Toys & Games
- Apple Pie Publishing (Rockwall, TX): Adventures of Fred the Frog, Tator the Gator, and friends. Quality, hardcover stories written and illustrated by Diane Shapley-Box and printed in USA with lead-free paper and Ink. (Ages 3-7)
- I See Me (Cannon Falls, MN): personalized children's books, written and illustrated in USA, and printed and bound here as well (in Minnesota)
- K'NEX (Hatfield, PA): plastic construction toys made in U.S. (though motor components and other special parts made in China)
- LuxBlox (Galesburg, IL): snap-together plastic building toys with squares, 3-sided trigons and multi-wheels. These hinged blocks snap together and permit folding and bending and can be used to create all sorts of structures.
- Make-A-Fort
(Wichita, KS): Make-a-Fort build kits come with reinforced, recycled cardboard panels and braces and foam connectors to build an indoor fort or play structure. Kits can be combined for larger projects. For kids ages 4 and up.
- Zome Tool (Denver, CO): Zome is a wonderful construction toy for kids, composed of spherical nodes and colorful plastic struts
Help your kids learn about the world with a globe from Replogle
- Back to the Roots (Oakland, CA): I'm not sure gardening qualifies as a "craft" but this company sells really fun organic grow kits that kids will love, including mushroom grow kits, terrarium grow kits and more. My favorite is the mushroom grow kit where the mushrooms grow right out of the box. Available from the Back to the Roots Store on Amazon
- Discount School Supply (Carol Stream, IL): manufacturer of Colorations paints (tempera, liquid watercolors, and finger paint), made in USA.
- Terrapin Toys, LLC (Eugene, OR): makers of Mary's Softdough, a soft modeling dough made from nontoxic ingredients (just in case!), comes in great colors, plus scented and glitter. Even the playdough cutting tools are made in USA.
- Sculpey Polymer Clay, by Polyform Products Co. (Elk Grove Village, IL): oven-bake clay great for artists of all ages.
- SD Toyz (Anaheim, CA): "cast & paint" craft kits (including Skullduggery fossil replicas and Eyewitness and Smithsonian branded kits) and Perfect Cast casting material by the bag. Other products, including RC vehicles (Racers and Knuckleheadz) are imported.
- Secrist Doll Co. (Midland, MI): manufacturers of vinyl doll kits that artists can use to create beautiful custom dolls.
- Technique Tuesday (Beaverton, OR): scrapbooking stamps, blocks, and ink made in the USA
- Wikki Stix (Phoenix, AZ): wax-coated yarn sticks that bend, twist, and stick to form all sorts of flat and 3-D art creations.
- Cabbage Patch Kids (Cleveland, GA): the Original Soft Sculpture dolls are still handmade in Georgia. Boxed dolls with vinyl heads are imported.
- Fairy Finery, Inc. (Golden Valley, MN): outfits for fairies, princesses, pirates and knights!
- Greenleaf Dollhouses (Schenevus, NY): wonderfully detailed wooden dollhouse kits, birdhouse kits and more.
- Green Toys Inc. ( San Francisco, CA): toy tea sets and more, made from recycled plastic milk jugs.
- Jack Be Nimble (Asheville, NC): handcrafted costumes for dressup and pretend play, high quality and made to last. Sized to fit ages 2-10 years. Lovely butterfly and moth wings, plus sweet little coordinating bonnets and hats.
- Piggy Paint (Lowell, AR): nontoxic, water-based nail polish in a rainbow of colors for kids, pregnant women or anyone else who wants a safer nail polish. (An added bonus is the polish can be removed with rubbing alcohol rather than acetone.)
- Secrist Doll Co. (Midland, MI): manufacturers of vinyl doll kits that artists can use to create beautiful custom dolls. Kits and supplies allow you to sculpt facial features, add skin tones and blush with heat-set paints, eye lashes and rooted hair. If you prefer, you may purchase these kits already painted, and select your eye/hair preferences (and even pay for doll assembly) at Apple Valley Doll Works
- Twinkle Baby (Santa Cruz, CA): bonding dolls made from soft, organic cotton that hold your scent to comfort baby.
- Wildflower Toys (Paradise, CA): handcrafted, posable dollhouse dolls
- Arrowcopter (Hollister, CA): flying helicopter toys
- Flarble (Glenwood, AR): small flying toy that you release with a snap of your fingers! The site has fun game suggestions.
- Guillow (Wakefield, MA): balsa wood airplane kits and flying toys since 1926
- Stanzel Flying Models (Schulenburg, TX): long-time manufacturer of flying models, airplanes, spacecraft, jet planes and copters, has closed, although the former factory is now a museum.
- Aerobie (Palo Alto, CA): flying discs, rings, and boomerangs. Available from Rudy's Toys
This category isn't really "toys"--well, maybe these are toys for adults! Anyway, this stuff is too much fun not to list.
- Llagas Creek Railways (Claysville, PA): flex track and accessories for G Scale/Gauge 1 model railroads. All rail is formed in the U.S. and all switches are custom made.
- Ross Custom Switches (Norwich, CT): O-gauge turnouts, switches and crossings, and 18 different sizes of track.
