Every parent wants the best for their kid. But the issue with selecting toys for your kids is the overwhelming choices!
If you are unable to decide between wooden or plastic toys, then we are here to tell you that wooden toys are better than their plastic counterparts.
In this guide, I will lay down everything you need to know about the advantages of wooden toys over plastic toys.
Here are some reasons to choose wooden toys for your little ones.
By Renuka.
Benefits of Wooden toys
Before selecting toys for your kids, you should consider certain important factors. The toys you buy should be:
- Safe and durable
- Fun, inspiring and beautiful
- Foster imagination and creativity in the child
- Promotes learning
- Aids in the physical, cognitive, sensory and mental development of children
Here’s why you should go with the timeless wooden toys over the flashy plastic toys.
Wooden Toys Encourage Imagination
Wooden toys bring out the creative and imaginative side in children. They can use their imagination and creativity to play with these toys. This is crucial for children’s development.
Imaginative play improves a child’s cognitive ability, and thinking and reasoning skills. Here there are no commands, and the toys are more passive. This makes the child more “involved” during playing, which in turn, stimulates their creativity and imagination.
Wooden toys are excellent for children’s development
The best part is that there is no single way to play with these toys, so children can play with them however they want.
This enhances their cognition, creativity and problem-solving skills.
Wooden toys that are a replica of real-world objects like kitchen sets, doctor sets, vehicles, etc., encourage children to role-play.
This gives them an idea of how things work in the real world.
Wooden toys like simple puzzles and building blocks introduce children to basic concepts like cause and effect, object permanence and improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
They also help to teach them basic numerical and literacy skills.
Imaginative play is critical to early childhood development.
If the toys are not flashy, moving and make no sounds, then it allows the child to make the sounds, move the toy around in a different fashion and conjure what the toy can do.
Durable
Wooden toys can be handed down over generations!
These toys transcend generations as they are made of durable materials that can withstand rough and energetic play.
Wooden toys made with high-quality wood and strong materials remain undamaged for years.
With time, the paint and stickers of plastic toys tend to become worn out, torn or fade.
They may also break if the child tends to throw them around. Wooden toys do not shatter or break down.
What’s more, you can always repaint or refinish the wooden toys, and they will look as good as new ones! With proper care, they can last very long.
Friendly to the environment
Wooden toys cause less waste than plastic ones. This makes them more environmentally friendly.
Making the simple switch from plastic to wooden toys allows you to make a more sustainable and eco-friendly choice.
Wooden toys can be recycled easily.
Moreover, even the manufacturing process and the materials that go into making wooden toys are eco-friendly.
There are many reasons wooden toys are better—not only for your child, but for the environment as well.
Plastic toy production processes cause harm to the environment as it needs fossil fuels.
Even worse, once the toys are used up, they are incinerated. This causes more harm to the environment because of the release of poisonous fumes.
Some of the safest and green materials are used to produce wooden toys.
This makes the wooden toys biodegradable and safe for the children to play with.
Children, especially infants and toddlers, tend to put things, including toys, in their mouths.
Wooden toys are naturally antibacterial, whereas plastic toys are made with harmful chemicals and substances like BPA, phthalates and lead paint.
When children put plastic toys in their mouths, they may ingest the harmful chemicals.
This could affect their well-being.
Wooden toys are more environmentally friendly than plastic toys as they do not produce toxic fumes during production.
They don’t need to be burnt after use either. They can be recycled and composted.
Safer
Safety is an important consideration in selecting toys for young children.
Wood is a safer choice than plastic as children tend to explore toys with all their senses.
Pick toys made of natural materials, like cotton, wool and uncoated wood
Plastic toys also tend to break easily, leaving sharp edges and small parts, which can be dangerous for kids.
Wooden toys are sturdier and less likely to break and leave behind sharp edges.
Made of safe materials without any toxic chemicals and substances, wooden toys will not cause any harm to the child’s health.
This is even if they take it into their mouth or explore it with their other senses.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that wooden toys are just more aesthetically appealing. They tend to be more subtle, and classy and make for attractive decors- in homes and other spaces.
The natural texture of wooden toys stimulates the child’s senses.
The sensory experience that kids get from these natural elements is simply unmatched.
When children touch, feel and explore the wooden toys, it helps in their holistic development.
Kids create whole new worlds, and their imagination comes alive when they play with these timeless toys.
Not only are these toys educational and fun, but they create a soothing and calm environment for children.
Wooden toys are simple, and when children come in contact with these natural toys, it brings about a sense of relaxation, helps them focus and lowers their anxiety levels.
Photo by cottonbro.
