Back to Basics: Wooden Baby Toys

Most toys nowadays are made of the miracle material: plastic. As such, most toy manufacturers have forgotten one of the older, more traditional materials for making toys: wood. Baby toys, in particular, benefit a lot from being made out of this more solid, more baby-safe medium. Let us now look at the different advantages of giving your child wooden baby toys.

First off, wooden toys are safer for babies to use overall. Wooden toys have proven to be more durable and less prone to wear and tear. This is an important factor when considering the fact that most babies tend to explore and experiment with their toys more than older children to. This experimentation includes, but is not limited to: constantly dropping their toys, dragging their toys on the floor as they crawl, and putting their toys in their mouths, whether to serve as teething aids or some other purpose. Looking at the advantages of wood over plastic with regard to the above factors (wood is less likely to shatter into small pieces when dropped, wood is less likely to crack when dragged along a surface, wood is less likely to crack into small pieces or into sharp edges when placed by a baby in his mouth) are just some of the reasons wood is a safer baby toy material than plastic.

Second, wooden toys last a lifetime, as compared to the lesser durability of plastic toys. Wooden toys will often have more than one owner, which proves how durable these are. Some people who buy wooden toys even go so far as to say that they are actually making an investment, as these toys are durable enough for their children to pass on when they grow out of their toys. Some wooden toys even become collectors’ items, which would further benefit their owners.

As an afterthought, toys made of wood are also more visually appealing when unpainted. Compare the natural grain patterns of some wooden toys against the plain colors of toys cast in one color of plastic.
 
Even with these advantages, though, it is not advisable to simply go out and buy the first set of wooden baby toys you find. There are several factors the discriminating toy buyer should consider:
 
Edges: baby toys should not have any sharp edges, as these might poke the eyes or even wound the baby. Also, bear in mind that babies often place things in their mouths, and you will see how dangerous sharp edges can be for a baby toy.
 
Paint: baby toys should have as few painted wooden areas as possible – all the better if there is no paint on the toy at all. This is because paint may flake and be ingested by the baby.  For this reason, organic wooden baby toys would be a great idea.
 
All in all, buying wooden baby toys may be beneficial not only to your child but to you as well. The safety and long life that these toys can assure their owners of is not something to disregard.  Buying wooden baby toys made in the usa are great safe options.