Classic wooden toys are staging a comeback this holiday season. We’ve put together a list of our favorites, each of which has been updated with new gadgets or a modern design. Wooden toys are great choices for their durability and classic look, but your kids will like them because they’re fun to play with!
Rainbow Rollers
– by Alex
Your child and his or her friends will have fun watching the cars flip from track to track as they race towards the bottom. The beautiful construction and colors make this a delightful addition to room decor when not in use. Great for toddlers who enjoy doing the same activity over and over and over!
Tower Pounding
– by PlanToys
This toy expands on the classic concept of the hammer and peg toy. When your child uses the hammer to hit the ball it goes up, around and back down to the base. It increases hand eye coordination and is made from recycled rubber wood. Fun, safe and good for the environment!
Deluxe Wooden Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy
– by Melissa and Doug
If there’s a king and queen of wooden toys it’s Melissa and Doug. We have a number of their products and they are such good quality. This Alligator Push Toy is perfect for assisting your little one as a walker, and rewards them with chomping alligators. Also has spinning beads for fine motor skills and non-skid wheels for added traction.
Wooden Pop Gun
– by Out of the Box Party
Pop guns are one of the original wooden toys. Great for pretend play for little pirates and cowboys, these pop guns create a loud popping sound when “fired.” Strings attach to the plug so they don’t get lost. Also great as stress relief around the office as well!
Deluxe Mini Play Cube
– by Anatex
This toy is absolutely amazing! My 14 month old found this at the doctors office and I had a hard time prying him away. There are so many different tactile toys for small children to play with and for older children the abbacus and alphabet blocks are great for learning letters and numbers. Also nice for parents – it cleans up easily with a bit of soapy water.
Ring Toss Game
– by Viola Wooden Toys
Great for building hand and eye coordination, this Ring Toss game by Viola Wooden Toys is perfect for bringing a little “outdoor” activity indoors. The rings are soft yet sturdy enough to retain their shape. The silly faces on the pegs are a delight to small children, but there are also point values on each of the pegs for more competitive older children. Again, this toy is great for safe indoor active play.
Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway – A Day at The Works Set
– by Learning Curve
This was the first train set we purchased for my son and it is still a beloved toy at age 3. This set was the perfect starter as it included a bridge, a train and plenty of track to go around. Adding other pieces was easy and there was a great selection for this type of Thomas products. Even though we also purchased the plastic/battery opperated versions my son prefers this wooden set. Just don’t worry about keeping the tracks all together with the younger kids – half of the fun is pulling it apart!
Family Dollhouse
– by Tag Toys
This simple oversized dollhouse is perfect for inspiring your children to engage in pretend play. The open faced walls allow children to play in each of the rooms from different angles – great for interactive play with other children. My favorite feature – the open and close garage doors.
Starter Set Blocks: Castle
– by Haba
Going beyond the basics of building blocks, Haba has created a series of blocks inspired by ancient buildings. This castle set comes with everything your budding architect needs to build his or her own fortress. With towers, fabric flags, and decorative embelishments your child can build several different castles with the same kit. Looking to expand? Try the Middle Eastern or Russian sets! Also comes with a fabric bag for storage.
My First Tool Set
– by Educo
Small children are fascinated by how things go together and this tool set by Educo let’s your little builder discover how things go together. Wooden nuts, bolts, screws and nails can be affixed to the tri-level tool bench as well as the accompanying wood pieces. Workbench also includes handy tool slots so it’s easy for your little one to find his hammer… if he put it back after playing with it.
The block castle is by far the most instructive toy here. It helps to foster a strong sense of creativity both in structure building and story telling. It’s amazing how kids will build the castle and use it as a stage for their own personal production, which usually involves a destructive attack by foreign invaders.