15 Chic Wooden Toys for Some Good Old-Fashioned Fun
Looking to upgrade your kid’s toy collection? Consider going back to the basics. In a world full of screens and plastic, wooden toys make a refreshing addition to any playroom or nursery. Why? First of all, they’re totally retro-chic—who knew playthings could make your home more stylish? And since wooden toys are made from natural materials, they’re also non-toxic and more eco-friendly. Plus, buying handmade wooden toys supports small businesses. But that’s not all. As it turns out, they might be better for your child developmentally, especially if you play alongside your little one (which is extra-easy when the toys available stir up sweet nostalgia). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), simpler, hands-on toys like building blocks and puzzles promote more parent-child interaction than electronic toys, furthering their overall growth and learning.
Ready to shop for toys made of wood? We’ve found options for all ages, from simple wooden baby toys (like a wooden rattle) to complex wooden toys for older kids (like a decked-out wooden toy kitchen), perfect for boosting your child’s development.
In this article:
Wooden baby toys
Wooden toys for toddlers
Wooden toys for kids
The best wooden baby toys (or should we say the best toys, period) factor in your child’s developmental stage. Items like rattles, teethers and play gyms suit babies ages 0 to 12 months. That being said, the following playthings don’t just serve learning purposes—they’re also just plain cute.
Wooden Rattle
This Etsy seller makes organic wooden baby toys in a wide range of fun shapes. The cat wooden rattle is pur-fect for friends of felines. Bonus: You can personalize yours with baby’s name.
Age: 0 months+
Buy it: Manzanita Kids Wooden Cat Baby Rattle, starting from $20, Etsy.com
Wooden Plane Toy
Teethers should be safe and effective, and this wooden plane toy is both. That’s because it’s made of hard maple, which is bacteria- and splinter- resistant. Even better, the wood holds cold; toss it in the fridge before use and give baby cool comfort.
Age: 3 months+
Buy it: Bannor Toys Wood Teether Airplane Toy, starting from $16, Etsy.com
Wooden Toy Car
Wooden toy cars aren’t just for older kids. This pretty pastel vehicle is made from baby-friendly natural rubberwood and water-based paint. It’s designed to stimulate your child’s senses thanks to the colors and moving parts, and is a great push toy for honing baby’s motor skills.
Age: 6 months+
Buy it: PlanToys Car, $17, Amazon.com
Wooden Bead Toy
Add this to the list of stimulating wooden baby toys. The vibrant grasper will fascinate baby visually and tactilely, encouraging hand-eye coordination and developing hand strength. It’s also made sustainably, which is always a pro in our book.
Age: 3 months+
Buy it: Grimm’s Spiel and Holz Design Beads Grasper, $21, Amazon.com
Wooden Play Gym
Think big with a full-blown wooden play gym. This structure is made from safe, natural materials, helps baby exercise their body and mind and looks lovely to boot.
Age 0 months+
Buy it: HABA Color Fun Play Gym Wooden Activity Center, $73, Amazon.com
Shopping for a child between the ages of 1 and 3 years old? Try items like wheeled and stacking wooden toys, which promote mobile exploration and spatial understanding. Here are a few cute and creative options.
Wooden Toy Train
Choo-choo! All aboard this colorful wooden toy train. The magnetic cars can be disassembled and reassembled in different ways for endless entertainment.
Age: 12 months+
Buy it: Tegu Shape Train Building Blocks, starting from $30, Amazon.com
Wooden Ride-On Toy
Let your tot scoot around on this super-sweet wooden dog toy. The daschund shape sets this apart from other wooden ride-on toys, as do the color combinations.
Age: 18 months+
Buy it: Little Woodshop Daschund Wood Ride Toy, $44, Etsy.com
Wooden Stacking Toys
These wooden stacking toys are sure to brighten up any play space. The arches form a rainbow, but that’s not all. Let your child build whatever their heart desires with the versatile pieces.
Age: 12 months+
Buy it: Piron Design Wood Rainbow Stacker Toy, $35, Etsy.com
Wooden Puzzle
If you’re into wooden toys because of their natural appeal, you’ll adore this wooden tree-trunk puzzle. The pieces are beautifully rustic and boost fine motor skills and spatial logic.
Age: 2 years old+
Buy it: Mamuma Bird Seven Circles Wooden Puzzle, $49, Etsy.com
Wooden Blocks
There are plenty of educational wooden toys out there. Take these contemporary wooden blocks for toddlers, which help children learn their letters, colors and numbers. The wooden toy kit is uniquely crafted to introduce kids to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). But it’s also meant to foster an appreciation for beauty (hence the artsy design). Yep, wooden toys for toddlers can be that multifaceted.
Age: 12 months+
Buy it: Manhattan Toy STEM Blox Blocks, $40, Nordstrom.com
Don’t mistake natural for unsophisticated—many wooden toys for kids are actually pretty intricate. We’ve included developmental picks perfect for children 3 years old and up. These wooden toys for kids put an emphasis on imagination.
Wooden Toy Kitchen
This comprehensive wooden toy kitchen is a nice alternative to plastic toy sets. It comes with wooden food toys, wooden toy utensils and more for budding chefs to practice with.
Age: 3 years old+
Buy it: Hape My Creative Cookery Club Kids’ Wooden Play Kitchen, $98, Amazon.com
Wooden Toy Barn
This wooden toy barn kit, complete with wooden animal toys, is almost too pretty to play with. Your kid will delight in creating their own farm scene and mastering their oinks, clucks and moos.
Age: 3 years old+
Buy it: Wooden Caterpillar Toy Farm Animals Set, starting from $90, Etsy.com
Wooden Toy Cars
It’s a wooden truck. No, it’s wooden toy cars. Actually, it’s both! When it comes to wooden toy kits, this one’s especially genius, since it’s a push and pull toy, a stacking toy and a puzzle all in one. With the option for personalization, it’s obvious why it’s an Etsy bestseller.
Age: 3 years old+
Buy it: Little Wooden Wonders Wooden Toy Truck with Toy Cars, starting from $38, Etsy.com
Wooden Animal Toys
This gorgeous set features a wooden tractor toy your child can drive wooden animal toys around in. Each piece can be painted, letting you turn the kit into an art project. (Of course, they also look amazing as-is.)
Age: 3 years old+
Buy it: ROSTOK Toys Farm Tractor, $17, Etsy.com
Wooden Building Toys
Sure, you can buy plain square wooden blocks, but why not up the ante? Turn your kid into a little architect with the help of this set of advanced, uniquely shaped wooden building toys.
Age: 3 years old+
Buy it: Melissa & Doug Architectural Unit Blocks, $60, Nordstrom.com
Published February 2019
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