The Green Familia » wooden toys

Top 3 wooden toys from Tots and Tiddlers

erica — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:00:08 +0000

Tots and Tiddlers have a fantastic range of wooden toys and I’ve found it hard to pick out my top 3 as there’s so much choice.

What child doesn’t like to play farms? This hardwearing and comprehensive wooden farm set will suit girls and boys alike and could be an heirloom toy to pass onto future grandchildren. As well as the farmyard the set includes 8 animals, 2 bails of hay, a tractor, farmer and farmer’s wife, a ladder, a wheelbarrow and 2 feeding troughs. The gates open and slide and the roofs lift off to allow play inside. It can be stored flat to save space. It’s priced at £45.

Older boys will love this complex, inventive marble run which can be used in numerous combinations. There are 34 different coloured blocks with 8 different functions, a number of speedmakers and hole shutters, plus a seesaw and rails. It comes with a 20 page instruction booklet with phased pictures. This is a great toy for rainy days when you’re stuck inside. It’s priced at £79.95.

Little girls will love Daisy’s Wardrobe. Daisy is a dress-up doll complete with her own wooden wardrobe and hangers. She has three different outfits with hats, bags and dresses with press stud fasteners. She costs £8.99.

Wooden Toys from Little Green Earthlets

sue — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:00:41 +0000

Wooden toys are always popular with both children and parents and, as I have several children’s birthdays coming up, I thought I would have a look to see what wooden presents I could find. Little Green Earthlets have a really lovely selection of wooden toys, from rattles for babies through to toys for toddlers and older children

My favourite of all is this brilliant HAIST House. The houses are made from natural stained wood in Germany and consist of a series of coloured wooden shapes which fit together. As well as being a gorgeous first shape sorter for babies, the wooden pieces would be loved by toddlers (and older children!) as perfect little houses for small dolls, figures and animals. My daughters are 2 and 5 and they would still love these. There are 3 designs, Snail (£15.94) , Arch (£16.94) and Gable (£17.57) – my favourite is the gable as there are so many different colours and shapes.

Little Green Earthlets also have a wonderful selection of wooden baby rattles too. My favourite is the TWIST Rattle, costing just £3.67. The rattle is made from rubber wood and has a big easy grip making it easy for babies to hold onto, as well as several sliding wooden beads. Suitable from 3 months.

For toddlers, this Wooden Tableware Set (£13.95) is ideal. It’s a great alternative to all the plastic tea sets that are available and little children would have a wonderful time setting the table for their teddies and dolls! There is also a wooden Fruit and Veg Playset (£7.95) available too.

Finally, a little toy that’s perfect for all the lovely weather we’re having at the moment! Although it isn’t quite warm enough to get the paddling pool out yet, I’m hoping for a long, hot summer and I know my daughters would have a wonderful time sailing these cute JUMBO Shrimp Boats (£7.83) around the paddling pool or playing with them in the sandpit.

TGF Likes…Treeblocks Natural Building Blocks

Brenda — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:00:06 +0000

TGF Likes…Treeblocks Natural Building Blocks because they are an exciting resource that promotes imaginative role-play, small world play, creativity, literacy and collaborative learning.

Children love playing with these beautiful, natural, wooden pieces to create unique and individual structures.

With Treeblocks, children can build taller and more stable structures than with many other common blocks and cubes. By mixing and matching the sections children can discover that two shorter blocks are the same length as one longer one, which helps them develop concepts of length and measurement. Treeblocks Building Blocks & Tree Houses stimulate children’s imaginations by allowing them to enact open-ended role-play scenarios.

Teachers can use Treeblocks Building Blocks to encourage group story telling. This allows children to develop additional skills including investigation, observing, describing, speaking and listening.

Treeblocks Building Blocks are a perfect resource for meeting the recommended Foundation and Early Years’ assessment guidelines.

Treeblocks are cut in 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10cm lengths, with larger discs and bridges included to help stabilize the ‘tower’, supporting multiple levels or floors. Treeblocks are a 100% natural, environmentally friendly product sourced from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) managed sources, and presented in a completely natural, colourful, cotton twill drawstring sack.

