# natural toys only good for parents? Wdyt?



## Triniity (Jul 15, 2007)

Hi,
I had this "discussion" yesterday in our baby singing class. the other moms agreed, that "all this natural stuff" is only for parents, because kids don´t play with it and prefer "plastic" toys. So it´s a waste of money to actually buy it because nobody plays with it.

I carefully disagreed, saying that I think it´s kind of "harder" to play with simple toys - but only for the beginning. And that these loud plastic toys are designed to get full attention at once but don´t train phantasy and free play. Everybody had their "haba" experience with children who did not play with it.

what´s your opinion or experience? My dd plays with her natural toys, but she does not have anything (except lego) from plastic. maybe you cannot have both?

what do you think?


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## Marylizah (Jun 17, 2005)

This has been my experience to a certain degree with my son.

He infinitely prefers his big metal or plastic trucks to his lovely wooden ones.

He prefers Matchbox cars to his Vilac cars.

But he does love his Brio trains and tracks and plays with them endlessly.

And his favorite natural toys are sticks, rocks, leaves and flower petals.

It's kind of disappointing when you have these gorgeous toys and your child is obsessed with a big plastic garbage truck, but hey. The toys are for *him*, not for me!


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## ann_of_loxley (Sep 21, 2007)

We have both (a good mix too really!).

I perfer wooden as its more environmentally friendly and just _looks_ better. I also prefer wooden because, although its generally more expensive, it does last longer (and without the need for batteries - is it really more expensive in the long run?) - I can see my grandchildren still being able to play with the wooden toys my DS has!...the plastic ones...not really - will be lucky if those last and DS is far from destructive.

But DS deffinatly prefers wooden toys though! - He has always played more and longer with his wooden toys. Plastic toys are fun - they make lights and noises and do get their attention quickly - but they also _lose it quickly_. They don't leave much room for the imagination like wooden toys do because plastic toys do all the work. (I am only generalising of course - there are some good plastic toys that don't do all the work and leave plenty for the imagination - they will be the plastic toys well made without batteries needed so still just as expensive as wooden hehe - such as Playmobile I think)

My son was presented with a box full of cars - there were two wooden cars in the box and about 30 plastic. He chose the wooden. Hand him a wooden toy and he will play with it for hours.


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## cappuccinosmom (Dec 28, 2003)

Hmmm....I think if there's a mix, most kids will be drawn to lights and colors and noises first.

My kids are were thrilled to get trucks that light up and beep on their birthdays (grandparents







).

However, those kinds of toys are quickly broken and the simple wooden toys are the ones they come back to again and again. Actually, although my children were thrilled to each get their own Thomas train, when it comes right down to it, they actually *play* with the plain Ikea trainset they have. The Thomas trains get carried around, but the wooden trains get played with.


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## Hoopin' Mama (Sep 9, 2004)

In my experience with my ds, 4yo, the non-Waldorfy, less natural toys win hands down. It's so annoying. I've given up crafting toys for him -- they are ignored.

His few gifts for birthday and Christmas those first three years were carefully and lovingly picked out by me on the Rosie Hippo website and went practically untouched.

He does use his imagination in other ways, makes something that's not a toy into a toy, etc. But when it comes to toys, he will not choose a more natural product.

So I am still careful in selecting toys, I buy from the local toy store and choose brands that I know have lasting power. I think it's possible to buy plastic toys responsibly. Also, local toy stores do tend to have toys for the imagination more so than Target will -- for instance bug cups, magnifying glasses, gardening tools, etc.

Playsilks will always be a winner around here. He was 3 before he was into them though.


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## Bluegoat (Nov 30, 2008)

One thing I have noticed is kids seem to prefer toys that really look like the real-life thing they are imitating. They want cars that look like real cars, play food that looks real, dolls that look real. Also, in some cases they really enjoy toys with a lot of "realistic" little pieces, like the Playmobile toys. One of my favorites as a kid was a Playmobile gas station - and it was all the little details I loved.

Often, plasic and matal can make better or more realistic versions of things than wood can.

I think it's understandable in a way. But even among plastic toys, I think there is a big difference between good quality toys and bad, as far as there play value goes. I actually think Dinky cars are really good play value for kids that like vehicles.


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## Flower of Bliss (Jun 13, 2006)

The large bulk of the toys at our house are natural wooden toys, but we definitely have plastic toys too (though none that light up and sing songs at the push of a button. I can't handle those at all.).

DD will happily play in her playroom for hours (especially if she has a friend or parent playing with her). She shows no preference for the big plasitc red fire truck (from my childhood) over the smaller wooden trucks. All of her dolls are all cloth (including one from my childhood), and she's never shown a preference for her friends' dolls with realistic plastic heads, hands, and feet. We do have a large collection of plastic animals (mostly by Schleich). I personally love how realistic they are and we can really talk about the differences between two animals with them. They certainly get plenty of play, but she has a cloth set of the 5 Little Monkeys that gets more play. We do have a huge collection of stuffed animals (many of which date back to my childhood), and they get LOTS of play.

I host play groups and such pretty often. The kids never seem bored with our toys. In fact, I've had 10-12 year olds playing with our Waldorf kitchen and our Waldorf dollhouse quite happily. The older kids really love our blocks and such too. The younger kids (1-4 year olds) seem most drawn to our musical instruments (mostly wooden ones, none with buttons) and our play kitchen (fully stocked with wooden food and stainless steel pots). They also love anything you can push, but show no preference for the plastic grocery cart over the wooden doll stroller. Our dress up stuff is quite popular and includes lots of play silks and such, though the plastic sunglasses and plastic Mardi Gras beads get plenty of play too. I think that's more easy of use... DD can't tie on play silks herself yet. Many of these kids do have houses full of singing, talking, light up plastic toys.


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## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

We started out with a few carefully chosen non-plastic toys, handmade if possible. Our daughter showed no interest in them now or then. My MIL made her a lovely knitted doll with removable clothes, she prefers plastic trucks, dinos, ans musical instruments (although not the various handmade ones I've found). *I* prefer the wooden or cloth hand made things becuase I think they look better and probably do foster more imaginitive play, but I also remember in kindy and Sunday school when I was small, no one wanted to play with those things.

