When people come into my home with their children a lot of the parents comment on the beautiful wooden toys that we have. They say "oh they're so beautiful" or "they're so much nicer than plastic toys" and it usually finishes off with "it's a shame that they're so expensive". While this last point may be valid at times in this blog post I will talk about how you can get more wooden/sustainable toys without having to donate a kidney. Let me first start off with why you will only see wooden toys or toys that are made out of more natural/sustainable materials. We are an environmentally conscious household. Often when it comes to toys a lot of conscious households may forget about the impact that each and every bit of plastic that they welcome into their household can have in the future. The truth is a lot of plastic toys today are not made to last. A lot of things we buy now are not made to last, things like appliances and clothing are made cheap, low quality and are then sold cheap... And the cheaper they are the quicker they fly off the shelves, the quicker they have to be replaced, the quicker the big companies make money off us, the consumer.
1. When you buy wooden toys you are buying quality. You are buying something that doesn't break easily and that can be passed down for generations. Plastic never breaks down, we all know that by now. Plastic can't be recycled. Even a better quality made plastic toy will eventually be broken and will be sent of to landfill to outlive many generations lifetimes at the bottom of a trash heap. 2. Toys that are made with natural materials create a connection with our child and the Earth. I spoke about Earthing recently here and allowing your child to hold a wooden toy is grounding them with no effort at all. 3. This is something that I feel is overlooked a lot of the time when it comes to plastic toys... That is chemicals. The exact chemicals used in the manufacturing of plastic toys are not fully known, but at least one type of common chemical, called phthalates ― which is used to soften soys ― has been linked to a number of health issues, including birth defects, cancer and diabetes (perhaps another connection as to why cancer and diabetes is on the rise). Young children who are often putting plastic toys in their mouths are at a higher risk. 4. Often plastic toys also have lots of over-stimulating lights and loud noises. There have been a number of studies done now showing the impact that these sorts of toys can have on delayed language development. 5. Not only that but these toys are literally crushing our children's imagination! These toys create so much stimulation that when children get bored of these toys a simple thing like blocks may not be enough for independent play. Often you will then see behavioral problems purely from the lack of stimulation. If you give a child a stick it can be a spoon, a broom, a sword, a magic wand... It has endless possibilities. A plastic cube with flashing lights though will always just be a plastic cube with flashing lights. Wooden toys encourage imagination, literacy and numeracy and problem solving skills. 6. Let's face it... Wooden toys look a lot nicer. They look beautiful on a shelf, in a basket, or on some felt to create a nature scene. 7. Wooden toys or toys that are made from natural materials create a sensory experience for your child. From different smells to an array of different textures these toys let your child's senses soar. 8. Another pro to buying wooden toys is that more often than not wooden toys are open ended. By open ended I mean that they can easily become more than one thing. A wooden bridge could become a bed, a house, a table, a wall, a boat, a slide or a number of other magical things that your child's imagination can come up with. So from that list you may have gathered that the toys last longer, therefore the higher price tag ends up evening out as you don't need to buy as many, they are open ended, better for your child's health, better for their minds and better for the environment so where exactly can you get wooden toys from that won't cost you an arm and a leg? 1. I have honestly found some of the BEST wooden toys in local Op Shops. It's amazing what you can find in the right place at the right time. Below is a video that shows the toys that we own and the great secondhand buys we have found. 2. Buy and Sell sites are your best friend. Ebay, Gumtree, Facebook Market Place even Etsy often have secondhand wooden toys. I find that a lot of the Steiner or Montessori buy and sell sites are the best places to find wooden toys, so join as many of them as possible to grab a bargain. 3. MAKE SOME YOURSELF. Easier said than done at times I know... However something as simple as making some wooden blocks using branches from outside is a great way to incorporate more wooden toys, without spending lots of money. We made some from an oak tree branch. These blocks are used all the time for hours on end by my 16 month old and cost nothing. 4. For our daughter's first Birthday we explained to people that we only wanted wooden toys, toys made with natural materials or books for gifts. One of our friends went to their local Men's Shed and found some awesome wooden cars. I had honestly never thought of this as an option when it came to tracking down wooden toys but this is such a great idea and is also supporting a local cause. 5. Create a gift wishlist. This is a new thing for us and we are yet to see how it goes (or more so how it is respected). We signed up on a site called Giftstar. It allows you to create lists, provide links to the products you want and the sites you will find them. I love the idea and hope that it becomes more popular. This way you will see what people want rather than be left to guess and potentially buy something that they may not need or want. Our list is full of wooden/sustainable toys from some amazing small businesses. 6. Budget. Afterpay. Not everyone wants to use Afterpay but I personally love it. It has allowed me to get some beautiful, more expensive toys without having to pay for it all at once. A lot of businesses now have this payment option. Some of my favorites are The Spiral Garden, Growing Kind and The Small Folk. Each time you purchase something you are investing in your child's future and the impact that it may have on the planet. You can either make a conscious choice or not. I know which one I would prefer to make and I hope that this blog post has inspired you to make that choice too.
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