wooden toys Archives - Easy Mommy Life

The What, Why and How Of Toy Rotation

Ophira2 CommentsJanuary 4, 2022May 29, 2019

Read time: 7 minutes

Does all the toy clutter make you wonder how to organize toddler toys? Have you considered a toy rotation?

In this post, I will cover what is a toy rotation, how to maintain a successful toy rotation and why you should consider rotating toys.

WHAT IS A TOY ROTATION?

Toy rotation is the system of rotating toys from an existing toy collection every week or few weeks so as to maintain the novelty of existing toys and encourage more creativity in play.

WHY MAINTAIN A TOY ROTATION?

1. Minimize the clutter of toys

Any toddler parent can attest to the toy jungle that is left behind every day as the toddler waddles through his toys.

The toddler picks up a toy, plays for 5 mins then moves on to the next. Before you know it your living area looks like it was hit by a typhoon!

And toy clutter isn’t just a problem in families with multiple kids and lots of toys.

Little kids have very short attention spans and need to use their hands constantly. This automatically leads to a messy play area full of toys.

Toy rotation can be a start to using a few select toys daily in various ways so as to minimize the clutter.

2. Creativity

When you minimize the number of toys, the child now has to learn how to use whatever he has in the most creative ways.

One big benefit we experienced with toy rotation is newfound creativity. Our son comes up with new ways to play with the same toys each day and gets good use of his toys.

3. Learn the value of things

When implemented at an early age, children learn the value of things.

A toy rotation has given us the opportunity to talk about caring for our things and why we repair and reuse what we can rather than throw away and discard.

You will notice how the child learns to care for his toys and books.

4. Great for small spaces

If you live in a small space you may not have a room in the house that’s dedicated as a playroom. You may have a small nook in the house or the living room itself may double up as a play area for the children.

A toy rotation system can save space and help organize the toys better.

Okay, so how do you go about starting a toy rotation? read on

TOY ROTATION TIPS

1. How to maintain a toy rotation?

This is what we do in our home. Every 1-2 week we rotate toys. We choose 5 toys at a time. I choose the toys such that we can cover educational skills, motor skills, pretend play aspects each week.

For example, each toy rotation will include 1. Musical Toy/Pretend play toy

1-2 Educational toys

1-2 Fine motor skill development toys

Here are some of the educational toys we love for toddlers and preschoolers.

2. What about the non-negotiable toys?

There are some toys that are a “must play with everyday” type of toys. Over a period of time, I realized these are my son’s non-negotiables. This was actually the reason why our first attempt at toy rotation was a fail because there are some toys he just wanted around him all the time.

Once I realized my mistake I made these toys a central feature of the play area. Now he is comfortable rotating the other toys.

Non-negotiable toys in our home are building blocks, our Hape play kitchen and his car collection. We recently setup dedicated toy storage just for these in his play area so that these toys are permanently kept outside for him to access.

Your child too may have some toys he loves and needs to have around every day; it’s okay to exclude these toys from the rotation.

Remember, every child is different, that means that this may/may not be an issue at all for your child, but with a little trial and error and you will figure out what system works for your family.

It is also a great idea to keep a tiny basket with toys or books in different nooks of the house. I usually choose spots where I spend a lot of time in the house with our son.

There is one box of toys and books close to my workstation. This box gets refreshed every 3-6 weeks. Depending on the size of your house you can decide which spots to add extra toy boxes to.

3. Toy storage and organization

I personally feel storage bins are a great option over toy cupboards because you can move the toys around the house.

We have a storage unit from Ikea for the non- negotiable toys I mentioned above and I place the 5 toys of the week on the top shelf of the unit.

The rest of the toys go into storage boxes that are tucked away in cupboards.

Best toy storage boxes: These are amazing storage boxes for smaller spaces. We have used similar styles in the past to store toys.

3 Sprouts Cube Storage Box

Shumee Canvas Toy Storage Box

E-ware 4 Drawer Rack

Our current toy storage system includes

Ikea FLISAT Toy Storage

Ikea TROFAST Storage

When the child grows out of the existing toys you can donate, resell or put the toys away in the storage for future children. This way the toys that are in rotation are the ones that are apt for the current developmental age.