I've discussed this with a LOT of my friends because we were all on the NO PLASTIC NOISY JUNK thing when our kids were small but most of us have given up. We agree that toys that do less require more imagination and handmade is more enviro friendly and visually appealing but the kids like the junk better. If there were no junk, maybe the rest we see more action but I have found it virtually impossible to keep the junk out of the house so...now I just try to keep the junk FOOD out and tell myself the toys matter less.

It's still not a free for all with toys, I try to guide her towards things that require her to DO something (doll houses, kitchens, animals, cars, anything that doesn't play FOR her) but I've given up on hoping she'll just magically prefer the beautiful handmade things. As long as there are grandparents and aunts and uncles to buy plastic, plastic it is. But I will be totally honest - as soon as she loses interest in something or if she never really SHOWS an interest in it, I donate it or give it to someone else. I'd never never never give away anything she loved and played with even if it was totally obnoxious but once she gets tired of it, I'm not letting it take up space in my house forever.

So after all this - I think natural toys are "good for" kids, but more appealing to parents.


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## katiesk (Nov 6, 2007)

i have not really noticed a difference...but dd is really young. however, i do think it is important to teach kids that quality is a good thing and worthwhile...so having quality toys is potentially better than having junky ones, for a variety of reasons, financial, ethical, aesthetic, etc.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

We mostly only have wooden toys for inside - wooden blocks, trucks, cars, planes, etc. We do have legos and a dump truck inside of plastic, but otherwise its mostly all wood. We do have plastic stuff for outside (mostly by american plastic toys) - lawn mower, trucks, watering cans, buckets, etc. But we don't have any of the noisy light up stuff.. mostly cause' I can't stand'm. People have given it to us... but it all rapidly goes to the goodwill - mom needs her sanity, and she can't have it with light up noisy toys going off 24/7, yk??


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## jeanine123 (Jan 7, 2005)

We have both and the kids play equally, and at times ignore equally, both kinds of toys. We have a wooden ring stacker that were both boys favorite toy for a while along with the wooden car ramp and the wooden picture matching set. They've both ignored the wooden blocks pretty equally though I think I'm going to haul them out again and see if my youngest is interested now. I find that toy interest goes through cycles, it doesn't matter if it's wood or plastic or fabric.


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## frontierpsych (Jun 11, 2006)

DS seems to prefer wooden, which is funny, since we pretty much only have plastic (hey, he's 9.5 months and we've gotten so many hand me down and gift toys that we haven't bothered to go out and buy any) he does have wooden blocks, which he likes, and his favorite "toy" around the house is a wooden spoon! When we go to a friend's house (they have a 13 mo, 4 yo, and 6 yo, so lots of toys) I've noticed he goes for the wooden ones, and plays with them longer! Most of their plastic stuff is not very imaginative, so he picks it up, puts it in his mouth for a minute, and is done with it. They have this wooden thing that's kind of a hollow stick with holes in the sides and large wooden beads in it that move back and forth, and that one seems to be his favorite.


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## funkymamajoy (May 25, 2008)

My kids have both natural toys and plastic toys. They give both pretty equal amounts of attention. Although very few of them require batteries or do anything.

DS has loved cars and trucks since he learned the words for them so his matchbox cars get most of his attention. And DD is really into her baby dolls. One of her favorites is plastic and its the only one that she can take into the bath with her.


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## amandaleigh37 (Jul 13, 2006)

We did a major purge when DS was about 1 yo and got rid of all the plasticy/loud/battery operated toys. He has a nice variety of more natural/creative toys now, and gets plenty of enjoyment from them









When there is a toy that makes noise/lights up/etc., he will be drawn to it - yes. But it's a whole different experience for him sitting there pressing buttons and watching the toy "do" something, than using say, blocks or wooden vehicles to make up his own play scenario. I've found that he loses interest quickly in the toys at friends' houses that are battery operated & only have one use... where as he may not seem as excited about the "natural" toys but he uses them in a lot of different ways and doesn't tire of them.


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## GuildJenn (Jan 10, 2007)

I tend to look at toys for play value.

In the early years for the most part nothing beat actual stuff - wooden spoons, tennis balls, etc. Sure you could go either way but basically ALL the toys were for the parents' benefit.









Moving on to preschool -

The hardest concession for me were the little people. We had Plan people. They just weren't the right size and shape and detail for my son at 2 or so. He gravitated to the little people every time. Fortunately you could fill a trailer for about $50 at garage sales with the stuff.

Now (going on 4):

Playmobil and Lego, for example - bright loud plastic. Best play value even, IMO. Last for years. Have play value for years (my 10+ yr old nephew still gets into both when he is down). The Plan dolls and dollhouses are great but still cannot come close to the level of detail of the Playmobil and my son is fascinated.

On the other hand - trains. The wooden Brio/Ikea/Thomas ones are the best for my son - the tracks are the easiest to connect, etc.

In trucks & cars our experience has been plastic or metal both roll better than the wooden ones, unless the wooden ones have metal wheel parts. It's all about the rolling value there. The wood didn't significantly outlast any of the others because once you send it down the cement steps out front, it splits pretty nicely.









Also there is plenty of wooden low-value, cheaply made stuff at Wal-Mart.

Basically I pretty much agree with your friend that the asthetics are largely for the parents; a good toy is a good toy whether it's plastic or wood, and it depends on the purpose.


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## nikkiethridge (May 6, 2008)

I agree to an extent.
My son will not touch wooden toys, but I also don't buy loud noisy electronics either. I will not buy it if it has batteries.

So, he is playing with things that do provoke open ended playing, but they are not wooden. I don't think something has to be wooden to do that.


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## nikkiethridge (May 6, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GuildJenn* 
In trucks & cars our experience has been plastic or metal both roll better than the wooden ones, unless the wooden ones have metal wheel parts. It's all about the rolling value there. The wood didn't significantly outlast any of the others because once you send it down the cement steps out front, it splits pretty nicely.

















:
My son is a truck fanatic (actually, anything that rolls or has wheels) and plastic and metal by faaar work better. He has wooden cars but won't even play with them because they don't roll worth a darn. Waste of money.







:


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## NellieKatz (Jun 19, 2009)

There are so many ways to evaluate toys! (#1) will they play with them, (#2) will they harm my child? (i.e. lead paint, carcinogens in the soft plastics, etc and (#3), can I afford them?

