A method development pilot study examining citizen science tools for assessing lead in childcare settings identified plastic food toys as an unexpected potential source of lead and arsenic. Collaborating researchers at three universities sought to develop a low cost, replicable approach for use in childcare centers to identify lead. Through graduate Environmental Health courses at Northeastern and Boston Universities, 197 Plastic Food Toys (PFTs) used in a childcare center were tested for lead using a portable X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument and a colorimetric wipe method for detecting surface lead. The XRF identified concerning levels of lead and co-occurring arsenic in PFTs. (author abstract)