4. At what age can a toy rotation be started?

Honestly, it depends on the size of the current toy stash. Our son had a very minimal toy stash until he was about 2 years old. All his toys fit in one box so I didn’t feel the need to start rotating the toys. Also, when he was a baby he didn’t need many toys to stay engaged. He played with spoons and plates from the kitchen on most days.

Once he entered the twos we slowly started adding new toys to meet certain developmental needs and his new interests. And as time went on we accumulated a lot of toys as gifts from family and friends.

Thats when I knew I couldn’t deal with the toy clutter anymore; our son was not even playing with most of the toys in his play area.

A toy rotation system made the toys more visible to him and he now has an organized space to play in.

5. How to handle birthdays with new toys coming in?

When you get too many toys for birthdays, store them away and introduce a new toy on occasions when you want to mix it up within your current toy rotation.

If you feel your child already has too many toys, talk to your guests about a no gift option.

I know sending out a wishlist of toys to the guest list is still a controversial topic. Many people consider it rude or entitled while others think it’s a great idea.

Personally, I’d rather buy from a registry than gift something I am not sure if the person appreciates. There is no need to think of what to buy, no repeat presents, plus you save money knowing well that your gift will get used.

But ultimately the decision to run a gift registry or not depends on the type of family relationships you have.

I would never make such requests if I were not sure how the other person would feel about it. I’d rather say no gifts.

Here are some more toy-related posts for you;

10 Wooden Toy Brands For Kids

How To Select Learning Toys For Kids

Small Homeschool Room Design and Organization Ideas

To sum it up,

A toy rotation is a great way to get more value from existing toys.

Do you run a toy rotation system in your home? Do leave us with your toy rotation tips in the comments below.

10 Wooden Toy Brands For Kids: Non-Toxic Toy Guide

Ophira6 CommentsJune 12, 2022November 10, 2018

Read time: 6 minutes

wooden toy brands - wooden toy companies

When it comes to children’s toys, the quality of the toy is of utmost importance. Especially in the first 2 years of the child’s life, when they love to chew and mouth toys, choosing the right material is very important. Plastic toys may contain phthalates, PVC and BPA. Finding quality toys preferably made of wood is one of my biggest mommy missions. So here are 10 wooden toy brands for kids that are tried, tested and toddler approved! Hoping my recommendations are useful when you are making a choice for your kids.

ADVANTAGES OF WOODEN TOYS

1. Non-toxic material: Unlike plastic toys, wood is non-toxic material, that is safe for young children to play with. At the same time, I will add a cautionary note here, you must invest in good quality wooden toys where the brand clearly states the certifications on the labels and use of non-toxic paint. Whenever you find labeling vague or incomplete do not buy such a toy.
2. Generational toys: Wooden toys are durable and can be passed down the generations.
3. An Eco-friendly option. Battery operated toys are not only overly stimulating to the child they are also toxic to the environment.
4. Since most wooden toys are open-ended in nature they provide an opportunity for imaginative and creative play.

More toys related posts:

The only toys you need for baby

Toys for fine motor skills

Open ended toys for toddlers

TOP 10 WOODEN TOY BRANDS FOR KIDS: A NON TOXIC TOYS GUIDE

1. Maya Organic

Starting this list with wooden toys made in India, and Maya Organic. Maya organic makes traditional Indian wooden toys that are made using natural materials like lac (resin), natural dyes and wood. They are a fair trade organization that supports local channapatna artisans. These beautiful channapatna toys are sure to remind you of your own childhood. I look at these pieces as legacy toys, toys to be cherished and loved by generations.

Favorites:

Wooden stacker toy

Wooden pull toy

Wooden push toy

Stack and play wooden pull toy

2. Skola Toys

If you are looking for good quality educational wooden toys then Skola Toys is your answer. They design toys based on skill levels for each age group with an opportunity to play with the same toy repeatedly as the child grows. I love such open-ended toys that can be used over and over. Not only are open-ended toys a great value for money but also help spark the child’s creativity and imagination. Skola Toys even makes affordable wooden toys for birthday return gifts.

