Are wooden toys better than plastic toys?
The use of children's wooden toys in modern homes is on the increase and is a trend that is gaining momentum.
With the overuse of plastic high on the public's radar, more and more people are seeking alternatives in their everyday lives.
Parents, in particular, are increasingly looking for alternative toys for their little ones to enjoy, so the re-emergence of wooden toys in people's households is welcomed. Not only are wooden toys more durable than the throwable plastic ones, but they can have profound benefits for children AND parents.
👩👧 Parent Nostalgia
For parents and grandparents who enjoy playing on floor level with their kids, wooden toys can bring back a sense of nostalgia; a joyful moment in their life when they are transported to happy memories of themselves playing with their own wooden toys. This renewed and stimulating interaction will rub off on the children. Who will then go on to create their own happy memories with a new set of wooden toys?
They do not even have to be new, though. The great thing about wooden toys is the fact they can be passed down generations and receive even more love and attention for decades to come. True durability.
🤩 Stimulated senses
It's the smell. The smell of wood is unique. It can bring a child's senses to life. It may encourage curiosity due to this unusual smell - a far cry from the odourless complexion of a plastic toy.
The textures of wooden toys are varied. Rough, smooth, and bumpy. The simple act of touching an unusually textured toy could instill an imaginative, curious thought process for kids. Differing textures, shapes, and weights can spur even more neurological pathways inside a child's brain; meaning a child's knowledge and awareness of every-day things such as warmth, cold, rough, smooth, soft, hard, dry, and rigid can begin to build.
💡 Curiosity
Wood. It comes from a tree. Obvious to us. But not obvious to young children. This concept can encourage a conversation between parents and children. It can be a Science-based conversation - - talking about the functions and types of trees in the world. Or it can be mean a conversation about conservation. Yes, trees are cut down to make products for our use, but it's important to inform them that planting trees is a very good thing for the world. Creating this dialogue with children will inevitably be the beginnings of creating a curious, creative mind.
This in turn may aid their overall development and knowledge of the world and environment around them. In this current climate - a great thought, wouldn't you agree?
🖍️ Motor skills
Motor skills are inevitably improved as a result of playing with wooden toys. The simple act of balancing wooden blocks can aid in creating those neurological pathways essential for developing their thought processes, reasoning, and logic.
Wooden toys often arrive in many pieces. Having lots of one thing - such as blocks can promote sharing in children. Taking it in turns to build a tower or spaceship with dozens of the same toy can create this positive atmosphere between children. Which will also help with their social interaction skills.
🕹️ Opposite to their plastic and metal counterparts,
Wooden toys tend to be simple and minimalistic. A trait not deemed to be negative because simplicity in something can increase a child's ability to think creatively. Wooden toys can be very versatile which encourages imaginative play even for the simplest looking toy.
👨🏾🍳 Montessori
The self-directed Montessori method of play is relevant when it comes to available wooden based toys which follow the Montessori philosophy. Toys can include puzzles, interactive clocks, and rattles to name a few. All simple concepts but ones that aim to promote self-directed play and curiosity within a child's mind.
