Product Features
When studying photos of wooden toys on the pages of online stores or other sites, several categories can be distinguished. Namely:
- developing;
- interior;
- musical;
- folk art.
The characteristics of these groups may be intertwined with each other. In addition, within each category there are subgroups that describe the direction.
Each of the listed groups, in turn, includes several subgroups that describe a narrow area of application of the toy.
Developmental
Educational toys made of wood include several groups as subcategories. Namely, aimed at development:
- logic;
- motor skills;
- sense of direction;
- speeches;
- mathematical abilities.
Often such sets influence development in several directions at once. Take, for example, a toy such as a wooden construction set.
As a rule, it is presented in two variations: three-dimensional geometric shapes (cubes, cones, cylinders and others) and plates with parts perforated on them, by cutting and folding which you can get a specific object (car, house, machine gun). By playing with such a construction set, the child simultaneously develops motor skills, logic, and a sense of direction.
The best option for developing orientation in space and a sense of direction is a toy such as a wooden labyrinth. Its use also perfectly trains logic and allows you to remember not only the directions of movement (right, left, forward), but also the cardinal directions.
What wood is used to make toys?
Different types of wood have different properties: some are harder, others are softer, some have a dark color, others have a light color, they are also distinguished by their flexibility, resistance to deformation, and ability to absorb moisture.
For children's toys, beech, alder, linden, maple, pine and even mahogany are used.
Beech is easy to process. Its wood, after steaming, becomes plastic and bends well.
- Alder is used to make xylophones, rattles and other percussion instruments.
- Linden retains its properties for a long time, does not dry out, and does not crack.
- Therefore, toys made from it last for several generations.
- Maple is suitable for making toys because products made from it are difficult to break or scratch.
- Pine is valued for its pleasant smell, but it is not very suitable as a material for toys.
Finally, collectible toys are made from expensive mahogany, which are valued not only by children, but also by adults.
Interior
The interior type of toys allows the child to get acquainted with household items in miniature. Essentially, in the form of a game, by placing his toys in ordinary everyday situations, the child understands the principle of simple processes (eating, sleeping, cleaning).
Wooden elements in this direction are especially popular, as they are characterized by durability and maximum identity with real objects. Here can be used:
- kitchen furniture (tables, chairs);
- beds;
- wardrobes, chests of drawers.
The best option in this case is to combine all the parts into a single system inside an improvised dwelling. The latter can be a box, a shelf in a closet, or a full-fledged wooden toy - a house.
Why you should pay attention to wooden toys
Wood has a number of useful properties for which it is valued and chosen as a material for children's toys.
- The material is completely natural, environmentally friendly;
- Wood does not cause allergies;
- It will not harm a baby who wants to chew on a wooden toy; on the contrary, it will strengthen his teeth and gums. The exception is toys coated with paint or varnish;
- Wooden toys do not break when dropped. They may develop minor scratches, but this does not affect their functionality in any way.
Musical
Musical toys are aimed at developing hearing, both general and musical, as well as the voice. Playing such instruments has a beneficial effect on a child’s motor skills.
Wooden musical sets can belong to different categories of musical instruments (strings, percussion, wind).
The most popular are:
- harps or guitars;
- rattles, spoons;
- pipes, whistles;
- xylophones.
What is the appropriate age?
The pyramid and cubes are suitable from 6 months. In stores you can find rattles without paint. As you get older, the choice will become more varied.
What nuances should you pay attention to?
- Coating quality: varnish and paint;
- Smooth surface without cracks or splinters;
- Dye. Less dangerous without it;
- Functional. An excess of appointments will not make things better, and will not speed up development. You can buy one with one function: counting, teaching colors, etc.
DIY toys
If you intend to create wooden toys with your own hands with your child, it is better to start with simple designs. If you plan to build a house or its bird equivalent (birdhouse, feeder), you should make sure that the boards, perches and slats used in the work are sanded. This will speed up the process and avoid splinters.
For beginners, the best option for creating wooden toys is to create figurines from blanks. On special websites or in stores you can purchase processed wooden beads, planks, boards or a construction set (assemble the toy yourself). All that remains is to assemble, secure and decorate (paint, paste over) the finished structure.
Wood, as a material for the production of toys, will never lose its relevance. Simple, convenient and bright sets will not only be interesting, but also as safe as possible for the child, which is extremely important at any age.
Wooden construction sets
Everyone is familiar with the wooden construction toy. In Soviet times, each kindergarten group had large plywood boxes with retractable lids filled with cubes, cones, arches, and planks.
As a rule, they were not painted, but only an unobtrusive pattern was burned out. Such details made a real fairy-tale mansion with carved gates and windows, with domed roofs and bridges.
The beauty of such a construction set is that you can use it to assemble a multi-storey house, doll furniture, or a parking lot for cars. Working with cubes develops fine motor skills, spatial thinking, imagination, and introduces the history of buildings, from Ancient Rus' to modern buildings.
- Today, wooden construction sets have many variations. For example, a toy such as “House with a Garage” is a set of plywood parts and fasteners from which the walls of buildings are assembled, garage doors that can be pushed into the space between floors, stairs from one floor to another, roofs, balconies and many others elements.
- It will be of interest to children of primary school age and even teenagers who are interested in architecture and design. Having assembled the toy according to the instructions, you can play with it to your heart's content, and then disassemble and reassemble the house in a different version.
- In constructors with the connection of elements, parts such as wheels, spikes for holes, bars with holes or spikes, bolts, nuts, cords, and rollers for passing these cords are used. This is something like a metal construction set from Soviet times.
- The toy develops fine motor skills, attentiveness, perseverance, creative thinking, and teaches boys how to use tools such as a hammer, wrench, and screwdriver.
For teenagers and adults who are interested in modeling, construction kits have been created for making complex models: airplanes, ships, cars, buildings, models of technical equipment.
The parts of such construction sets are very fragile and thin, so giving them to children is strictly prohibited. The constructed model becomes part of the owner's collection, but it is not suitable for play due to its fragility.
The “Assemble a Hut” construction set is suitable for working in creative associations to introduce children to Russian traditions in architecture. It consists of many logs, already turned to connect to each other, posts, blocks for windows, shutters and roofs. By working with this construction set, children will learn the principles of building log houses.