Favorites:

Wooden twisty stacking toy

Rainbow roof stack and nest

Wooden building blocks

Dino magnetic number maze

3. Shumee Toys

When I first started looking for wooden toys made in India I came across Shumee Toys. Some of their pretend play toys caught my eye for their cute and whimsical designs. Shumee Toys designs non-toxic toys that are fun and open-ended in nature.
They now boast of a huge range of wooden toys, covering everything from wooden rattles to wooden puzzles.

Get a 15% discount on Shumee wooden and educational toys, books and nursery decor. Use code LYLEASYMOM at checkout.

Favorites:

Bruno dog pull along toy

Shape sorter puzzle

DIY wooden build a house-dollhouse set

4. Hape Toys

Anyone who follows me on Instagram, knows I am a big fan of Hape Toys. Over the years we have built quite a collection of Hape toys in our home and I am never disappointed with the quality. The toys are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, built with solid wood in most cases and feature rounded edges that make them a safe option for the roughest of play.

Favorites:

Fruit and vegetable set

Wood maple blocks

Classic train toy

Chunky alphabet puzzle game

5. Skillofun

Another brand of wooden toys we use in our home. They make a wide variety of toys that are affordable in price. If you are looking for wooden educational toys for preschoolers, Skillofun has a huge range of toys in this category. In fact, Skillofun even designs special Montessori tools and equipment, making this brand the first choice when setting up an at-home Montessori environment.

Favorites:

6. Brainsmith

A new entrant in the Indian toy industry. Brainsmith started their collection with flash cards and educational material for older kids moving into the early years with wooden toys for pretend play and motor skills development.

Favorites:

Multi-shape sorting board

Memory game

Kids logic stacking toy

Shape sorting lorry

7. Ikea

The Ikea launch in India has been a grand success. Mothers like me are always looking to Ikea for functional, affordable and chic styled products. Their kid’s range and toys are up there when it comes to matching expectations. We bought Ikea cars for our son on his first birthday and since then have added many other toys to our collection. I love the build quality and simple designs of Ikea toys.

Favorites:

8. Goki

I first saw Goki toys on Hopscotch.in. Though we have personally not bought a toy from their collection we have used some of these Goki toys at play areas around the city. Goki toys feature functional design made with good quality wood. I especially loved their wooden puzzles for toddlers. These puzzles are on my wishlist.

Favorites:

Shape and color sorter

Wooden shape sorter

Wooden workbench

Tumbling tower

9. Melissa & Doug

What wooden toy list would be complete without a mention of Melissa & Doug. Melissa & Doug are known for their puzzles, cooking related pretend play toys and arts and crafts toys. Their toys are focused around imaginative play and creativity.

Wooden pound a peg

Take along toolkit

Farm animals puzzles

Wooden vehicle peg puzzle

10. Little Genius

I stumbled across this brand when I was going about preschool hunting. I noticed most schools here use Little Genius wooden toys and materials in class. On more research, I found their toys affordable and geared towards preschoolers. Little Genius toys are focused on educational concept learning.

Favorites:

Fruits with big knob tray

Geo sorting board

Rolling shape sorter

Chakla and belan

That’s it for now. These are the 10 wooden toy brands that we have used. As always I will leave you with a note to buy only the most basic toys and not go overboard buying everything you see. Even a minimal collection of appropriately chosen open-ended toys can bring the child joy and can be used over and over again in different ways.

Do you have favorites from among the wooden toy brands I mentioned here? Do leave me a comment below on your child’s most played with toy.

Learning With Age Appropriate Toys: A Skola Toys Review

OphiraLeave a commentJanuary 4, 2022February 20, 2018

Read time: 5 minutes

Finding the most age appropriate toys for little ones is what every parent wants. We want our children to learn through play since it is the most effective way to help a child understand concepts. If you are wondering how to select such age appropriate toys for your children you can check my last blog post on the same.

This post is sponsored by Skola Toys. But all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Skola Toys is one such wooden learning toys company that is known to make developmentally appropriate toys. They have developed toys that take the child through learning journeys designed as play. The different learning journeys explored by Skola Toys are Dexterity, Environment, Language, Numbers, Our World, and Cognition.

