Parenting involves multiple shopping for baby essentials. As your baby grows, they will outgrow those soft grab toys and require the actual kid’s toys in their closet. However, every parent’s dilemma lies in which would be the best toy for their child. Undeniably, you will have to look for age-appropriate toys, but that isn’t solely going to take you to the right destination.
Choosing the safest and most beneficial toy with so many kinds lurking around is a task. Today, you will find a plethora of educational toys, even for one-year-olds and wooden toys for kids are gaining immense popularity among parents. The traditional plastic toys you have been using can be harmful to your child when not made of the right grade. But with wooden toys, you will not have to worry about any health concerns on your little one.
Is wood a good choice with toys?
Unlike the most common misconception like how kids will only feel attracted to plastic and vibrant coloured toys, wooden toys have been broadly used and have proven benefits. Today, wooden toys come in different colours, from mild to dark tones, are timeless, and remarkably durable. Also, their varied texture attracts kids. In such cases, wooden toys have better sensory benefits than plastic toys.
Pros of Wooden toys
Wooden toys are eco-friendly and biodegradable. Also, most wooden toys are out of 100% natural wood without any blend and are toxin-free. With that being said, wooden toys are safe to use since they do not break into pieces with cracked/sharp edges as your child swings them in the air. here is a list of benefits your child will enjoy from wooden toys,
1. They are remarkably durable
Undeniably, kids do not deal with their toys with utmost delicacy and care. They can swing a toy truck in the air or toss a fidget toy down the floor. In such cases, you either will have to replace the parts of the broken toy or replace them by buying a new one. Eventually, you will invest twice into toys your kid will outgrow the subsequent year. On the flip side, when you switch to buying wooden toys that can last more than a decade without scratches, dents, or malfunctions, you can even pass them to the next generation.
2. Better pretend-play
Researchers believe that pretend-play and imaginative role-play are the best ways kids can grow creatively. Unfortunately, today’s plastic toys come equipped with music and instruction sounds, keeping pretend-play highly inactive. Such overstimulation can impact a child’s development. Thus simplistic wooden toys that let your kid’s imagination go wild are the best to buy.
3. Enhances cognitive growth
Prolonged usage of plastic toys that are too dynamically coloured and come with the digital feature can disturb your child’s mental balance and cause excessive stimulation. However, some researchers suggest that wooden toys also aid in minimising anxiety levels. Not just that, wooden building blocks and jigsaws can assist in cognitive growth. Your child can learn everything from numerical to shapes and geometry from simple wooden blocks.
Caring for Wooden toys
Now that the benefits of wooden toys for kids over plastic ones are clear, here is a list of care tips to follow,
- Never wash wooden toys like you might do the plastic or fabric ones. Instead, use a microfiber cloth to wipe them regularly.
- Occasionally, use a spray container filled with mild baby detergent and warm water to clean wooden toy surfaces.
- Alternatively, you can use a solution of one part vinegar to ten parts of water to cleanse wooden toy surfaces.
- Always sundry wooden toys after wiping or spraying the surfaces. However, never leave them under the sun for extended periods.
