Natural Wooden Toys Are Classic and Fun to Play With

Why you should consider purchasing wooden toys? First, wood makes for very sturdy toys that don't break, they last for years and children love them. Second is the finish: Most are made to be biodegradable and are safely painted with non-toxic paint which is lead free. Many are hand painted, inked or oiled by craftsman. Dyes used should be child-safe, paints should be water-based and natural oil finishes look beautiful. Most wood toys are hand-crafted with love with special attention give to the smallest detail. They last for years and years and can be passed down from one generation to the next. Many are considered a classic, timeless work of art that provide children with hours and hours of imaginative play.

Beauty of wood: Whether is make from mixed hardwoods or maple or oak the natural beauty and appearance of real wood is pleasing to see, resulting high quality toys that will hold up. They last for years and years and can be passed down from one generation to the next. Many are considered a classic, timeless work of arts that provide children with hours and hours of fun playtime with there imagination in full swing.

On of my favorite manufacturers is D and Me, they are a husband and wife working together. There lines features colored pieces that are water-base, with enamel applied by a factory in the United States. All of the wood is from the USA, from sustainable forests and not imported. Each piece is hand sanded, finished, and nicely detailed. The handcrafted wood toys, which have a classic look are meant to be used and played with. Toys in this category include trains, trucks, doll furniture, pull and push toys plus many more. There Klacker toy is a reproduction of a push toy made by Mary's (she is the Me part of the company name) grandpa as a gift for her first Christmas. The klacker is pushed, it makes a unique "klickity klack" sound. (referred to as quiet noise.) The colorful, non-toxic dowels are made from wood. This means as the child uses the toy, you hear a natural noise (wood against wood), rather than the artificial sound.

Another fantastic line is Melissa & Doug, they (Melissa and Doug) started there business in 1988 in the garage of Doug's parents home. They have almost 1000 products and are well know in the industry for quality wood toys, wooden puzzles and games. Melissa and Doug line of puzzles is extensive and has always been one of the company staples for years. Our line includes puzzles with interesting textures, entertaining sounds, and even magnets. They feature fantastic pictures from realistic pictures to hand illustrations. Children absolutely love there wooden puzzles.

The Importance of Toddler Toys in Brain Development

The first three years of a child are crucial to brain development. During this period, the brain triples in weight and establishes billions of nerve connections. At the age of three, kids have twice as many nerve connections than a lot of adults. This is the reason why toddlers are very curious and inquisitive.

Their brains absorb thousands of information all at once, constructing new connections and associations, and making sense out of all the new and unfamiliar sights and sounds that bombard their senses. This is also the reason why toddler toys are designed the way that they are: colorful, bright, loud, with many different textures, shapes, sizes, and are made of different materials. These are all designed to stimulate and develop a child's mind.

Differentiation and classification
In the early phase of development, one of the crucial things that a child learns is differentiation and classification. Toddler toys such as building blocks, stuffed animals, padded play gyms, rubber balls, and spiky mats, help a child recognize the different textures and shapes of different objects. Having toddler toys in different colors and in different hues and shades, also allows a child to perceive the nuances and basic principles of color, developing their creativity and imagination. Exposing the child to as many colors, shapes, and textures as possible can help expand their perceptions and sensory experience, and help them have a wider picture of the world.

Emotional intelligence and imagination
There are also toys for toddlers that nurture emotional intelligence and imagination. The popular ones are musical toys for toddlers. Musical toys help kids learn balance and harmony, and stimulate their creative minds with interesting melodies and artistic rhythms. Classical music, particularly Mozart's Violin Concertos, is also a big help in developing a child's brain and imagination.

Logic and reasoning
While infants already have most of the neurons they need for their lifetime, their neurons are not yet wired together to form the compound networks required for complex thought processes. In the early years of a child, the neurons rapidly link together and form connections or synapses. Toys such as puzzles, mind games, mixing and matching, play cards, and mind maps can help toddlers make complex associations and rapidly develop their logic and reasoning.

Memory and concentration
These days, with numerous technological advances and a bombardment of media messages and information, from home theaters to 3D video games, all-day cartoon channels to internet access and online entertainment, and from billboards to interactive LCD screens, ubiquitous advertisements, and sophisticated gadgets, kids and toddlers have shorter attention span and concentration. They are easily distracted and bored. Traditional toys for kids can help them be more patient, increase focus and concentration, improve their listening skills, filter out distractions, and enhance their memory.

Traditional toys that require kids to sit down, think, and tinker for a couple of minutes or even an hour will help a child form good habits and acquire discipline-two important traits for excelling in school and the adult world.