Review Skola Toys Pull Along Bus

I am always looking for age appropriate toys for my little one so I was quite excited to receive the Skola Toys Pull Along Shape Bus to review. This toy belongs to the learning journey through Motion. And is best suited for a 2-year-old.

Packaging

The first thing I noticed was the box the toy was sent in. It had lovely doodle design all over. The box itself is so decorative and fun, I imagine buying a Skola toy and gifting a child the same without any gift wrapping needed, just this lovely box. You also get a complimentary set of crayons with your toy along with an instruction manual on how to use the toy in different ways. All these simple touches add to the customer experience when receiving the product.

What I like about the Skola Toys Pull Along Bus

The pull along toy is a bright orange colored bus that is made of lightweight wood. The fact that the wood is light in weight is important because my son finds it easier to maneuver the bus. The color orange is also quite attractive to a toddler.
Skola toys are made of wood, sourced from renewable sources, making them natural and environment-friendly. The toys are compliant with international safety standards and paints used, conform to European EN-71 Part-3 guidelines for toys. If you want to know why it is important to consider these things when buying wooden toys you can read my post on toys for toddlers, where I speak about safe wooden materials for toys.
The bus has rounded edges and no sharp parts that can scratch my son.
The child learns about motion by applying external stimuli to set a toy in motion. This age group of children is just learning how they can cause an effect on things. By gripping on to the toy and pulling it along they learn about their role in setting a bus into motion. Pulling a toy and walking is challenging, but this type of challenge brings excitement to the child.
This bus also doubles up as a shape sorter. The bright red colored shapes caught my son’s eyes immediately.

What can be changed

I am happy that we have companies like Skola Toys that are striving to provide quality learning toys for kids. On receiving this product I can see the thought that has gone into designing such a toy.

The only thing I would change about this toy will be the length of the thread. The thread is long for a 2-year-old to be able to maneuver around. I tied up a portion of the thread just to make the length more manageable for my son.

Everything else, from the wood to the paint and build quality of the toy was on the mark for me.

Ways to play with the pull along bus

The same toy can be used in four different ways to encourage the child’s creativity and imagination.

Activity 1: Triggering Movement

Show the child how to hold the thread and pull the toy. Children start to try different variations of force to trigger the pull and put the shapes inside the box then removing them outside again to see how this changes things. All these variations teach them about cause and effect along with encouraging them to play more creatively.

Activity 2: Pull Along

The activity of pulling the toy and walking requires a lot of balance and skill. When the child looks back to see the bus follow, it excites them. They try harder eventually learning to pull along without toppling the bus over.

Activity 3: 2D-3D Connection

Trying to put the correct shapes in requires a lot of hand-eye coordination. An analysis and clear understanding of 2D and 3D association of shapes are needed.

Activity 4: Name Game

You can ask the child to name the different shapes as they get familiar with them.

Such type of open-ended toys allows the child to explore the toy in an in-depth manner making use of their own mental resources in order to work with the toy.

Price

₹945

Available at

Skola Toys website and Amazon

How do you select age appropriate toys for your little ones? Which toy is their favorite? Let me know in the comments below.

This post is sponsored by Skola Toys. But all views and opinions expressed are my own. I only review products that I would buy for my own family or have used in the past and loved.

This blogpost contains affiliate links. These links provide me with a small percentage commission but don’t cost you anything extra.

How To Select Learning Toys For Children

Ophira22 CommentsJanuary 4, 2022January 30, 2018

Read time: 4 minutes

learning toys - open-ended toys- building blocks

I often get asked on how to engage a toddler with educational and learning toys. While every parent wishes their toddler learn and develop through play. The key lies in introducing activities that are age appropriate and match the developmental milestones. A good learning toy can help foster the child’s imagination and creativity.

This post is sponsored by Skola Toys. But all views and opinions expressed are my own.

So how do we as parents choose the correct educational toys for our children? A few key criteria in toy selection can go a long way in enriching our children cognitively and simultaneously build a collection of toys that lasts a long time.

Selection Criteria For Learning Toys

Safety First

That shiny train set staring back at you from the toy store window may look like the best gift for your child, but you need to check a few things before you go ahead and buy it.

Always look for the age group indicated on the toy. This is a safeguard against buying toys meant for older children that contain small parts that pose a choking risk to your young child.

