Wooden Toys- The Best Toys for Kids- Part 2

In my last post I introduced why I love wooden toys for kids. Read on for more reasons why wooden toys are simply the best...

Sensory Experience

Playing with wooden toys is a sensory experience. They are naturally beautiful, interesting and inviting as they provide a lovely textural experience for children.  During infancy and early childhood, children learn through their senses and will return to wooden toys during play, time and time again.

Fun Factory Wooden Fire Truck

Encourage Quality Play

Wooden toys are educational toys and they are fun. They are mostly made for open-ended play that encourages imagination, creativity and the development of a variety of cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills.  Wooden toys engage children in meaningful, good quality play. Many of the modern, high tech and plastic battery operated toys currently on the market can be over stimulating making them distracting and disruptive to calm and engaged play.

Le Toy Van Honey Bake Baking Set

Easy to Clean

Wooden toys are very easy to clean. I have found wiping them over with warm soapy water or disinfectant will do the trick. Don't forget to dry them after wiping over. Don't submerge them in water, this will damage the wood. 

Manhattan Toys Natural Baby Beads

Aesthetically Pleasing

Wooden toys look lovely. Their beauty invites children to play with them and they look gorgeous on display on your child's shelf when they aren't being used.

Wonderworld My Pink House

So, if you ever have to choose between 2 similar toys, one plastic and the other wooden, I hope this information assists you in making a decision. Remember this simple rule... Wood is so good!

Happy Playing,

Emma

Wooden Toys- The Best Toys for Kids- Part 1

We all know that play is so important in a child’s life. It is how they learn about the world, themselves and the people around them and also assists in the development of many skills, concepts, values and attitudes. But do we ever stop to think about what our kids are using during playtime?

As a teacher of many years, I have observed first hand the many benefits of kid's wooden toys on children’s development and learning. I love kid's wooden toys! I want to share why you and your kids will fall in love with them too.

Long Life Span

They are strong and have a very long lifespan. They will endure the most enthusiastic play and because of their durability will be handed down from sibling to sibling.

Melissa and Doug Wooden Geometric Stacker

Safe for Children

Wooden toys painted with non-toxic paint are safe for babies, toddlers and children. Unlike most plastic toys, wooden toys are free from BPA, phthalates and other harmful chemicals and toxins. So if your child puts a wooden toy in their mouth, you don’t need to worry. Phew!

Wooden Balancing Man

Kind to the Environment

Wooden toys are environmentally friendly as most are made from plantation timber or ecofriendly rubber wood. Not only are they durable, which means you can keep them forever, but when the time comes and they are eventually thrown out, they will rot in landfill. Wooden toys don’t need electricity or batteries so we can look after the planet for your children’s future.

Arabian Block Set

Check out 'Wooden Toys- The Best Kids Toys- Part 2' for even more great reasons why you should choose wooden toys.

Take a look at the huge range of wooden toys available at The Play Hive here

Kids Pirate Party Theme Part 2

Following on from Kids Pirate Party ideas Theme Part 1, I would love to share a few pirate inspired craft activities that would keep any swashbuckler entertained. Without further ado, here they are...

Craft Activity for kids 1: Decorate your own treasure chest

In the days before the party, paint a range of boxes brown and collect a variety of craft items that can be stuck onto these boxes to transform them into treasure chests. Sequins, plastic gem stones, stickers, tinfoil cut into shapes, buttons and anything else that is shiny make perfect treasure chest decorations. At the party, supply the children with PVA glue to decorate the painted boxes as their pirate heart desires. This activity is best done at the beginning of the party so that the glue can dry and the children can take their chests home at the end. For a bit of fun, place each child’s 'Loot Bag' (lolly and/or gift bag) in their treasure chest ready to take home.

Melissa and Doug
Decorate Your Own Treasure Chest

Craft Activity for kids 2: Make a Pirate Telescope

Obtain some A4 pieces of cardboard for each guest. Encourage each guest to roll up the cardboard into a cylinder and fasten with sticky tape or staples. Cut some coloured cellophane into pieces that will fit over the end of each cylinder. Help your guests place this over the end and fasten with a rubber band and a piece of sticky tape so the band doesn’t flick off. Then let your pirates loose at stickers, plastic gems stones, sequins, etc to stick on with PVA glue. Provide markers to draw on the telescope. Viola a telescope with a fun coloured lens.

Djeco Pirate Stickers
Perfect for decorating
pirate craft projects

Craft Activity for kids 3: Make a Pirate Hat

Purchase some large sheets of black paper, one for each guest. Depending on the age of each guest you can either prefold some pirate hats or help them fold their own. (Use your favorite search engine for hat folding instructions). Then you can decide how your guests can decorate the hat. Here are some ideas:

• For collage: Feathers, pirate stickers, pirate pictures (purchase some pirate wrapping paper and cut out the pirate pictures)
• Skull and Cross Bones: Download and print some skull and cross bone images for the guets to cut out and stick on. Or if the guests are young, pre-cut them and they can stick them on with glue
• If you are game enough and have only a few guests, make a stencil of a skull and cross bones out of card board and guests can paint over the stencil with white paint.

Want more Craft Ideas?
Usborne Books
Piarte Things to Make and Do.

Are you going to a pirate party and want to take a pirate gift. Feast your eyes on these great ideas:

Wooden Magnetic Pirate
Fishing Game

Melissa and DougPirate Adventure Puzzle

Papo Captain Corsair

Wooden Pirate Finger Puppets