Treeblocks Building Blocks and Tree Houses can help develop a child’s skills in the following Foundation Stage learning areas:

* Personal, social and emotional development

* Language and literacy

* Mathematical development

* Creative development

Prices start from £33.95.

Hot Picks! Green Child

Brenda — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:00:57 +0000

Green Child are the sponsors of this months fantastic competition, if you have not entered yet, then do so now and be in with a chance to win one of their lovely quilts. If you missed the review of their sleeping bag from new reviewer Jo, then go check it out as she highly recommends it.

Green Child have lots of lovely products on their site so I thought I would share a few more with you.

Folding Changer Stand by Cariboo in Natural, price is £144.50.

Baby Cow Organics Milky Body Lotion by Cowshed, price is £10.

Organic Green and White Spotty Kimono Romper by Organics for Kids, price is £16.50.

Pull Along Wooden Giraffe Toy, price is £15.

Arabian Wooden Rocking Horse, price is £35.

Wooden Toys under £10

Brenda — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:00:08 +0000

Here is a list of great wooden toys that will give hours of enjoyment, yet not break the bank!

1 Stacking Rings from Beaming Baby. Suitable for ages 24m +. Price is £9.99.

2 Cat-Dog Noughts & Crosses from Kids Toy World. Suitable for ages 3 years +. Price is £8.99.

3 Chunky Lift out Puzzle – Farm from Toybox Lane. Suitable for ages 18m +. Price is £5.50.

4 Animal Wooden Train from Lulu & Blue. Price is £8.50.

5 Cutting fruit from Wooden Toys Online. Price is £9.99.6 Toby Jr Car Wooden Push Toy from Sheep & Chandeliers. Price is £9.95.

7 Wooden Rattle with Bear from Spirit of Nature. Suitable from birth. Price is £6.95.

8 Bag of Wooden Bricks from Clementine Toys. Suitable from age 3 years +. Price is £7.34.

9 Play Food – Birthday Cake from Mulberry Bush. Suitable from age 3 years +. Price is £9.99.

10 Duck Push Along from Little Nut Tree Toys. Suitable from age 12 months +. Price is £8.99.

11 Chunky Wooden Train Whistle from Mad Moo Toys. Suitable from age 3 years +. Price is £2.

12 Dinosaur Push Along from Charlie Moo’s. Suitable from age 12 months +. Price is £6.

13 Hedgehog First Jigsaw puzzle from Sones. Suitable fromage 18 months +. Price is £5.

Top 10 Eco-friendly Toys

Brenda — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:00:19 +0000

Here are my top 10 eco-friendly toys, they are not in any order of preference, I hope your little ones enjoy the choices.

1 Oval Xylophone by Berry Red, made from Organic rubberwood. Suitable from 19 months+. Price is £16.50.

2 Circus Skittles by When I was a Kid, made from wood, these gorgeous hand painted skittles (16 coats of non toxic paint). Price is £15.

3 Pink Wooden Bike by I love Toys, oh how I wish I had had one of these bikes! Made from wood, prettily decorated, with adjustable seat and pnematic tyres. Price is £49.

4 Train Set by Planet Apple, a lovely 46 piece plus accessories, make this a lovely train set, which will keep little and big boys happy for many an hour. Price is £35.99.

5 London City in a Bag by Nigel’s Eco Store, coming in its own trendy calico cotton bag, is this set of FSC certified wooden bricks shaped in the landmarks of London. Price is a very reasonable £9.99. Suitable for ages 3 years+.

6 Solar Powered Crazy Cricket from Natural Collection, watch this funny looking cricket dance in the sunlight. It will surely bring a smile to your childs face. Suitable for ages 3 years+. Price was £10.95 now £10.72.

7 Boyo Doll by Keptin Jr, available from The Natural Shop. A cute soft doll, suitable from birth. Made from organic cotton and stuffed with 100% wool. 25cm in length. Price is £18.

8 Horse Bag by Sparrow Kids, available from Elias and Grace. A great rainy day activity, a kit fully prepared for your child to sew and create their own felt bag. Suitable for ages 5 years+. Price is £15.

9 Fraction Circles from Woodland Children. Made from Rose coloured sustainable wood, this is a great way to introduce children to fractions in a fun and interactive way. Size is 14x14cm. Price is £16.