Check that a toy has smooth edges and is devoid of pointed parts.
It should be made with sturdy materials that can sustain extensive rough use.
The size, shape, and weight should also be manageable for your child.
Paints used in the toy are lead-free and use natural pigments.

Age Appropriate

Each stage of development goes hand in hand with a certain set of skills. As children grow they become adept at performing certain tasks. The toys you choose should also match the difficulty level according to the age of the child.

If a toy is too complex the child can get frustrated with it and may not be able to enjoy the toy. The recommended age group specified on the toy should help you in making this decision.

How to select age appropriate toys? Ask yourself these questions when you are shopping for toys the next time

Does the toy allow age appropriate problem-solving?
Is it challenging the child in an incremental manner as he grows, allowing the child to use the same toy in different ways?

A simple example can be stacking toys that vary according to age and skill level of the child. These toys challenge the child’s age appropriate skill level and their simple design foster creativity to use the toy in different ways. Look at the below example of a stacking toy designed for age and skill level of the child.

Skola learning toy stage 1 – Image courtesy Skola Toys

Skola learning toy stage 2 – Image courtesy Skola Toys

Skola learning toy stage 4 — Skola learning toy stage 3 – Image courtesy Skola Toys

Skola learning toy phase 3 — Skola learning toy stage 4 – Image courtesy Skola toys

Durability

It’s a simple fact that wooden toys outlast plastic toys. There is a reason why they are called generational toys. They serve as toys when we are kids and take us down the memory lane, as we grow older. It’s important to check that the wooden toys are made out of hardwood and use safe natural paints.

Simple & Open-Ended

Toddlers are great at repurposing household articles; a rectangular cardboard box can serve as a bus one day and a house the next.

Open ended toys are often simple and don’t overwhelm the senses, on the contrary they challenge children to use their creativity. Great examples of open ended toys are building blocks and stacking/nesting rings. These toys allow the toddler to take charge of how to play with them. They grow with the child and provide limitless opportunities for play.

Battery operated toys often overwhelm a child’s senses. This is especially true if a single toy contains varied colors, shapes, textures, flashing lights and loud music. The child may not be able to focus on any one learning concept.

However a simply designed wooden shape sorter, for example, allows the child an opportunity to focus on shape sorting and from there to move onto other concepts.

In my quest to find such educational toys I came across Skola Toys. They design wooden educational toys that are researched to target developmental milestones. Skola Toys aims to break down key developmental skills and learning concepts as per the age of the child. This helps cement learning the concept through play. They call this the Learning Journeys.

They cover learning journeys like Dexterity, Environment, Numbers, Language and Cognition through their wooden toys.

These type of learning toys are more enjoyable to the child and help in the better understanding of concepts. You can check all their learning toys here.

What criteria do you use to select toys for your little ones? Leave me a comment below.

Posts on toy gift guides:

This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

The Only Toys You Need For Your Toddler ( 1-2 years)

Ophira38 CommentsJuly 3, 2018September 30, 2017

Read time: 7 minutes

As a mother I am very particular about the kind of products I expose my son to. Be it baby care products or clothing. So toys are no different. In-fact children below the age of 2 often mouth toys, which directly exposes them to the chemicals in plastic and coloring agents used on toys. That is why toys along with baby care items and clothing are the categories where I don’t compromise on quality and try to invest in safe and sturdy materials.

I try and stick to wood toys made of hard woods. Avoiding cheaper quality wooden toys made with MDF materials.

MDF and Ply-wood are commonly bonded using toxic glues and adhesives.This can sometimes include the toxic chemicals like Formaldehyde. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), classified formaldehyde as a “known human carcinogen”. Furthermore, if the wooden toy is coated with cheap paint and lacquer which possibly contains lead, the wooden toy is just as bad as any plastic toy.

If a wooden toy is not available I choose cloth toys and trusted brand name plastic toys. Also note, when a plastic toy starts to wear off, it is time to discard the same, and don’t use second hand and old plastic toys as there may be possibility of chemicals leaching out and the toy not meeting the current toy safety standards.

