Wooden Toys for Boys

I'm a single mother of a four year old boy, the first and only grandchild in my family as well as his father's. Let me illuminate you on our toy situation by describing his last Christmas. On Christmas Eve, each member of my immediate family bought him a Christmas present or two... or four. He was overloaded with plastic, electronic toys (think Transformers). On Christmas Day, he went to celebrate with his dad's family, and they gave him plastic, electronic toys (more Transformers). That evening, we went to my grandmother's house where my grandma and my aunt gave him plastic, electronic toys (an army of Transformers). I suppose that by this point, I should have figured that my son's brain circuits would be fried by overstimulation. I got him a present too, which I gave to him the day after Christmas; not a Transformer, but still plastic, still electronic. It was a little kiddie camcorder, not as loud or flashy as he would like. I returned it for a store credit, which I used to buy simple, wooden toys.

Why did I do that, when the kid so obviously digs his Transformers? Well for one thing, I dislike loud plastic toys and don't allow them in my apartment. He can play with those kinds of toys at everyone else's houses, there's not much I can do about that. And two, there's definitely something different about the way my son plays with wooden toys. He's calmer, more absorbed. He wants to build things as opposed to play-acting scenes of destruction. I think I prefer the former. Here's a few of the toys that I got him this year, and in years past.

Automoblox
These amazing wooden cars can be taken completely apart and put back together. If you get a set of them, your child can even mix and match the parts and create his own custom made cars! The wheels are made of rubber, and the hoods are made of attractive polycarbonate. Each model has its own distinct shape and color, as well as little passengers that fit into shaped holes in the car's interior. My son likes to disassemble the cars and examine all the parts. Warning: some small parts might present a choking hazard.

Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
The train track is wooden, as well as the bodies of the engines. Each engine is painted and equipped with the classic magnet in the front and the back to connect with other engines. My son likes to create different train tracks and act out stories with the engines. There are many sets you can buy which expand the entire train track or add destinations, like a train station, a wharf or a quarry. Note that there was a recall of Thomas toys in 2007 due to a lead-paint recall, which led to tougher child safety guidelines and stricter enforcement of regulations.

Tinkertoy Classic Construction Set
This one's an oldie but a goodie. This construction set inspires creativity and requires logical thought. It's not like a lego set in which you have fitted blocks that you simply put together. Each part of a Tinkertoy is designed to play a role in a simple machine, such as a wheel, a pulley or a lever. It's up to your child to decide how he wants to put the machine together. My son has made some pretty impressive contraptions with these toys, and he likes to combine his play with other toys, building arches for his trains and cars to pass under, for example.

Putting natural materials such as wood and cotton in children's hands allows them to have greater freedom and more imaginative play. These relatively featureless toys allow the child to make the experience his or her own. Electronic toys, by nature of their features, limit the ways that they can be played with. These days, it's difficult not to park our children in front of the television or distract them with exciting toys, just to get a moment of peace. Believe me, I know. But at the same time, it's important to me not to let my son's imagination go to waste, and I know other parents want to preserve this in their children, also. Wooden toys may seem unexciting to the untrained eye, but the action in your child's mind is what matters, not the action powered by a battery.