Do you Really Want Wooden Toys?

Time-honored toymakers may be in the minority today yet many parents feel the cost of traditional wooden toys are well worth it: delivering permanence as well as safety and imaginative play and as a consequence have witnessed resurgence in popularity.

While some wooden toys can cost appreciably more than their plastic counterparts, many parents feel wooden toys still remain the best play options for their children, regardless of cost. In a 'frugal' consumer market, with many budget-wholesale-discount outlets, why do so many parents go the 'extra mile' in time and expense? The answer can be found in the rewards of the 'Classic Wooden Toy' for their children.

The Wooden Toy Advantage...

Wooden toys, in particular, are bright and safe toys for your child, especially when purchased from reputable manufacturers in the U.S.A. Wooden toys from manufacturers such as 'D and Me' , 'BEKA', and 'THE PUZZLE-MAN TOYS' are made in the United States and meet all existing standards for toy safety. These manufacturers specialize in wooden toys for children. For them, it is their 'bread and butter' ... so quality and safety is vital in their design and manufacturing process. Today, while it is certainly true that most aisles of toy stores are dedicated to plastic toys, there are more than a few toymakers making a go of it by producing high quality crafted wooden toys.

I especially like the manufacturers mentioned above as I am familiar with their dedication to safety and quality. Because of this, ATLPlaytime, an online toy retailer (www.atlplaytime.com) can unconditionally stand behind products from those manufacturers.

Wooden toys allow children to use their imaginations. These toys don't 'play with themselves' and, being more or less simplistic, there are few to no 'bells and whistles' to distract a child from the thought and imagination that goes with quality play. Never underestimate the capability of any child to take a plain wooden object and have a fantastic adventure on the moon!

Wooden Toys 'Feel Good'. Let's face it, there is something inherent to wood that makes it speak quality. Kids are more likely to learn how to use their sense of touch and feel when they use wooden toys. Toys made of clear wood, especially hardwoods, with good grain that ages charmingly with play soon takes on that heirloom quality. Indeed, the cost of many of these toys is directly due to the choice of quality, select hardwoods that are becoming increasingly rare.

Wooden Toys are Durable. Just ask any pre-school, kindergarten, or grade school teacher. Wooden toys have staying power and can take the daily abuse that real kids and real play imposes. Those educators who most generally purchase wooden toys for their students are Kindergarten and first grade teachers and those who teach children with special needs. Occupational Therapists especially use wooden toys and puzzles consistently and with great success to help the 'developmentally slowed'.

Wooden toys are one of the products which have lasted centuries and while we tend not to think in those terms we may very well consider our grandchildren and perhaps even our Great Grand Children. In this context, modern plastic toys can commonly and simply be destroyed. Wooden toys are designed to withstand damage much easier and can even take on character. My Granddaughter plays with wooden toys that have MY teething marks on them! Wooden toys can be an investment that can be handed down age to age.

Wooden Toys Will Never be Obsolete...

Toys have most assuredly changed during the last one hundred years but one thing that has not changed is the allure of both old and young alike with classic wooden toys.

Look in almost any discount store this coming Holiday season and notice the many current toymakers that continue to bedazzle the world with their seemingly endless supply of computerized and electronic toys. Despite this, there should be little wonder that wooden toys will remain beloved favorites for many more generations to come.

Wooden Toys Will Always be Popular...

The truth is that the latest thingamabob on the latest toy has not made traditional children's wooden toys any less desirable to children, or even to adults for that matter. The latest plastic toy has not made wooden toys become obsolete. In addition, while wooden toys may not have all of the bells and whistles of modern toys they still allow children to engage in meaningful play, developing cognitive and problem-solving skills that will carry throughout the rest of their lives.

Children have been enjoying their playtime with wooden toys for centuries... and as long as there are trees, it will continue to be so.

Barry Chickini is the owner-operator of ATLPlaytime, an on-line store specializing in Quality Toys for Educational and Therapy: www.ATLPlaytime.com.

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