Don’t just think about material when you think of safe toys; the shape and size of the toys are also important. Check that there are no sharp edges to the toy and that it passes the sizing standards for that age group. Especially with children below age of 2, there is always a risk of choking on toys. It’s best to stay away from toys that contain tiny parts.

When you start investing in good quality toys it becomes about quality over quantity. So your child will have a smaller collection but one that can last him/her through childhood.

Again, these are just basic guidelines for you as a parent when you choose a toy; I don’t mean to preach by any means. I too have a collection of toys for my son that are a mix of largely wooden, few plastic and cloth toys. In the end it’s about having an understanding about the chemicals in our children’s toys and being thoughtful about our choices.

Now getting to the list of toys that I found most age appropriate between 1-2 years of age. Some of the toys from my previous list of toys for baby’s first year are still relevant to this age group e.g, stacking rings, blocks, pull along toys, books etc. So we carry those forward into the toddler years.

Only toys you need for your toddler 1-2 years

Mega Blocks: Once the child gets the hang of stacking, he/she will move onto building. Mega Blocks are easy to use for those tiny toddler palms that are not yet very adept with fine motor skills.

Recommendations:

Fisher Price Big Building Bag

Balls: This is the perfect age group for them to start understanding the concept of throwing balls. They have just started running and jumping and a ball is the perfect play companion to them. This one is a must buy.

Recommendation:

Kipsta Green Blue Ball

Books: Once they enter toddler years kids get really excited about books, especially if you already have a routine that incorporates reading. Try and find a variety of themes and storybooks. Some board books, a few pop up books, interactive books, paperbacks etc. Let them get exposed to a variety of formats. Some of our favorites are:

Kitchen set: Pretend play becomes a huge developmental activity in this period. Toddlers pick up on the nuances of what cooking looks like, trying their hands at stirring pots, serving on plates etc. I looked everywhere for a steel set or a wooden one and finally found one by Hape Toys. I will highly recommend this set. My son loves it a lot, it is one toy he is found playing with everyday. If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen this set in the many pictures I have put up there.

Recommendations:

Hape Gourmet Wooden Starters Kitchen Set

Hape Wooden Tea Set For Two

Vehicles: Kids at this age love the pretend play concept of cars, trains, airplanes, construction vehicles. They are now aware of their surroundings and observing the vehicles on the road, this helps them connect the real world physical objects they see through playtime.

Recommendations:

Maya Organic Wooden Pull Along Engine

Shumee Tow Truck

Shumee Blue Race Car

Musical toys: At this age children start enjoying music and want to participate in it by dancing, playing musical instruments. Introducing an xylophone is great for this age. They enjoy the process of creating music. I like the ones that come with a single stick unit rather than ones that have a tiny ball attached at the end. Because if the ball falls off, it can pose a choking risk. You can even buy other musical instruments more suited to their age like a baby casio, drums etc.

Recommendations:

Hape Wooden Xylophone

Plan Toy’s Wooden Xylophone

Coloring books and pencils: Coloring is a great activity to enhance your child’s fine motor skills. Also helps hone their creativity. They learn about colors and textures through coloring activities. There is no real need to buy special coloring books, you can just give them blank papers or old diary’s, notebooks lying around the house. Look for age appropriate crayons especially if your toddler still mouths his crayons. Crayons made of natural materials like soy or beeswax are most suited to this age group. I like the ones by Azafran Crayons as they are made of organic waxes of palm, soya, soya butter and food grade colors.

Recommendation:

Azafran Crayons

Animal Set/Fruit Set/Vegetable Set: Through books, observation and conversation toddlers start picking up names of animals, fruits, and vegetables. Buying them play sets of the same becomes a new pretend play activity for them. They soon have their own favorites among these. I found that my son picked up names of a lot of animals, fruits and vegetables when he saw them in such a toy format.

Recommendations:

K’s Kids Take Along Playset – Jungle

Shumee Safari Truck

Hape Wooden Fruit

I hope you found this list useful. Its always great to have an age wise compilation like this at hand when you want to gift a toy or have forgotten what you used for your previous baby. Which toys does your child love? Leave me a comment below. If you liked what you read follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for more ideas.

This blogpost contains affiliate links. These links provide me with a small percentage commission but don’t cost you anything extra.