Not in that order of course. But seriously, we took a huge financial hit in order for me to stay home to raise and homeschool him, SO, yard sales and Freecycle have been our preferred place to get toys. We can spend very little this way, which is good, because sometimes you get it wrong and the child is just not interested. So you haven't made a huge investment. (As an example, someone gave us Lincoln Logs....I never would have expected that he has ZERO interest in such a thing! Good thing we didn't buy it new.) Also, on the environmental side, the more we Moms can reuse & swap this horrid plastic stuff (rather than buy brand new, thus generating & perpetuating demand), the better!

Among the plastic toys, we find (not surprisingly) that the ones that DO more for the child, are the ones he gets sick of first. His imagination has always driven his play, and those don't allow for enough of it. And he almost never uses things for what they really are! As an example, a broken piece of a toy might become "a radio" for one of his characters. Or a spiral from an old notebook becomes a tornado terrorizing a town. That type of thing. (this is why we almost never get rid of anything! sigh.)

But I had to post to this thread because HANDS-DOWN, the most important "toy" I ever got him was modeling clay. The combination of having too-little money and tons of imagination has meant that he makes his own toys!! Whatever he is interested in, he makes. Trains, mollusks, butterflies, caterpillars, nudibranchs, sea creatures, planets, planet cross sections, spaceships and aliens and fire alarms & smoke detectors & atoms. Right now he's making "computers, radios, devices, security cameras" for his toys who are embroiled in a real good vs. evil battle. The Cats of his invented Kitty Island (along with their team members Security Bunny, Octopus, Crab, Lobster, Robin, giant caterpillar and 3 imaginary ants in a flying saucer), battle (of course) the Dastardly Dogs. So there is really no end to the technology that Security Bunny needs in order to keep the cats safe. So he builds, and builds....so I say to any parent: Modeling Clay! It never gets hardened so it can be used & reused. Sculpey was also a big hit when we couldn't afford all the Thomas characters. We'd make them out of Sculpey, with their little lumps for wheels, and I'd insert wire hooks into the front and back of each one, and we'd paint them and give them faces. Voila!! A train set! 

Not to mention that modeling clay REALLY gives his little-boy hands something to do. Apparently he's got lots of energy in those little fingers. At bedtime when we are reading books to him, he'll have a flat surface on his lap and blobs of clay, fashioning them into things, continuing sometimes even after lights-out! Needless to say we are awash in little clay creations we're not allowed to get rid of (sigh....again)

I see no end to this trend. So, there's my recommendation. 
And as for "natural toys"....we've never bought them, so we have no opinion there. Though if I were to venture a guess, the same criteria would apply....if it allows for imagination, they Yay!! But if not, into the dust heap it would go.


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bluegoat* 
One thing I have noticed is kids seem to prefer toys that really look like the real-life thing they are imitating. They want cars that look like real cars, play food that looks real, dolls that look real. Also, in some cases they really enjoy toys with a lot of "realistic" little pieces, like the Playmobile toys. One of my favorites as a kid was a Playmobile gas station - and it was all the little details I loved.

My kids are exactly the same way. The wooden doll house was not used. The Playmobil one is.

Ds has some Bruder garbage trucks that were the light of his life for several years. Then we moved on to the fire trucks. He didn't need the lights and sirens, it just had to LOOK real and DO real things. His Playmobil city bus (bought used because they don't make them anymore) is still heavily used, and I just bought a Playmobil school bus to go with it for dd.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GuildJenn* 
I tend to look at toys for play value.

Yep -- do you know what gives my kids the most play value these days? Stuffed animals! Who would have thunk that those overflowing bins of stuffed animals that I keep trying to put in the garage to sell at my mythical garage sale would be preferred toys? But they've created a great zoo, they go 'camping', the animals go to school and are the center of a lot of creative play.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GuildJenn* 
Basically I pretty much agree with your friend that the asthetics are largely for the parents; a good toy is a good toy whether it's plastic or wood, and it depends on the purpose.

Yep - I don't go so much for material as for play value. I look at a toy and unless it can be used imaginatively or in more than one way, it's a no. There are obvious exceptions (bikes, scooters, musical instruments), but really my kids don't play with the lights and sounds stuff much. They don't miss it when it goes away. Believe it or not, they know when one of their 25 stuffed animals is missing.


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## Keria (Sep 27, 2008)

I think when the kids are young parents can pick the toys to their liking, but as kids age it is important to go with what the kids like even if it hurts your eyes every time you look at it.

When i was 5 all i wanted was this plastic doll that could walk for christmas, my mom made this huge effort into making a cloth doll with hair and eyes like mine several outfits that matched my outfits it was a beutifull doll, but at chritsmas I was heartbroken because I didnt get what I wanted, I diddn't want anything to do with the doll my mom made wich I'm sure broke my moms heart as well since she put so much effort into it.

What I mean is we have to remind ourselves who is going to be playing with the toys us or them of course we are going to have different tastes than a 5 year old but so what they are only little for such a short time.


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## loraxc (Aug 14, 2003)

I agree that it's less about the material and more about the play value, and that realism is important to children. We have some lovely wooden toys that do get played with, but there are many I don't buy because at this point I have the eye to look at them and tell whether they will be used, usually. Wooden toys are also so expensive a lot of the time (like those wooden little animalsd--oy vey!)

Generally I'm looking for open-ended toys, whatever the material. I definitely avoid light-up noisy crap as much as possible, but I see nothing wrong with Legos or plastic model animals, other than from the environmental/aesthetic point of view. I try to buy many plastic toys used, and as for aesthetics...well, I have like 50 stuffed animals in my living room (DD has asthma so they have to live there). It's kind of a lost cause.







As much as I have opinions on how things look, it's more important that the kids can play.


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## gcgirl (Apr 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *loraxc* 
Generally I'm looking for open-ended toys, whatever the material. I definitely avoid light-up noisy crap as much as possible, but I see nothing wrong with Legos or plastic model animals, other than from the environmental/aesthetic point of view. I try to buy many plastic toys used, and as for aesthetics...well, I have like 50 stuffed animals in my living room (DD has asthma so they have to live there). It's kind of a lost cause.







As much as I have opinions on how things look, it's more important that the kids can play.

We just got back from a visit with the in-laws, who have four kids and a TON of plastic toys. I no longer have a problem with plastic toys except from an environmental standpoint, because I witnessed firsthand four kids who are active, outdoorsy, TV-watching, plastic toy-playing, imaginative, smart, friendly, creative kids. These kids have no problems using their imagination, even playing with plastic trucks.

