Many, living in the world of high technology, completely forgot about the wooden toy. But, it is she who is an alternative to all these annoying parodies of toys for both children and adults. There are many benefits to wood products that are currently making a resurgence in the wooden toy. We discuss the advantages of wooden toys for children’s growth and development in this article.
How wooden toys help children’s development
Wooden toys are completely harmless to babies, they are hypoallergenic and have a pleasant forest smell. They are pleasant to the touch and adopt the temperature of the child’s hands, which will make them want to spend more time with toys. These toys are enduring, retain their appearance well, they can be carried down as a part of family history from one generation to the next.
What benefits can such toys provide for your kid?
Wooden toys develop interaction skills. Since the toys are silent, they encourage children to interact as toddlers begin to verbalize the play process, building their communication.
The straightforward design of wooden toys fosters a child’s inventiveness, inspiring them to come up with different plots and scenarios for the game.
Such toys teach the child to reason and concentrate, as well as develop the skills of comprehension, because unlike the fashionable high-tech toys, designed in such a way that they distract and annoy the child, having a strong emotional impact on them.
Nothing improves your child’s fine motor skills like playing with blocks, mazes, lacing, and building blocks.
Invaluable cognitive skills for the crumbs will help to acquire, for example, a rainbow pyramid, which is a simple constructor that teaches a child to compare, and observe, as well as train memory and attention.
Wooden construction sets of varying degrees of complexity, as well as sorters and balancers, will help your child develop spatial thinking skills.
Types of toys
There are a huge number of different types of wooden toys, each one intended to help kids learn a certain ability. Here are some of the most well-liked wooden toy categories and how they support children’s growth:
The simplest are rolling toys. They are made in the form of an animal or a moving vehicle, serve to develop the muscles of the arms and legs, and also allow the child to show their independence.
For the development of logic, imagination, and fine motor skills, insert frames and puzzles are used. During the game, the child learns to see cause-and-effect relationships, explores the shape and color of the object, and develops spatial imagination.
Cubes and pyramids help children develop fine motor skills of hands, coordination of movements, and study geometric shapes. Block games are one of the most loved by kids.
How to care for wooden toys
Toys and other products made of wood are highly valued for the quality of the wood and for their durability!
Daily care of wooden toys includes wiping the product with a dry cloth, and if the toy is dirty, it is allowed to wipe with a mild soapy solution, while trying not to allow the product to stay in water for a long time.
It is necessary to dry a wooden toy naturally, in no case in the sun or on a battery – the product may begin to deform and fade!
After cleaning and drying, it is advisable to treat it with linseed oil (apply a few drops on a lint-free cloth), then it will again shine like new and retain its antibacterial properties for a long time.
A little about the pros and cons
Well, it is worth mentioning the obvious pros and cons (albeit insignificant) of wooden toys.
The advantages of wood products include naturalness and safety. They don’t wrinkle, tear or break. These products are durable and practical. They are also excellent at developing critical skills for rising professors, scientists, builders, and so on. Modern companies offer a chic assortment that is suitable for kids from 6 months.
Among the shortcomings, instability to moisture and a higher price stand out in comparison with plastic counterparts. But even this pair of minuses is instantly compensated by undeniable advantages.
The most important thing is to teach your kids to play. Only with the direct participation of caring representatives of the older generation will toys really carry not only an entertaining but also an educational function!
Finally, toys are always important in a child’s life. Educational toys are especially important, the purpose of which is to develop certain baby skills that are necessary for every person in everyday life. A very small child, taking a toy in his hand, gets new sensations. Through an ordinary rattle, they learn the world through color, shape, and smell. But here, it is in the smell that the danger to the baby can lurk. Fortunately, wooden toys will not cause you problems.
Having bought a wooden toy for a very small child, you will watch how it will “grow” with them. This is because the toy almost immediately becomes their favorite. At first, the toy was used in the games of the baby without much significance, but simply as an object that is pleasant to hold in hands and can be dropped endlessly, and it does not break.