Why Natural Simple Toys Are Good for Children's Development

What is the big deal with natural toys? Aren't the toys that talk and light up educational? Isn't developing faster better?

We prefer open-ended natural toys for the reason that we believe they help 'nourish' the whole child. A wooden block, for example, retains the qualities that God created, the lines from where the tree was growing, perhaps a knot from where a branch came out, the color is complex, and the texture is as well. A wooden block can be a building implement with which the child can make a house 'just like Daddy', a boat to float down a 'river' in, a musical instrument when tapped with a wooden spoon, or anything else the child dreams of. Momma can talk to the child about how a block was made, and the child can look at a stump of a freshly cut tree and see similarities between her block and the tree trunk. The child can see how this block fits into the world, and can even watch it being created if Momma or Daddy carves one while they are watching.

A plastic toy, by contrast, usually has a very specific purpose. A "Dora" toy already comes with a pre-conceived idea of how the toy is to be played with. If the child watches Dora on TV, then she will likely confine her play to what fits with what the makers of Dora dream up and her own imagination is stifled. "Dora" is made of synthetic materials and does not provoke much talk about how she was made. If Dora talks, that even further limits the amount of thinking and interaction put into play by the child. The child often will just sit and have "Dora" repeat the same words over and over again by the push of a button.

A natural doll is a wonderful gift to give a child. The doll can be used to mimic what Momma is doing, either by taking care of the child or the child's younger siblings. If the child is lucky enough to be able to watch Momma as she creates the doll, that is even better. Momma can explain how the cotton is grown and cleaned, then made into fabric. As Momma sews the doll's body together, they can talk about how dolls and clothes are both sewn together with thread. As the doll's head and body are stuffed with sheep's wool, we talk about the sheep that we see on the way to town and how they grow their coat, it's sheared off, the wool is cleaned and carded, and then ready to use for our doll or to spin into yarn for our mittens. The body is soft and pleasing to the child. The face has a pleasant yet simple expression so the doll is not limited to being happy or awake all the time, it can change as the child's imagination works.

As momma is taking care of the baby, big sister can take care of her doll, wrapping it in a blanket, bringing it up to nurse, or rocking it to sleep. A wicker basket can change into a buggy, bassinet, high chair, or anything else. Like the block, a basket is not confined to one single use.

When a child asks Momma how her silk scarf was made, Momma can talk about silk worms and looms and weaving. The silk scarf can be used as river, sky, kite, cape, skirt, blanket, and a multitude of other things.

The goal isn't to have the toy give quick exciting entertainment sort-term, but rather to have a lasting impact on the child long-term by aiding in the development of the child's imagination and mind and to readily show how everything in the world fits together.