY SHAPE is a kid-sized, food safe set of baking tools. Sara designed and engineered the tools and wrote and illustrated the accompanying recipe booklet. Measuring spoons are each a different shape. The easy-to-follow recipes reference the shapes as well as conventional measurements to make baking accessible for both pre-readers and older kids. The set also includes a measuring cup, whisk, frosting knife, mixing spoon, rolling pin, and two cookie cutters.
Bake by Shape was a 2017 Eco-Excellence Award Finalist.
RENDERS
Sometimes the best way to get a client or retailer on board is with high quality renders, even before a product exists. These were made with Rhino, Keyshot, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
DISNEY BABY
As part of the GREEN TOYS + DISNEY BABY collaboration, Sara developed a playful collection of baby and toddler toys featuring Mickey Mouse and friends. The biggest design challenge was translating the iconic characters into Green Toys’ single color plastic, but the result was an elevated modern toy line.
SESAME STREET
Activity and Craft Sets created for Sesame Street Incorporated to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.
ABBY’S BUTTERFLY MAKER is a one-of-a-kind craft set for young artists. Color wings, punch them out, and clip on a reusable butterfly body. Stencils and rubbing plates are included to make even more butterflies.
Explore with ELMO EXPLORES outdoor activity set. Set comes with sand bucket, rake, shovel, and fun activity booklet.
SESAME STREET PARTY MAKER Make play dough desserts with Cookie Monster and friends. Double-sided dough mat and plastic stamps, cutters, and frosting extruder.
ABBY’S GARDEN is a 17 piece set that includes everything needed to start a garden – soil, seeds, plant marker, plant pots, plus stickers and a fun activity booklet.
PLAY DOUGH
Dough sets with dishwasher safe tools, organic flour dough, and double-sided playmats were designed for children as young as 2, with features to age-up as kids grow.
TOOL ESSENTIALS DOUGH SET includes tools and play mat for open-ended creating.
CAKE MAKER DOUGH SET stamp and stack layered cakes.
MEAL MAKER DOUGH SET includes double-sided playmat with menu ideas.
POWERED BY PLAY
Before working at Green Toys, Sara did her graduate thesis on toys powered by play. See the research and design process behind the “Fastronauts.”
SKILLS / SOFTWARE – Ideation, Sketching, Prototyping, 3D Modeling, CAD, Design Management, Collaboration, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Procreate, Keyshot, Rhino.