Buying Guides
Guide to buying wooden toys
Toys are a child's favorite companion till about the age of five years. These five years are the most formative years of a child's life, given that his/her personality and skills build their foundation during this period. The child also passes through three crucial stages of life during these years: infancy, toddlerhood, and the preschool stage. We divide infancy into two phases, because capabilities differ during these two periods. For instance, what an 11-month-old is able to do, a newborn cannot. Here is a guide to wooden toys that are appropriate for your child's age.
Age appropriateness of toys
Wooden toys for babies (0-6 months): A new born baby may not be able to hold on to a toy, but they do start sensing the world around them. They look at bright colors, listen to sounds and so on. Also, since they are unable to move around, toys that can be attached to their crib, strollers, etc., are preferable. Other toys include colorful wind-up music boxes, mini bead racks, rattles, teethers, sensory baby toys, etc.
Wooden toys for infants (6-12 months): Infants learn to grasp things, take their first tentative steps, begin to identify objects and even throw tantrums at this stage. Keeping this in mind, the toys need to be sturdy. The appropriate toys for this period include bead racks, activity tables, rocking chairs, stuffed animals, blocks, balls, baby toys with wheels, sand toys, etc. Wooden Toys for toddlers (12-24 months): Toddlers display high mobility, combined with a lot of energy. They will slowly learn to walk and then run during this time. This is, therefore, the stage when they need different kinds of developmental toys that test their abilities and teach them the effects of their actions. All-time favorites of toddlers include ride-on toys such as rocking horses, shape sort boards, number boardss, alphabet and fruit puzzles, xylophones, etc. Toddlers also love playing with tub toys, crayons and paper, outdoor toys, kitchen sets, books, etc. Wooden Toys for Preschoolers (2-4 years): This is the period during which children graduate from one thing to another quite rapidly. For instance, two-year-olds start speaking in sentences, learn to identify the things around them and so on. Three- and four-year-olds start enjoying imaginative role play and are forever inventing new ways of playing. Gender differences also becomes manifest, with girls loving their kitchen set and boys fighting dragons. Toys that are appropriate for this age group include different puzzle games, kitchen sets, geomix sets, bowling sets, bead sequencing sets, picnic sets, kitchen sets, colorful blocks, frog games, playhouse, musical instruments, etc. Wooden toys for preschoolers (4-5 years): This is the period when children need to develop their learning and motor skills. This can be achieved through various toys, such as the pedal-less early rider bikes, puzzles, etc. Puzzles that acquaint children with the world around them are preferable, since they help in preparing the child for school.