- Jensen Steam Engines (Jeannette, PA): model steam engines, steam turbines & miniature power generating plants. These are amazing!
- Scale Model Toys (Dyersville, IA): toy tractor replicas, made in Iowa
- Jump Rope Store (Portland, OR): the original plastic segmented jump rope, available in custom colors, single or group orders
- Louisville Slugger (Louisville, KY): all bats made in USA, as well as the Practice Partner Premium Line and some accessories. (gloves and bags are made in the Philippines).
- Simplay3 Company (Streetsboro, OH): kids indoor/outdoor play and storage products, including sandboxes, play tables, play houses and teeter totters, designed and made in USA from durable molded plastic. The company was started by the founder of Little Tikes and Step2, and also manufactures garden products.
- Step2 (Streetsboro, OH): high-quality ride-on toys, climbers, playhouses, and wagons, manufactured for the U.S. market at factories in Streetsboro and Perrysville, OH and Fort Valley, GA. ("Main Street Village" products are imported.). [Affiliate: I earn commission on purchases through this link]
- Wiffle Ball, Inc. (Shelton, CT): the original Wiffle ball, for batting and putting!
- Woodgamz.com (Columbus, OH): the midwestern version of bean bags, apparently, are bags filed with corn! The games involve tossing cornbags into a hole cut in a wooden play board. Give it a try.
- BMC Toys (Scranton, PA): toy soldier figures and accessories manufactured in the USA using vintage toy molds. In 2020, the company released a line of female soldier figures. Also available from Amazon under the VictoryBuy Inc
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- Green Toys Inc. (San Francisco, CA): an amazing assortment of toy cars, trucks, tools, bath toys and tea sets all made from recycled plastic milk jugs. They also have a line of non-toxic play dough. Available from the Green Toys Store at Amazon [As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases]
Green Toys Store at Amazon (Ad Link)
- Buffalo Games (Buffalo, NY): inventive puzzles and puzzle games.
- Carrom Co. (Ludington, MI): famous makers of the traditional Carrom game board, the Carrom Co. acquired rights in the 1990's to Foosball, air hockey, and many other quality games. With its purchase of Drueke Co., Carrom also is the source for beautiful wooden Chessmen, chess boards, and other wooden game boards.
- Channel Craft (Charleroi, PA): manufacturing classic American toys, games, and puzzles.
- Chess House: purveyers of handcrafted wooden chess boards, made in Pennsylvania. Search for "made in USA" (chess pieces imported).
- Fractiles (Boulder, CO): create an endless variety of geometric patterns with these magnetic tiling toys
- Kazoobie Kazoos (Beaufort, SC): kazoos in all colors, in singles or bulk, from the last American manufacturer of plastic kazoos. Also offering wonderful metal kazoos (tractors, planes, and horns!) made by The Kazoo Company in Eden, NY (some products imported, so check descriptons)
- Lauri Toys (Smethport, PA): craft kits, lacing kits, and crepe rubber puzzles (with a great replacement piece service). Fun, with an educational purpose.--NOW PLAYMONSTER..
- LoonTune (Minneapolis, MN): a spinning toy that mimics the cry of the Common Loon. Produced with assistance from ABC Inc., a non-profit that provides jobs for people with disabilities in Southern Minnesota
- Lucy Hammett Games (Mineola, TX): over 30 different picture bingo games, with fun information and beautiful artwork by Lucy Hammett, 100% American-made. Games also available in "Teacher Editions" for 18 or 24 players.
- Maple Landmark (Middlebury, VT): classic games, such as cribbage, checkers, Chinese checkers, and puzzle cubes, made of wood in VT.
- Portrait Puzzles (La Crosse, WI): custom jigsaw puzzles made from your uploaded photo in a range or sizes and number of pieces, from post card size up to large panoramic photo puzzles. [Affiliate: I earn commission on purchases through this link]
- POOF-Slinky (Plymouth, MI): two iconic brands now owned by ALEX Brands, metal Slinky toys and many POOF foam balls still made at facilities in Michigan and Pennsylvania. (look for "Made in USA" in product description)
- Smethport Toys (Smethport, PA): originally made by Smethport Toys (Smethport, PA), the classic Wooly Willy and other magnetic drawing faces are now part of PlayMonster. CHECK ORIGIN Great for party favors and as "stocking stuffers."
- Springbok Puzzles (Kansas City, MO): beautiful puzzles with no two pieces alike, available in different levels of difficulty from beginner to advanced. A great family activity.
- Standard Target & Dart Co. (St. Clair Shores, MI): Belgian dartboards of basswood, wooden darts with real turkey feathers
- SunsOut Puzzles (Costa Mesa, CA): contemporary jigsaw puzzles for all ages, with beautiful artwork. Their website also notes that they use soy-based inks and recycled board, and "We do not sell to Walmart."
- Tucker-Jones House (East Setauket, NY): Tavern Puzzles® are handcrafted, metal puzzles in antique and original patterns, several levels of difficulty (luckily they provide solutions upon request!)
- United States Playing Card Co. (Erlanger, KY): high-quality, coated Bicycle brand playing cards, plus fun new designs (Dragons, Unicorns, Coca-Cola...). There's nothing more frustrating than a cheapo deck of cards, so I stick with these!
