Natural Intelligence: Living, Learning and Laughing: Why Wooden toys? Add the Squirrel and his friends.

Sources

Everything that I share here is in use within my own kindergarten and home. Where the source of any material or ideas is known I will share it. It is never my intention to steal anyone ideas or copyright. If you feel something I have offered should be credited to another source please let me know, and I will do so. Where I have used ideas or text for sometime it is possible that I no longer remember where it came from. I may never have known as I have worked in this business for a long time.

I am always happy to learn. Ria.

Monday 22 November 2010

Why Wooden toys? Add the Squirrel and his friends.

My last post showed you a little friend of ours Add the Squirrel, I wanted to take this opportunity to chat a little more about their value.

Add is a Holztiger wooden squirrel figure one of many wooden ones that we own - the others being the Ostheimer brand. I am often asked why I prefer this type of play thing especially with the cost implications (they are not cheap) Its easy really ..they have much more depth and tactile qualities than the plastic equivalent. But it does go beyond that - their weight and size are just right for little hands and they are very robust and very very long lasting. More importantly if they do receive some damage they can be repaired rather than binned.

This is for me a very important point, I intend to teach my pixies that toys, just like a lot of things in life, are not actually disposable and deserve respect and care. A damaged figure can be sanded, repaired and still be a valued playmate, and in fact the children can be involved in this process. My African animal set (Ostheimer) has been with us a very long time.

How many broken plastic toys can be retrieved or treasured in this way....?

These figures can also be washed, and then waxed with simple beeswax which then provides a treat for the sense of smell too. Win win on all the senses.

The cost of these can sometimes be daunting, particularly in this financial climate, but it is possible to find a second hand toy here or there. The elephant opposite we found for ten pence at a car boot sale, he was easily repaired and restored to play. The fact that this is possible is a testament to the quality and longevity of these toys. I, however, will be hanging on to mine, and bringing them out for the grandchildren many years from now.

My source for these great toys is usually Myriad, and I have a habit of buying just one or two every month or two, works out cheaper than a daily hit of chocolate or two weekly visits to the coffee shop, and actually feels more rewarding somehow.

More details here