Benefits of Wooden Toys
In an age of technology, of loud, bright, colourful games and plastic toys, wooden toys remain a novelty. While we may veer towards the former when shopping for our young children, what we often forget in the face of the more heavily marketed toys is that classic wooden toys tick off much more boxes than their bright and loud counterparts. At Eager Little Beavers we aim to expand on children’s cognitive and social skills – and experimenting through play with wooden toys is one avenue for achieving this!
Open Ended and Imaginative Play
It is easy to assume that the toy car that sings and drives at the click of a button provides more entertainment for our toddlers. What we would actually find is that such toys tend to offer very limited opportunities for imaginative play. They emit lights and their own sounds, and make their own movements, all of which make for a rigid play experience as children are less likely to create their own scenarios with such toys.
However, wooden toys provide more beneficial open ended play, which allows the child’s brain to form new neural pathways, as they interact with the toy in whichever way their developing brain makes sense of it. For example, wooden blocks may be stacked one on top of the other or they may be used to make a house or car, or thrown around to make crashing noises, and none of this would be the “wrong” way to play. In this way wooden toys open up a whole avenue of exploration for the child and allow him or her to take control over how and what they play.
Developing Skill Sets
It seems obvious that toys such as wooden puzzles and blocks are great for developing gross or fine motor skills, as they manoeuvre the pieces together to form or create a shape, but wooden toys help with even more than that. As mentioned above, the endless possibilities that come from allowing children to decide what to do with their toys helps in expanding their cognitive skills, it forms new nerve connections in their brains and builds up their problem solving skills – as any adult who has had to assemble their own cabinet will know, it takes a myriad of patience, thought and deliberation to see the task through to the end, and children will do these things just for fun!
It doesn’t end there, though. There are also social skills that can be learnt through playing with wooden toys, as children will often utilise their own voices and their imagination to come up with uses for a silent toy that is, for all intents and purposes, a block of wood carved into a shape – be it a spoon, a wheel, a cube, or a stick.
Cause and Effect
Wooden toys teach cause and effect in a couple of different ways, the most evident is taking time to build things. Children know that by building with the wooden toys there will be a cause and their end result will be the effect. Plastic toys dont give that kind of satisfaction which wooden toys give. Our wooden building blocks at ELBeavers have such a variety in shapes and depth that children can create a whole heap of items with them. Creating an interactive space for your children with wooden toys which dont overstimulate your child’s brain is a lot better than resorting to cheap plastic toys that dont even last long.
STEM Learning
Did you know that Wooden toys are the original STEM toy, which can teach your children maths and physics in so many different ways. Follow @eagerlittlebeavers on Instagram on ideas of STEM learning and play. Whether its building with our Castle Wooden Blocks or playing with the versatile Wooden Toolkit, your child will either be using their mathematical skills or finding ways to screw on the magnetic screws on the magnetic drill.
Concentration
It is actually proven that wooden toys allow your child to concentrate better as playing with wood is both calming and stimulating. To work in an environment which has nature lighting and solid wood items allow our minds to be put at ease. Children can actually think and learn better in more creative spaces with wood and biophilic elements. A 2017 study from the National Institutes of Health found that “contact with wood induces physiological relaxation”. In an age of overstimulation and constant input, toys that promote a quieter and more sustained play environment can be enormously beneficial to young children and their cognitive development”. So why buy the flashy toys when you can dramatically improve your child’s cognitive function with good old fashioned wooden toys.
Practical Life Skills
Some may believe that practical life skills can only be taught by doing the actual activity itself for instance; brushing your teeth or learning to tie your own shoe laces, however that is not the case. We all know wooden toys encourage imaginative play, and usually that involves a real life scenario. For instance creating buildings with wooden blocks which promotes a real life city setting. Using toy wooden fruits and vegies and creating a grocery store which also entails a real life setting. Children learn a whole heap of skills from their own parents as well, which is why it is imperative to involve children in real life activities around the house as well as outside. That may be helping you count change to give to the bus driver, counting the amount of groceries bought and helping you carry them inside as well as placing them in its right place. All of which involves real life practical skills which they will be needing as they grow older.
Sustainability and Durability
When toys are constantly thrown around, bounced, sat on, and chewed up, the best option for durable toys are wooden ones. They will neither crack nor break, they won’t leak toxic materials into the little one’s mouth (granted they’re coloured with non-toxic paint!), and will safely last after the older siblings grow up, to pass on to the younger. Comparatively, plastic toys end up breaking and thrown out to avoid injuring the child playing with them, or if they are battery-operated they tend to simply stop working after being handled roughly too many times. Plastic toys are made from toxic substances whereas good quality wooden toys are made from ethically sourced timber and decorated with non toxic paint. Wooden toys also give children the chance to connect with the natural world. They also prevent the need to discard damaged or dangerous pieces, lasting longer and thus being much more sustainable.
Minimalistic Play
The best thing about wooden toys is that it doesnt have a million pieces to it and almost impossible to clean up like for instance LEGO, plushies and much more. Wooden toys are generally simple and easy to clean which allows for a clean play space look as well. Wooden toys are surely aesthetically pleasing but they also dont have a whole heap of maintenance related to it. For eg, changing batteries or parts. Your child will focus on what they’re building and theres no risk of overstimulation. As parents we always like to please our children as much as we can and result to buying them excessive amount of toys which dont all get as much love as they deserve. This is where the concept of stimulation comes into play, that more is not always better for your child but in fact negatively affecting your child in many different ways.
Safety
Plastic toys nowadays are usually made with a variety of cheap materials which can break easily, potentially leaving sharp edges and small parts that may harm children- espeically ones who are more prone to put them in their mouth. Wooden toys on the other hand are strong and sturdy and are less risky in this way.
Aesthetics
It is evident that wooden toys are greatly aethetically pleasing. Whether you have a dedicated play space at home for your children’s learning and play or you simply enjoy purchasing educational toys for them,you want them to look pleasing and inviting to play with. Wooden toys either brightly coloured or in plain wood help your room to look nice, regardless of it being in their playroom, no matter where they are, they bring a positive energy and vibe to the environment. Even if unexpected guests arrive, if the toys are lying around, they wont look as bad as the loud and noisy flashy toys that are overly stimulating. Wooden toys are timeless and allow children to learn and grow every time they pull them out to play. They’ll be there for your next child and the next and their children and the children after that because they never lose their appeal and will always be treasured in each and every home.
Some interesting facts to consider when purchasing toys:
- Surround your child with toys which are educational and cost effective, ones which will last you longer and also grant you the benefits and skills which you want your child to gain from an early age
- Children love open-ended play, so wooden toys are always the best form of open ended tool there is- to promote curiosity, imaginative play and practical life skills.
- Toys that are realistic are more likely to teach children how to world works, children mimic what they observe and will be able to gain similiar skill sets of the real world in no amount of time.