DH is one of those "no toys" people - he wanted our kids to play with sticks and grass, pretty much. He didn't even want them to have a swingset. I think he's changed his mind after our visit, as have I. I'm no longer of a "wooden Waldorf only" mindset.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bluegoat* 
One thing I have noticed is kids seem to prefer toys that really look like the real-life thing they are imitating. They want cars that look like real cars, play food that looks real, dolls that look real. Also, in some cases they really enjoy toys with a lot of "realistic" little pieces, like the Playmobile toys. One of my favorites as a kid was a Playmobile gas station - and it was all the little details I loved.

Often, plasic and matal can make better or more realistic versions of things than wood can.

I've noticed a certain amount of this, too.

OTOH, I also agree with other posters about initial play value and long-term play value. IME, in _most_ cases, my kids will love the bright, plastic, flashy, noisy toys the most at first. But, they also tend to get bored with those after a few days or weeks. DS2 still loves to play with his wood train set, and they both build a lot with plain wooden blocks. DD _loves_ building with wooden blocks, and throughly enjoys her stainless steel cookset, wood play food and wood dollhouse (Plan Toys). The only plastic toys that seem to have much long-term play value for dd and ds2 are the Wedgit blocks, the Lego/Duplo, and the Magna Doodle...oh - and the Perler beads. Most of the other plastic stuff gets boring for them. We did indulge in the Playmobil advent calendar at Christmas, and they still like the characters from that.


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## Snuzzmom (Feb 6, 2008)

We have a mix. DS will "fix" his plastic/ metal Tonka truck with his wooden tools, use plastic traffic signs with his wooden train set, play with the felt board and other toys I've made for him, use kitchen gadgetry we've given him, etc.

I have not purchased any electronic toys, but he has received some as gifts and some as hand-me-downs. He likes them, and plays with them, but not any more than his other toys.

Honestly, his favorite toys are books and his Skuut. And play-doh.

I am glad we don't have all plastic or all electronic OR all wood toys. I like him having the mix haven't noticed him have a preference based on what the toy was made from.


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## pauletoy (Aug 26, 2007)

My kids like plastic better than wooden toys, much to my dismay.









But the wooden ones are soooooooo pretty....


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## Momily (Feb 15, 2007)

I think a lot of people confuse the material a toy is made of with the question of open vs. close ended play. A beatiful wooden puzzle is a close ended toy (as are most montessori materials, btw, close ended isn't always bad) a plastic airplane or drum is open ended. I prefered open ended toys for the most part for my child, although we had a few close ended toys that we loved. I feel like choosing open ended toys helped him build his imagination and creativity, which he has in endless quantities. On the other hand, I couldn't justify financially spending hundreds of dollars on wooden toys when the plastic and metal versions led to equally creative play for far less money. I hear the argument that plastic doesn't last as long -- but generally the stage when my kid is into a certain toy isn't that long either. I think of the plastic/metal umbrella stroller which he wore into the ground, and it's replacement that he did the same with. I think I spent $7.99 for each of the first two, and $9.99 for the third (I remembering being slightly horrified that I spent that much) so $26. If I had spent $100 for a wooden one, he still would have outgrown it at the same age. I'd rather spend $100 on 10 and give 7 to Toys for Tots.

So, from my point of view, other than the environmental piece, I do think that the choice of materials is mostly about the adults. I think the open/close ended choice is more about the kids.

I should add we had a number of toys that were SUPPOSED to light up/move/flash -- all gifts from other people. I say supposed to because I never actually put in batteries, and my son never figured out the difference. Except for his tape player, and remote control cars, we were pretty battery free.


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## kirstenb (Oct 4, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nikkiethridge* 
So, he is playing with things that do provoke open ended playing, but they are not wooden. I don't think something has to be wooden to do that.

I agree, and that sounds like DS. We have a mix of wooden and plastic toys. We stay far away from that toys that light up and make noise. But we do have plastic toys that I don't consider junky. They get a lot of use and DS can play with them many ways. Cheap plastic toys usually disappear after a week and no one seems to notice.







He does have wooden toys that he loves, but there are also toys that don't really get looked at much. We're minimulists when it comes to toys, though we do have quite a few books because DS loves to read and we LOVE outside activities and toys. I am more likely to find DS playing with things in the kitchen than his own toys.


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## alexsam (May 10, 2005)

There can be a fairly happy medium ground here... Some things are really great wooden- train sets. Blocks. Kids furniture (chairs, tables, toy chests). Yard equiptment (kid shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows). Musical instruments. It just holds up better than plastic for these types of things. But, some other types of toys can be "not so hippie" and also not be flashing, beeping junk. We have a small fleet of these big Tonka trucks in our yard. My son crashes them arouond the yard, fills them with rocks, sand and grass in the summer, snow in the winter, even sits in them and his friends push him around. I think I may be able to hand them down to my grandchildren, as these trucks have taken a beating and still doing great (metal and plastic). Legos. Dinosaurs. Horses. Matchbox cars can take a licking and still look and work super and fit just *perfectly* into a little hand. A few plastic face/hands dolls. Some pop-up tents and tunnels. None of these things require batteries, flash, or beep and are all open-ended and have endured the play of a very active little boy and will easily last through his brother too.


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## siobhang (Oct 23, 2005)

I coop at a preschool plus have two boys. My biggest pet peeve about wooden toys - they HURT when thrown. Give me plastic blocks or trucks any day - they tend to weigh a lot less.

I agree with the folks on the "open play" vs "closed play" and buying second hand vs new. We rarely buy new toys - we get 'em from Craigslist, freecycle, or are gifted handmedowns - the new toys we do get are almost always birthday or xmas presents (I do tend to buy stuffed animals new, just because I am worried about allergies).

I do find that even "closed play" toys are rarely in reality closed - my son has a tendency to turn everything into a metro train - so the matchbox track is a metro train, the extension cable is a metro train, heck, the chopsticks turned into a metro train...

Right now, they are playing a scene from star wars using only their fingers and voices...


