While kid-centric tablets and plastic toys that sing and light up provide the sorts of digital bells and whistles children seem to love, the truth is that wooden toys like wooden letter blocks still carry significant heft in the entertainment and development of kids. For a number of reasons, wooden toys still make great gifts for children, even in the age of technology.
#1 Wooden Toys Are Durable
When a toddler drops a tablet, the screen can shatter. When that same toddler drops an expensive electronic toy, they can crack the plastic, destroy the whirring lights, and/or damage the speakers that play music. A wood puzzle or other wooden toy, however, is considerably more durable and quite a bit less likely to break, meaning they will survive not only your children, but perhaps your grandchildren. Wood block puzzles are the types of toys that are built to last generations, unlike the disposable plastic playthings found in most toy stores today.
#2 Wooden Toys Encourage Imagination
Because a wooden name puzzle doesn’t come with all those shining lights and sound effects, the children playing with them have no choice but to use their imaginations. Brain development is so important in those first few years of life, so encouraging a child to think and imagine—to play actively rather than passively gaping at a screen—is one important way to ensure their brains develop as rapidly and completely as possible.
#3 Wooden Toys Encourage Interaction
Another advantage of being active with imaginative toys rather than passively watching a YouTube video on a tablet is that it encourages interaction with other kids. Collaboration is one of the most important soft skills for older kids and even adults, and giving kids the opportunity to share and interact with wooden toys through active play is a great first step toward mastering collaboration later in life.
#4 Wooden Toys Are Safe
Wooden toys are manufactured to be safe, and their durability means there won’t be broken pieces with sharp edges that could hurt a child. Every stool and name puzzle here at Hollow Woodworks is made from natural, non-toxic materials, so even if a young child puts the toy in her mouth, there’s nothing for parents to worry about. A wooden name puzzle stool isn’t pollutive or dangerous in any way, making them some of the safest toys available to today’s children.
#5 Wooden Toys Are Timeless
Some of the most valuable toys in antique shops today are old wooden toys that still hold a place in people’s hearts. For whatever reason, wood has become a symbol of what it means to be a classy, timeless toy. Knowing they’ll last forever, and knowing how much bygone generations have enjoyed them, there’s no reason today’s children shouldn’t also fall in love with them, too.
If you are interested in one of the handcrafted wooden puzzle name stools or toys available here at Hollow Woodworks, contact us and we will help build a gorgeous keepsake for your own children that they will adore in youth and later become an heirloom that they can cherish.