Toys are an important part of childhood. We learn from them, love them and even keep the ones we are most fond of well into adulthood. Today there is a wide variety of toys available and they are far more advanced. However, wooden toys are still as popular today as they were centuries ago and they don't seem to be going anywhere. So, what is the attraction to the wooden toy? Read on to learn more about the history of wooden toys, the variety of them and why they are still a favourite of families and children today.
A Carved Childhood Friend
The first toys available to children were either wooden or stuffed (e.g. dolls and teddy bears). There were limited resources available for manufacturing play items for children, but the need for something to occupy a child's time, stimulate their senses and push their imagination to greater limits was apparent. Wood was an easily accessible resource and used for many other purposes and it soon became a means of toy making. Wooden toys were sold by salesmen who traveled all over the world to market the increasingly popular toys to parents. They sold wooden toys they carry with them and took special orders to carve the perfect playmate for a specific child or occasion. As the toys reached a higher demand they became more elaborate and most anything could be carved into a wooden plaything, from miniature dolls equipped with their own houses and furnishings to the classic Jack-in-a-Box. In the 1940s wooden toys took a fall as plastic became the preference. Still, wooden toys adorn store shelves today and are shared with today's children by grandparents and parents alike.
Why Wooden Toys?
Aside from the fondness that has carried over into this century for wooden toys, there are many health and safety reasons that make wooden toys a better choice of playthings. They are harder to find today, but they are worth seeking out for your little ones toy collection. Here are a few reasons why:
•Wooden toys are all natural and contain no PVC, which is toxic and found in their plastic counterparts. They also don't pollute the air during the process of their production
•Wooden toys are the most durable toys and can last for generations of play (making them well worth paying a bit more than their cheaper counterparts for)
•Wooden toys do not have sharp edges that put your child in danger of being hurt during play
•Wooden toys are easy to repair with wood glue, and you'll never even notice the toy was broken
•Wooden toys are a great homemade gift choice from any handy parent to their child
What Kinds of wooden toys are Available?
Although wooden toy creators years ago touched on the types of toys they could create using wood material, the few producers of wooden toys today offer an even wider variety. The traditional doll house miniatures along with beautifully painted rocking horses are still around. Ride-ons and motor skill friendly building blocks, as well as indoor and outdoor wooden toys are now available.
Whether handmade or purchased, a wooden toy is the best possible toy you could share with a child. Chances are they'll share it with theirs one day.
A Carved Childhood Friend
The first toys available to children were either wooden or stuffed (e.g. dolls and teddy bears). There were limited resources available for manufacturing play items for children, but the need for something to occupy a child's time, stimulate their senses and push their imagination to greater limits was apparent. Wood was an easily accessible resource and used for many other purposes and it soon became a means of toy making. Wooden toys were sold by salesmen who traveled all over the world to market the increasingly popular toys to parents. They sold wooden toys they carry with them and took special orders to carve the perfect playmate for a specific child or occasion. As the toys reached a higher demand they became more elaborate and most anything could be carved into a wooden plaything, from miniature dolls equipped with their own houses and furnishings to the classic Jack-in-a-Box. In the 1940s wooden toys took a fall as plastic became the preference. Still, wooden toys adorn store shelves today and are shared with today's children by grandparents and parents alike.
Why Wooden Toys?
Aside from the fondness that has carried over into this century for wooden toys, there are many health and safety reasons that make wooden toys a better choice of playthings. They are harder to find today, but they are worth seeking out for your little ones toy collection. Here are a few reasons why:
•Wooden toys are all natural and contain no PVC, which is toxic and found in their plastic counterparts. They also don't pollute the air during the process of their production
•Wooden toys are the most durable toys and can last for generations of play (making them well worth paying a bit more than their cheaper counterparts for)
•Wooden toys do not have sharp edges that put your child in danger of being hurt during play
•Wooden toys are easy to repair with wood glue, and you'll never even notice the toy was broken
•Wooden toys are a great homemade gift choice from any handy parent to their child
What Kinds of wooden toys are Available?
Although wooden toy creators years ago touched on the types of toys they could create using wood material, the few producers of wooden toys today offer an even wider variety. The traditional doll house miniatures along with beautifully painted rocking horses are still around. Ride-ons and motor skill friendly building blocks, as well as indoor and outdoor wooden toys are now available.
Whether handmade or purchased, a wooden toy is the best possible toy you could share with a child. Chances are they'll share it with theirs one day.
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