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## siobhang (Oct 23, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alexsam* 
There can be a fairly happy medium ground here... Some things are really great wooden- train sets. Blocks. Kids furniture (chairs, tables, toy chests). Yard equiptment (kid shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows). Musical instruments. It just holds up better than plastic for these types of things. But, some other types of toys can be "not so hippie" and also not be flashing, beeping junk. We have a small fleet of these big Tonka trucks in our yard. My son crashes them arouond the yard, fills them with rocks, sand and grass in the summer, snow in the winter, even sits in them and his friends push him around. I think I may be able to hand them down to my grandchildren, as these trucks have taken a beating and still doing great (metal and plastic). Legos. Dinosaurs. Horses. Matchbox cars can take a licking and still look and work super and fit just *perfectly* into a little hand. A few plastic face/hands dolls. Some pop-up tents and tunnels. None of these things require batteries, flash, or beep and are all open-ended and have endured the play of a very active little boy and will easily last through his brother too.

heh, you clearly have been through our toy collection!

the noisy toys that require batteries tend to be very fragile -sooooo fragile, oh, dear, it broke again, well, we'll just have to take that away... Or they use batteries that are sooooo hard to find, oh dear, I guess you'll just have to play with it without the sounds/lights.

(we call those types of noisy, beeping toys the "childless uncle" gifts - in that they come predominantly from younger brothers without children who have some sort of childhood vendetta against older siblings...)


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## aprons_and_acorns (Sep 28, 2004)

We love natural toys but we also love Hotwheels, Tonka trucks (the big metal ones), and the vintage Fisher Price Little People. DS has a fairly realistic looking plastic doctor kit that has been fun and also kind of theraputic for him. Recently he played with Legos at his cousin's house and I think he may get a set for his birthday.

I think sometimes the really pricey wooden toys are more "for the parents". When I was a little girl my mom started me a collection of Madam Alexander dolls that were definitely more for her, but it was still fun for me too. I have to admit I've had lots of fun re-discovering toys ever since becoming a mom.


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## phathui5 (Jan 8, 2002)

Quote:

Playmobil and Lego, for example - bright loud plastic. Best play value even, IMO. Last for years.
Lego is a great value in terms of getting use out of it. My oldest started playing with Legos when he was 3/4 and still uses them every day.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *phathui5* 
Lego is a great value in terms of getting use out of it. My oldest started playing with Legos when he was 3/4 and still uses them every day.

My brother is 46, and I'm pretty sure he still plays with some of his old Lego...but he does share it with his kids.









I forgot. We also have some plastic animals. My kids have become hooked on turtles and tortoises, and I've picked up a few of those recently. IME, with ds1 and other kids, as well as dd and ds2, kids seem to prefer plastic animals over wood ones...maybe because they tend to look more realistic, as someone else mentioned?

We definitely have a mix. Oddly enough, the person who most consistently gives us flashy, beepy toys is a mom of four herself. There have been a couple that I didn't mind too much, though.


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## alexsam (May 10, 2005)

I think the other appeal of "natural" toys for parents is that if one of them is a big hit with a kid, they are virtually indestructable and an immediate "keepsake"/heirloom. And, maybe we kind of have "future memories" of the special toys and would prefer to remember the really beautiful ones, so there is a temptation.

As a toddler, my son got for his second birthday what we affectionately call "Slappy Duck". It is one of those push-stick toys of a duck and when the wheels turn, his little (recycled!) rubber feet slap on the ground. Hand made, one of a kind from a local store. Slappy duck IS my son for his year of being 2. Slappy has traveled in an airplane. Visited museums. Gone around town. And when I pull out Slappy in 20 years (because I know I will keep him), I know he will look every bit as real and rich and quality and will bring back memories of a happy little boy, living a full life. I can't say the same about the Walmart plastic junk. I don't really _want_ to remember it...

So I find myself inclined to wanting to buy the "natural" toys because that is what I see as his childhood- what we are trying to create- a rich, solid, open, natural, healthy, and classic childhood and these toys _represent_ that. They are almost symbolic. I don't want his childhood to be represented or remembered with plastic junk. But, as I wrote in my previous post, I've come to a middle gound. Tonka, Matchbox, Legos... OK. They are truly enjoyable for him and they are part of the "now". And they have their appeal, I can certainly see why and I've come to have a special place for them. But flashing, beeping Elmo? Nope! Ugh...


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## sewchris2642 (Feb 28, 2009)

All I care about in a toy is that it's open-ended creativity. The best toys that my brother had were all metal Tonka trucks and tractors. He spent endless hours taking those trucks apart and building new trucks out of the parts. As an adult, he became a mechanic certified in both gas and desiel cars and trucks. The best toy I had as a child was my Barbie doll (I still have it). I learned how to sew using that doll as my manequin. I still have my very first pattern--doll clothes for Barbie. I now make my living as a dressmaker. Among the most often played with toys (along with crayons, pencils, blank paper, little green army men, my button collection, Tupperware, and home made playdough) the girls had was the collection of Legos which Dylan inherited when Angela moved out. Nothing beats out Legos for building. We have added their Bionicle line to the Legos that Dylan inherited.

Whether wood or plastic, some toys just stand up to the test of time and kids.


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## WC_hapamama (Sep 19, 2005)

We tried wooden toys, briefly, but the only ones that have stood the test of time durability wise are Thomas the Tank Engine stuff. All those hand made wooden toys I bought at craft shows didn't hold up well. Most ended up getting thrown away when I got tired of gluing them back together.


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## Lisa85 (May 22, 2006)

I don't think it's so much of an issue as natural vs plastic but open ended vs push a button type toy. My dd's all time favorite toys are their cozy coupe cars. Yup, big ole pieces of plastic and it's their favorite. It's realistic and very open ended so it has lasted us years and will likely last a couple more. They don't play much with "blank" wooden doll houses at friends, but will play with their plastic doll house for hours at home. Playsilks don't get played with here at all. I've tried and tried, they even use them in their music class but they just don't care much for them. Wooden building toys are must though. They loved their cobbler's pounding bench, blocks, and I'm planning on some dado cubes for xmas. They have numerous stacking and sorting type toys that are wooden and they love it. I have noticed they are drawn to the more brightly colored ones than the natural ones so I keep that in mind.


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## elisent (May 30, 2006)

My 17 month old doesn't have any plastic or battery-using toys. People bought him a few for gifts and the loud noises and lights made him cry.


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## Mom2M (Sep 23, 2006)

I don't know, it's mixed here too. M loves the wooden toys she has and plays with them all the time. Like this pile of stacking blocks, it's funny but she still takes them around the house (she's 3.5) and will pile them up and call it different things.
She loved the shape sorter, the rings and things like that for a very long time and still gets them out.
And it seems like that's how it is for a lot of the wooden stuff, no matter what it is, she makes up her own name for it and does something else.