- Virtue Toys (Medina, WA): creator of The Virtue Game, a board game that helps children understand the virtues of compassion, respect, enthusiasm, trust, friendliness, determination, responsibility, integrity, cooperation and thankfulness.
- Widdy Dart Board Co. (Philadelphia, PA): manufacturer of American-style dart boards since the 1920's. In addition to wooden darts with turkey feather flights, they have paper and wooden dart targets, and dart board cabinets with chalk boards for keeping score.
- Big Wheel (Cedar Rapids, IA): the original ride-on many of us remember from our childhood, for several years unavailable, but now back in production thanks to Alpha International, Inc.!
- Dirt King USA (WaKeeney, KS): tricycles, wagons and carts made in USA by Midwest Contracting & Mfg. with pneumatic tires on steel rims, tilting handlebars and adjusting seats.
- Mason Corp. (Brentwood, TN): manufacturer of the Flying Turtle and Roller Racer ride-on toys
- Rolli-Rider (Houston, TX): a self-powered, sit-down balance bike intended for children between two and six years old, made from birch plywood and maple wood, with hard rubber tires
- Step2 (Streetsboro, OH): high-quality ride-on toys, climbers, playhouses, and wagons, manufactured for the U.S. market at factories in Streetsboro and Perrysville, OH and Fort Valley, GA. ("Main Street Village" products are imported.) Also available from Wayfair
. [Affiliate: I earn commission on purchases through this link]
- Little Tikes (Hudson, OH): many wonderful products still made in USA, but check country of origin. Look for the "Made in USA" link on the site. Available from Wayfair. [Affiliate: I earn commission on purchases through this link]
- Big Plush (Newark, NJ): over-sized plush animals for room decor, displays, or just for play
- 'Em Bears (St. Lawrence County, NY): bears, lambs, bunnies, dogs and penguins (including baby-safe)
- Hugg-A-Planet (Colchester, VT): Organic cotton stuffed animals made in VT
- Kathy's Kreations (Camp Verde, AZ): deluxe stuffed animals, made in USA
- Vermont Teddy Bear (Shelburne, VT): teddy bears dressed for all occasions...holidays, birthdays, new baby, Valentine's Day, you name it! The Classic Vermont Teddy Bears are still handmade in America, but the Hybrid Bears are imported. (Read more on Where It's Made).
- BEKA (St. Paul, MN): wooden art easels, weaving looms, puppet theaters, play furniture and blocks
- Bunny Hopkins Toys (Athens, GA): Montessori wooden activity toys for kids and toddlers, including climbing arches, rockers, wobble boards and balance beams. Handcrafted in the USA using American maple. Perfect for indoor play when the weather outside is brutal. [Affiliate: I earn commission on purchases through this link]
- Cubbyhole Toys (East Dundee, IL): wooden name puzzles, puzzle stools, rocking animals
- Elves and Angels (ME): beautiful wooden castles and knights, dollhouses and doll furniture, barns and stables
- Greenleaf Dollhouses (Schenevus, NY): wonderfully detailed wooden dollhouse kits. Also available from Miniatures.com (keyword "Corona")
- Holgate Toys (Bradford, PA): since 1929, makers of quality wooden toys and kid step stool chairs, and even the Mr. Rogers' trolley!
- Maple Landmark (Middlebury, VT): more fabulous wooden toys from Vermont, including trains of all sorts.
- Mesko Toys (Bloomfield, MI): train tracks and switch tracks, made in USA from solid maple. Compatible with Brio and Thomas train toys. (Painted toys, including Maxim brand, imported).
- Milton & Goose: wood play kitchens, play food, and doll houses, all crafted in USA (many by Amish craftsmen in Lancaster County, PA).
- Our Green House: retailer of natural and organic products, with a special page of toys made in USA. [Affiliate: I earn commission on purchases through this link]
- Roy Toy Manufacturing (East Machias, ME): classic wooden log building sets, just like you remember.
- TAG Toys (Compton, CA): quality wooden manipulative toys for children from birth to 6 years old, including children with learning disabilities
- Timberworks Toys (Columbia, MO): dollhouses and unique wooden building toys made from hard maple, these construction sets come with wooden planks and timbers, plus wheels and widgets.
- Uncle Goose Toys (Grand Rapids, MI): wooden nursey rhyme and alphabet blocks (and blocks with dinosaurs, fossils, and planets!), building toys, and puzzles. Beautiful products, definitely out of the ordinary.
- Wild Apples (Trumansburg, NY): wonderful wooden pull-toys, puzzles, and ark sets
- Whittle Shortline Railroad (Kirkwood, MO): handpainted wooden railroad toys, including trains, tracks, bridges, and buildings. Compatible with Brio and Thomas the Tank Engine toys. (I love the blue Little Engine that Could!)
- Wildflower Toys (Paradise, CA): handcrafted, posable dollhouse dolls plus wooden horses and unicorns, and craft/sewing kits.
- You Name It Toys (Minneapolis, MN): handcrafted wooden name puzzles, step stools, and rocking horses.
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