You may have realized from my choices for the top gifts for baby’s first Christmas that I prefer toys that last.
I am sure I am not the only one.
Recently there has been a big move towards minimalism. And zero waste has become a thing as well.
Why am I relating that to toys which last?
Well, when we moved into a new place a few years back, one of the things we were told about the previous tenants was that they had “wasted their money”.
How?
And how in the world did he know?? Were we about to move into a place that had hidden cameras or something??? (Tell me I am not the only person who jumps to these conclusions!)
He told us they must have wasted their money buying plastic toys which then lay broken around the backyard. Until the owner got rid of those tenants and had to try to clean up all the rubbish they left behind…
Plastic toys have their place.
There are some awesome toys made of plastic… and then there are the others.
You know the ones.
Your kid cries for them in the shop, and the toy doesn’t cost much so you give in and buy it…
And it breaks in the car on the way home and is never played with again.
Been there.
Hated that.
It helps me to not give in if I remember how long the toy will last!
Wooden Toy Gift Ideas
I've always been a fan of wooden toys.
Besides coming from a renewable resource, they are hardy. Even my son has not managed to break any of his ones. And believe me, he has really really tested them out!
But I confess that some look a bit more “budget-handmade-too-traditional” than I like… I want the solid really-tricky-to-break of wood, with the colors and fun ideas of many plastic toys.
I don’t know about you, but I also tend to want to look at toys that are a little bit different and might spark some more play in my kids. So I have pulled together a list of wooden toys that I recommend, some of which are not quite typical, like this amazing treehouse!
Cars and trucks made of wood are brilliant.
They are solid so when a kid leans on them to make them drive, they don’t buckle. I think that is important for younger kids.
They can even be stood on if need be… but I do not recommend it with bare feet in the middle of the night. It may cause words you try not to say to come out of your mouth. Ask me how I know 😉
My boy has had two versions of this toy. It is the backbone of his toy car collection, which is pretty big I can tell you! There is also a need to move your cars from one spot to another. So a car hauler is a very important part of the toy box.
Parking for Hot Wheels Hot Wheels Descent Elevator for Hot | Etsy
I think this is incredibly clever work. I know my children would have so much fun using these… and so would many other kids I know.
Wooden train with carriages custom colour choice Wooden | Etsy
Gorgeous train – and you gotta love that you can choose your own bit of color to put on it.
This is just straight clever! A puzzle and vehicles rolled up into one.
Wooden toy plane Biplane Handemade toy Wood plane Original | Etsy
Baby Toy New Baby Gift Personalized Toy Car Wooden Truck | Etsy
Isn't this just the cutest gift for a little baby?
Puzzles and games
Wooden puzzles seem the best way in my opinion.
Every “normal” puzzle we had was made of cardboard. And I had chewers. All of those that survived intact have bite marks and look dog-eared. Just sad.
Another advantage to wooden puzzles is if you should happen to have a kid who likes to help the pieces fit. You know, where they bang them real hard to make it work even if it isn’t in the right place?!?
Yeah. Wood doesn’t usually bend so it can last a few more attempts.
Here are some that caught my eye as I was browsing.
- Baby Name Puzzle from BusyPuzzle
- Labyrinth Game
- Wooden Magnetic Fishing Game
- Personalised Wooden Music Table
- Wooden Stacking Rainbow
- Wooden Baby Puzzle with Knobs
- Gorgeous Wooden Tree Puzzle
- Wooden Shape Puzzle
- Wooden Elephants Puzzle
Ok, so my boy is super active. Anybody else feel me??
SO this balance board looks like the best way to have him stay in one place and yet be moving. It would keep him occupied for some time.
Frankly I would want a turn!
Or this classic Connect Four game that’s made more durable. Love.
Not so much a game, but this brightly colored Unicorn and Rainbow bracelet making kit is great for the slightly older creative budding fashionista!
Honestly, I adore finding new and different games and toys to use. This Fruit Berry Cube game was my exciting find for this post. The one that I will be trying to buy for the kids myself this Christmas. It looks clever, but simple. And you cannot beat the price. Win, win, win.
Wooden Toy Gift Ideas for Babies
Of course there are all sorts of toys you can buy for babies made of wood. I have included a few that I found that I really loved.
- Montessori Treasure Basket
- Stacking Rings
- Multi-colored Rainbow Cube Set
- Handmade Wooden Block Set
- Wooden Horse Swing
- Baby Play Gym
Pretend play
Since our son has a developmental delay pretend play has always been a big feature that we try to encourage. It takes so much imagination and certain brain development for kids to do pretend play.
Of course it is also the way that they make sense of the world around them. So giving them their own kitchen or playhouse helps with learning all the skills they need for “real” life.
More than that though, it is just great fun!
I suggest finding something so your kids can play alongside you while you do the real thing!! Like this organic wooden tool box set – it’s so cute!
Having just said that kids copy, if you are not exactly tradesman material then maybe they could learn from Bob the Builder??
And money is important so teach them how to spend well early!! Shopping is also a great thing to role play.
This wooden cash register is awesome!
The preschool my kids attended had a pretend birthday cake that they lit real candles on for birthdays. Now you can have one too!
I am not suggesting you do that! But it seemed a good idea when there were a number of birthdays, and it was easier on the adults’ waistlines…
A couple of the kitchens that I found – natural wooden toy kitchen and the wooden kitchen stove and sink. This one was my favorite though, pricey but great quality and detail.
And every kitchen needs to be fitted out with some of the following:
- Wooden Cutting Board with Fruits and Vegetables
- Wooden tea set
- Montessori Wooden Dish Set
- Wooden Kitchen Toys plus Apron
- Wooden Vegetables
I loved some of the little wooden dolls. These ones don’t need any explanation. You will know if your kids would enjoy them.
And of course, a house for them to be in… a hobbit house no less!
I hope this has inspired you to go and look for some wooden toys this Christmas!