The plastic toys she gets from her grandparents especially, she is thrilled with at first and then gets bored and puts it away and will go back and find it once in a while and start again.
I can't handle the noises and lights so I have not put batteries in the toys that are supposed to have them!

Her big things are drawing, rocket ships and dressing up and making houses and play areas for her dolls. So she can make a rocket out of just about any toy.
She loves blankets and sheets to make tents and houses, I don't really have silks, I never thought of them but I'm thinking of getting some cool fabric like that because she would like it!

She loves the wooden dollhouse and is always cleaning and rearranging it and she also loves the big plastic kitchen we got from craigslist.

But her favorite toys she never gets tired of are the real things like the ceramic tea set, the real kitchen utensils and things that are just like adult stuff not plastic or wood replicas.

I had to look up the Slappy duck toy and found this
http://www.kangarooboo.com/product/d...ush-Along-Duck

because I think she will really like it even though it is a babyish thing and it will be cool for the new one!

The site I found it on is awesome!
So, yeah, the natural toys on there are definitely appealing to me as a parent, but I think she would like them too.

More important to me are getting things that are reused from craigslist or somewhere or using stuff we already have.

Deb


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## Polliwog (Oct 29, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NellieKatz* 
But I had to post to this thread because HANDS-DOWN, the most important "toy" I ever got him was modeling clay. The combination of having too-little money and tons of imagination has meant that he makes his own toys!! Whatever he is interested in, he makes. Trains, mollusks, butterflies, caterpillars, nudibranchs, sea creatures, planets, planet cross sections, spaceships and aliens and fire alarms & smoke detectors & atoms. Right now he's making "computers, radios, devices, security cameras" for his toys who are embroiled in a real good vs. evil battle. The Cats of his invented Kitty Island (along with their team members Security Bunny, Octopus, Crab, Lobster, Robin, giant caterpillar and 3 imaginary ants in a flying saucer), battle (of course) the Dastardly Dogs. So there is really no end to the technology that Security Bunny needs in order to keep the cats safe. So he builds, and builds....so I say to any parent: Modeling Clay! It never gets hardened so it can be used & reused. Sculpey was also a big hit when we couldn't afford all the Thomas characters. We'd make them out of Sculpey, with their little lumps for wheels, and I'd insert wire hooks into the front and back of each one, and we'd paint them and give them faces. Voila!! A train set! 

I'd go a step further and recommend natural clay. You can get a 25 pound block for less than $20.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Momily* 
I think a lot of people confuse the material a toy is made of with the question of open vs. close ended play. A beatiful wooden puzzle is a close ended toy (as are most montessori materials, btw, close ended isn't always bad) a plastic airplane or drum is open ended. I prefered open ended toys for the most part for my child, although we had a few close ended toys that we loved. I feel like choosing open ended toys helped him build his imagination and creativity, which he has in endless quantities. On the other hand, I couldn't justify financially spending hundreds of dollars on wooden toys when the plastic and metal versions led to equally creative play for far less money. I hear the argument that plastic doesn't last as long -- but generally the stage when my kid is into a certain toy isn't that long either. I think of the plastic/metal umbrella stroller which he wore into the ground, and it's replacement that he did the same with. I think I spent $7.99 for each of the first two, and $9.99 for the third (I remembering being slightly horrified that I spent that much) so $26. If I had spent $100 for a wooden one, he still would have outgrown it at the same age. I'd rather spend $100 on 10 and give 7 to Toys for Tots.

So, from my point of view, other than the environmental piece, I do think that the choice of materials is mostly about the adults. I think the open/close ended choice is more about the kids.

I should add we had a number of toys that were SUPPOSED to light up/move/flash -- all gifts from other people. I say supposed to because I never actually put in batteries, and my son never figured out the difference. Except for his tape player, and remote control cars, we were pretty battery free.

I'm an early childhood education specialist and have also been a teacher. I rarely had plastic toys in my classroom. More common materials were made of wood, fabric, metal, glass, ceramic, etc. Never toys with batteries. At home we have mostly similar materials. I think the only plastic toys that we have are our beloved Magnatiles, some Legos, a few little people toys (petting zoo and airplane,) and the pink Barbie car that my FD's father gave her. Oh, and a set of Geo Traks that have never had the batteries put in the remote.

I love natural materials, founds materials, and homemade play items. I love the peacefulness of the less brightly colored items. Plastic doesn't do it for me unless it's really well done and open ended. My kids have many metal vehicles but they are sturdy and aren't throwaway. I try to have real items when possible- real musical instruments from Ten Thousand Villages beat plastic toy instruments any day. Our wooden Thomas (and other) trains and tracks have gotten daily use for three years.


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## mama_daba (Dec 7, 2004)

i am finding this thread fascinating. my son is almost 20 months so not old enough for a lot of toys in his life yet. he has had very few plastic toys and he has never seemed very interested in the plastic toys but then he isn't all that interested in the wooden toys. his favorite toys are a garden spade that he uses to dig in the garden. we recently got a melody harp and he loves that as well and we got it because he loves to play with his papa's guitar. he has a wooden play kitchen he likes and he has a plastic rody horse he likes but neither of those comes close to pebbles in the garden as far as real entertainment value goes. oh he does love balls and most of those are plastic but he likes the wool knit ones in the house as much as the plastic ones in the garden. it will be interesting for me to see what he likes best as he gets older.


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## grumpybear (Oct 5, 2006)

For us it's a toss-up.
At the store, DS will naturally (I think) be attracted to the more colorful action figures/cars. However, we do get him natural wooden toys as well.
At home, he will play with both kinds of toys. I don't think one is more dominant than the other. He does not play with noisy toys a lot. If he does, he only plays with them for short periods of time. Maybe 5 minutes or so. He plays with his blocks and puzzles waaayyy longer. He can play with them for maybe 2 hours. But of course he likes his action figures and hot wheels too.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I've never, ever noticed this with my own kids. They have fun with any new toy, whether it's cloth, wood, plastic, or metal. As for what keeps their attention the longest- well, the broken toys have to be thrown out, but other than that, I honestly haven't noticed a difference between sturdy wooden toys and sturdy plastic ones.

