Our store has really expanded its collection of wooden toys lately. We at VanBuikema are absolutely in favor of wooden toys. But why? you may wonder. Well, for a lot of reasons actually. The main ones are: wooden toys are aesthetically pleasing; they aid in children's brain development; they age well and are better for our planet.
If you want to add a cozy and warm atmosphere to a place, you should add wood or at least some wood tones. Because of its color, texture and the fact that wood comes from nature, our whole human essence is drawn to it. This is how we are wired.
Furthermore, the way colors reflect on wood and plastic is very different. Plastic toys are usually very shiny, make noise and have flashing lights. These attributes may sound appealing, but they also prevent your child from using their own vivid imagination. When the toy does everything, it leaves nothing to the imagination and we all know that young children learn a lot through play. In fact, it's from birth through early childhood that your child develops many of their neurons, which are essential for their ability to learn and process information, among other things.
Your child also gets a lot of brain development through sensory play. Not only as a baby but also during early childhood. Therefore, the best practice is to buy toys made of different materials: wood, fabric, metal, etc. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play: create, investigate and explore. The sensory activities allow children to refine their thresholds for different sensory information. This allows their brains to create stronger connections for processing sensory information and the ability to respond to this information.
Wooden toys are generally a bit more expensive, but your child really doesn't need a lot of toys. A great idea would also be to exchange toys with family and friends. You can actually do that with wooden toys because they age nicely and are easy to fix if broken, unlike most plastic toys.
You could argue that wooden toys come from trees and destroying trees for toys doesn't sound very sustainable, but again, wooden toys can last for generations. The same cannot be said of cheap plastic toys: wooden toys can be recycled, plastic toys cannot.