Five Wooden Toys to Grow With Your Baby

Five Wooden Toys That Will Grow With Your Baby 

It’s no secret that wooden toys are timeless and have so much to offer your child and their development. While they may not have the buttons, lights, sounds and other ‘flashy’ features that come with plastic toys – they are definitely not boring!

Here are just some of their benefits:

Durable
Wooden toys are much more durable than their plastic counterparts. This means, when you buy a wooden toy for your child, their siblings will be able to use them down the track and you know you are going to get your money’s worth from them.

Sensory Development
Wooden toys offer a tactile experience. They can touch them, hold them in their hands. Explore different shapes and different weights. Smell the wood and what it reminds them of, bringing them closer to nature. And, of course, it will likely end up in little one’s mouths as well for the full sensory experience.

Open-ended Play
Wooden toys encourage open-ended play, which means they can be engaged with in many different ways. Blocks can be used to build tall towers, create castle moats, put together villages, build pirate ships. Kids are only bound by their imaginations, so the possibilities are endless.

Creative Thinkers
Plastic toys often do everything for kids. They talk to them, they light up for them, they respond to touch… with wooden toys kids are encouraged to use their imagination, which is a powerful tool. They CHOOSE how to play with the toy, and each time this can be a different experience for them.

1. Grimms Rainbow

This really is the toy that keeps on giving. If it’s open-ended play you are after, then this is your answer. The Grimms Rainbow can be used in so many different ways, it really is up to the imagination of the child. They can be tunnels for cars. They can be stacked to build tall towers. They can be turned upside down and used as beds for your favourite Riff Raff cuddly. In fact, if you jump on Instagram you can follow the hashtag #grimmschallenge and find something new to do each and every day.

They come in several colours, rainbow, pastel, sunset as well as a few different sizes.

Purchase at Hip Kids or The Modern Playroom 

2. The Happy Architect Town 

As mentioned above, there is so much you can do with wooden blocks, every home should have a set of them. This Happy Architect Town offer endless imaginative play. They can be used to build your very own small world at home. There’s a fire station, supermarket, post office, police station, school and more much. Kids can build a whole town, or just a small one. They can move the pieces around your home and use their imagination each and every day.

Coming in brightly, painted, natural or even a chalk board style so you can write and draw on - there is one to suit every family. 

Purchase here at Freckled Frog 

3. Wobbel Board

Have you heard of the Wobbel Board? If not, you’re missing out. This one is as much fun for the adults as it is for the kids. Once again, it’s great for encouraging open-ended play, as the possibilities are just endless. Kids can also practise their balance and coordination, standing inside the board and wobbling it from side to side. It can turn into a bridge for climbing, a tunnel for cars, a ramp, a slide, an extra seat, a step stool, a see saw, a ship. It supports physical awareness and balance and will be used for years.

Buy here at Lucus Loves Cars or The Creative Toyshop

4. Marble Tree

I know, I know, many parents hate the idea of musical toys in their home, but trust me, you are going to love this one. The sound it makes as the marble clinks its way down the wooden tree is delightful and you will never tired of it. Little fingers get to practise their fine motor skills, while learning how music is madde and how they can make different sounds by using more marbles, popping them down faster and more. Plus, they can also practise their colours and it looks gorgeous! A great addition to the playroom at home.

There are some cheaper versions around now but looking at the reviews for the sake of your ears I would try and find the original (Magic Tree).
You can buy them here at Oskars Wooden Ark or Entropy

5. Cooking or Kitchen Set

Pretend play is always a winner, as kids just love to mimic what they see you do! This gorgeous baking set lets them step into their own kitchen and get creating. Turn their play area into a café and let them serve you (for a change!), host their own cooking show, open up a supermarket, play happy families, and so on. One toy, so many different ways to get creative.

Wooden Wonderland has pretty much got your wooden kitchen covered!  Vegetables, tea parties, pizza - you name it they have it in wood to be served to you time and time (and time!) again. 

It’s so great to be able to encourage a child’s imagination and engage them in play. As parents we want to be able to pick a toy out for them that will last the distance and get plenty of use out of. It’s not about the quantity of toys, but their quality. After a long day of creative play, your little one will be ready to snuggle up in bed with their Riff Raff friend as their mind processes a big day of learning.