However, I never allowed the flashy, noisy "lights up" kinds of toys in my house, as the noises REALLY bug me- so maybe that's the difference? I'm comparing how my kids play with simple plastic toys vs simple wooden toys and that's why I don't see the difference?


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## mamadebug (Dec 28, 2006)

My DS tends to be drawn to the plastic, brightly colored character toys initially. He comments that they are cool, and will often say the thing he wants for his birthday or christmas is some huge plastic thing from Target. He will play with it intently for a very short period of time (a few days, maybe) and then he's done with it and goes back to playing with his the natural, wooden, more simple toys - the ones he never asked for, but I just picked out and gave him as gifts. I have never heard him describe them as "cool" the way he has the batman bat cave or some star wars ship, but to him, they are more fun and certainly get more play time. Legos and duplos are the exception to this - he has played with both for a really long time. But, while they aren't wooden, they fall more into the "simple" toy category in my mind.


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## JennTheMomma (Jun 19, 2008)

I think it depends on the child and how early you introduced natural toys. If thats all they have, or has grown up with them, then I'm sure they'd love them. I perfer natural toys, and my son plays with them just as much as any other toy. And not all toys are wooden. We just bought some trucks that are recycled plastic and are made with out PVC and BPA. Hunter really doesn't care if they are wooden or plastic. He's 23 months so he's still young enough where anything and everything is fun to play with. Also, I don't think its just for the parents. Having natural toys is for everyone. I rather my son not play with something toxic, or made with chemicals we don't know enough about.


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## Cinder (Feb 4, 2003)

we have everything, in fact, I think it looks like a toy store exploded in here most of the time... We have plenty of plastic (Kincaid is beyond obsessed with my little ponies and has been for years now), stuffed animals, wooden, whatever. But the things that get played with the very most in our house are 1. blocks(this includes both the plain wooden blocks, the tree trunk blocks, legos, alphabet blocks, whatever, just blocks in general) 2. my little ponies 3. hula hoops 4. play food/wooden kitchen/pots pans/utensils And trust me, the my little ponies foster a LOT of imagination...this past week there were super hero ponies, who have a lair for monitoring to world that they built on Kincaid's windowsill, and then there are "thermacrew" (word made up by Kincaid) ponies who are "evil" and trying to destroy the world...these are the ponies with no hair... Anyway, trust me, lots of imaginative play there. He also replaced all the dolls in Janelle's calico critters house (that she never touched) with ponies and can play house for hours with them...but he has a strangely long attention span for a little kid, it actually worried his therapists at first, now they just know it's him... Hula hoops get used for basically everything but a hulahoop...basketball net (even though neither kid has EVER seen basketball in their lives), a car, a trap... Blocks are probably the least imaginative...kincaid and travis just build towers and knock them down...Janelle however builds things like catapults or whole cities that her stuffed animals than live in, so still imaginative for her...and play food, well, that's just imitation.

But the other toys, like the learning house, or the things that light up and make a ton of noise, that basically just play with themselves...yea, those are GREAT for car trips, when you need a new exciting toy and no room to play with them...but they don't last longer than an hour at most before they are totally and completely bored of it...


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## russsk (Aug 17, 2007)

My in-laws buy the loud plastic stuff, but DS's favorite toy right now is his basic, wooden shape sorter. Next up is a cup of water and a bowl, then books. Then the broom. He plays with the loud stuff now and again, but he never gets absorbed the way he does with the simpler toys.


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## Hoopin' Mama (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JennTheMomma* 
I think it depends on the child and how early you introduced natural toys. If thats all they have, or has grown up with them, then I'm sure they'd love them.

My son had all natural toys since the newborn stage. Wooden and cloth toys are still not his preference. He has a lovely wooden dump truck that is not played with at all. He doesn't have a huge amount of toys -- the little things could fit into one large laundry basket and then a handful of big items like Lego table and playmobil castle. Even with the small amount of toys to choose from, the wooden or knitted toys go ignored. EXCEPT for the wooden sword.

I don't have a huge problem with it though, I think we can still buy responsibly.


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## NYCVeg (Jan 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthla* 
I've never, ever noticed this with my own kids. They have fun with any new toy, whether it's cloth, wood, plastic, or metal. As for what keeps their attention the longest- well, the broken toys have to be thrown out, but other than that, I honestly haven't noticed a difference between sturdy wooden toys and sturdy plastic ones.

However, I never allowed the flashy, noisy "lights up" kinds of toys in my house, as the noises REALLY bug me- so maybe that's the difference? I'm comparing how my kids play with simple plastic toys vs simple wooden toys and that's why I don't see the difference?

I agree with this completely. Dd has both wooden and plastic and plays with both--always has--but we don't have anything with noise/lights/etc. The plastic toys we have are open-ended toys--her dollhouse, which was a gift (which, like a PP said, is incredibly realistic and therefore appeals to her), her Schleich animals, Legos, stuff like that. She has a wooden play kitchen full of wooden Haba food, that she plays with every day. There is also a plastic fruit and vegetable set that can be "cut up" with a plastic knife (pieces velcro together); she plays with this as much as, but not more than, the wooden Melissa and Doug fruit that can be cut up. She has a wooden work bench. She loves her Tinkertoys, but she also likes the magnetic, plastic construction set that her grandparents got her (basically just short rods and balls that can stick together). She loves stuffed animals, puzzles, and easy board games.

As a baby, dd liked her wooden toys just fine. She had Haba wooden rattles that she played with, soft and wooden blocks, simple wooden cars, etc. The toys she played with the most at ages 1 and 2 were a wooden rabbit pull toy
and a wooden bear push toy.


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## GuildJenn (Jan 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JennTheMomma* 
I think it depends on the child and how early you introduced natural toys. If thats all they have, or has grown up with them, then I'm sure they'd love them. I perfer natural toys, and my son plays with them just as much as any other toy. And not all toys are wooden. We just bought some trucks that are recycled plastic and are made with out PVC and BPA. Hunter really doesn't care if they are wooden or plastic. He's 23 months so he's still young enough where anything and everything is fun to play with. Also, I don't think its just for the parents. Having natural toys is for everyone. I rather my son not play with something toxic, or made with chemicals we don't know enough about.

That's definitely not how it worked with my son - as soon as he saw his first Little People at a friend's house his eyes lit up. But I do think this goes to show kids are different with different preferences, and I increasingly see my role as a parent to find a way to honour those.