10 Mobile Home by Kidsonroof, available from Mash n Gravy. Made from 7mm thick double wave cardboard which is 100% biodegradable. It comes flat packed and is easy to assemble/disassemble. You have a choice of blue or white colours and is a blank canvas, just waiting for your little one to decorate as they choose. Price is £18.

Outdoor Wooden Toys

Brenda — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:00:54 +0000

Here are a few outdoor wooden toys to help keep your children happy and occupied through the spring/summer months.

Wooden Seesaw - Made from Scandinavian Redwood, rotates 360 degrees. Suitable for ages 3 years+. Available from GLTC for £85.

Children’s Garden Table Set - Made from weather resistant wood, the set includes a table, 2 benches and a sun shade. Available from GLTC for £150.

Pirate Ship Sandpit - A glorious addition to the garden for little boys, their own pirate ship sandpit. Where they can make up their own adventures on a daily basis. With plenty of seating area and a sail that doubles up as a sun shade what more could you ask for. Available from GLTC for £199.

Woodland Children

erica — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:00:01 +0000

I love wooden toys – they’re long lasting, environmentally friendly and often seem to be real hits in our house. Woodland Children offer a wide range of wooden toys, so I’ve pulled out two of my favourites.

This set of scales would be the perfect toy to have in the kitchen. It can help children to learn through play about weight both by measuring out ingredients and by comparing the weights of different things. The scales also look great with their natural wood, red and blue colour scheme, so they’ll enhance rather than detract from your kitchen decor. Available from Woodland Children for £20.

For adventurous role play, its hard to beat this stunning wooden shield. The shield is handmade in Germany and features a impressive green and red dragon design: ideal for an aspiring knight. There are also other items on sale to complete the look including swords, a chain bonnet and a matching tunic. Available from Woodland Children for £7.

For other wooden toys from Woodland Children and others, see Brenda’s recent post on Wooden Toys.

Wooden Toys

Brenda — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:00:49 +0000

Here are a selection of wooden toys to keep your children amused with .

Block Stilts - Made from sustainable wood, with a cool star motif detailed on the side of the stilts. They have cotton handles with a wooden ball to help aid grip when walking. Available from Planet Apple, suitable for ages 4 years+. Price £21.99.

Dancing Alligator - Made in Thailand from organic, chemical free rubberwood and painted with non-toxic water based dyes, this bright alligator is a must have toy for toddlers. Suitable from 19 months+. Available from Berry Red. Price £14.50.

Fire Engine Sorter - This brightly coloured wooden fire engine, is a great introduction for toddlers to shapes and colours. Will give them hours of fun sticking the brightly coloured wooden shapes in the correct hole. Available from Beaming Baby. Price £19.99. Suitable from 18 months.

Butterfly Walkalong - This gorgeous walkalong toy is made from solid wood and is one to treasure. As it is pushed along, the movement of the wheels causes the wings to flap. Available from Woodland Children. Price £20.

Beaming Baby

erica — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:00:01 +0000

Erica writes …

It’s nice to be able to do more of your shopping in one place sometimes and I find Beaming Baby one of those websites where you can do just that.

On a recent visit I found this beautiful Noah’s Ark. As it can be turned inside out to be used as an island as well as the ark itself, you get two toys in one which is great for role play and providing variety. A nice range of animals comes with the ark from the domestic to the exotic, sheep and horses to crocodiles and giraffes. The animals are made from rubberwood produced from trees at the end of their productive life and the paints used are non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Available from Beaming Baby for £35.71.

I was also impressed by their degradable nappy sacks. They are a lovely, funky, purple colour and have integral handles to make them easy to tie up. They come in handy sized rolls of 50. Available from Beaming Baby for £1.91 or £20.99 for 12 rolls (you get one free when you buy 11 rolls) so it pays to buy in bulk.

Once you get past the nappy stage, they offer this practical mattress protector made from organic cotton.

There are two layers of soft thick organic cotton sandwiched around a waterproof inner layer to provide mattress protection. The soft cotton makes it comfortable and quiet for your baby. As it can be washed at 40 degrees, it’s also very practical to launder. Available from Beaming Baby from £14.67.