It's absolutely true that if there were no plastic toys in the whole world, my son wouldn't miss them. But there are. And wow did his imagination really develop in his play with those LP.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Liza Smith* 
Kids love playing and I would prefer natural toys for the kids. Yes, kids are attracted with colorful plastic toys, yet as a parent it is our responsibility to look after the safety of our kids. Natural toys such as wooden toys are more durable and will last a lifetime. It is more practical and eco-friendly. It also encourage imaginative play for children of all ages.

I don't know if that was an ad or a real post, but our experience with our wooden toys sadly hasn't actually been that they have all lasted. The Plan stuff and the Brio has done pretty well (although some of the Brio bits have failed here and there), but both our Melissa and Doug and Haba toys have been a mixed experience, and the handmade local toys have almost all split or broken in some way.

And the only dangerous toys we ended up having accidentally were the MIC ones with the lead paint.

So - yes, not really sure that as a sweeping statement this is accurate. As I said, our wooden trucks were pushed down the cement steps and so on.







I'm guessing this depends on the child/family too - we actually don't want to own trucks you CAN'T push down the stairs out front because we consider that cool play.


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## Raene (Jul 24, 2008)

I'm a no plastic mama, but the one exception I've had to make over the years is dolls. My daughter cannot stand Waldorf-type cloth dolls. She only is drawn to plastic ones. And by drawn to, I mean that these are her favorite thing in the world. They are her babies. She's a big-time girl. I think it's just because they look so much more like real babies and I can't blame her, but I do hate to have them around, especially the ones that are scented and irritate DH's asthma.


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## karne (Jul 6, 2005)

We have so many wooden waldorf toys in our house, it's silly. Really, it is the wooden unit blocks that get played with the most, along with some of the handmade items dh has done for the kids.

My dd had gorgeous, expensive, european wooden toys, but from an early age she liked teeny, tiny things-little figures, animals, treasures, etc. Little treasures. Ds is big into space toys right now. We're using the waldorf toys as decorations in the house and planning to someday have them around for the grandchildren.


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## JudiAU (Jun 29, 2008)

My son just turned two and we have just a few toys that are not made of natural materials. He'll play with items around the house like most kids but he actually plays with his toys most the time. We have lots of "materials" and toys in the montessori an waldorf traditions. Most are open-ended and allow a lot of exploratory play. DS has a wonderful attention span for his age and we often play together.

We do have a set of very popular lego duplo blocks (not MIC), some small plastic Schleich animal (now MIC), and the tonka truck that is metal (MIC) but I don't ever buy or choose plastic if there is a good alternative the same way I almost never choose Chinese-made anything. We've had good luck with Plan Toys, Haba, Selecta, and Grimm as well as some handmade choices. I look forward to buying some etsy felt play food in the near future! We do have some M&D (MIC) and really is just junk for the most part.

I don't buy plastic because it is ugly and usually made in china. I keep waiting for the next recall for lead or tainting or for the next story about horrific labor conditions or the next story about yet another terrible type of plastic. I don't trust any of it. I am also very, very sentitive to anything with branding so virtually nothing like that, gift or not, stays in the house.

I do think there is value in attractice, ethically made, and well designed play things. I don't mind paying a premium for them. There are so many great resources on the internet to find toys from small American manufactures and other countries with SAFE, clean production without brutal child labor. I buy or choose most of his toys. My family buys exactly what is on a wish list for any given occasion.

And yes, he *plays* with them. We go to a city tots program and they have lots of junky plastic toys and yes, he happily plays with those too. We start a Reggio preschool program next fall which has a lot of natural materials and a beautiful outdoor space too. We'll either stay there or go montessori.

So, he is only two and as he matures he will express more of his own preferences about how to play. Just because he likes a toy at someone else's house or at school doesn't mean he needs the same one at home.


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## EFmom (Mar 16, 2002)

My kids wouldn't touch any natural wooden toy, with the exception of playing Jenga when they were older. I was very disappointed that the lovely, expensive, handmade wooden toys or cloth dolls elicited zero interest.

We have a no-toy with batteries rule, so most of the toys we have don't have flashing lights or make noise. We also restrict screen time.


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

we were a both family. a lot of the natrual stuff was just boring. a lot of the plastic stuff is crap. in the end the best toys are the one _*your*_ child plays with. I have three kids and each of them had their own things that tripped their trigger. natrual plastic whatever didn't matter as much as if it was their thing.

but I have to agree. a lot of the natrual buzz is about the parents more than the kids. but then we have to live with all the stuff and it needs to be stuff we can live and interact with without going crazy.


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## *Erin* (Mar 18, 2002)

yep, my kids both definitely prefer the more lifelike toys, and the -sigh- plastic ones to the lovely wooden ones. I totally adore the wooden things, and the natural cloth things. there are some favorite wooden things-we have a set of PLAN castle blocks, a ryan's place dollhouse and stuff, some kaleidescope blocks, some wooden BRIO stuff,and a PLAN stacker thing that all get quite a bit of play. the lovely handmade out of sustainable wood, non toxic, lovely food-they don't touch. in fact, neither child could care less about their play kitchen at all...
edit to add
i agree totally about open ended play, and whatever your child enjoys playing with being the most important thing!


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *loraxc* 
I agree that it's less about the material and more about the play value, and that realism is important to children. We have some lovely wooden toys that do get played with, but there are many I don't buy because at this point I have the eye to look at them and tell whether they will be used, usually. Wooden toys are also so expensive a lot of the time (like those wooden little animalsd--oy vey!)

Generally I'm looking for open-ended toys, whatever the material. I definitely avoid light-up noisy crap as much as possible, but I see nothing wrong with Legos or plastic model animals, other than from the environmental/aesthetic point of view. I try to buy many plastic toys used, and as for aesthetics...well, I have like 50 stuffed animals in my living room (DD has asthma so they have to live there). It's kind of a lost cause.







As much as I have opinions on how things look, it's more important that the kids can play.

I had a big post but it basically comes down to







:

I like durable wooden toys, but tend to pick ones with lots of detail, and good "feel" in the hand. I run a home daycare, and we plan to have several more kids so durable is important. I love my "Little People" farm just as much as my wooden trucks. There are both going to stand up to lots of play.


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## Just My Opinion (Nov 26, 2008)

I'm sure this thread is making a lot of the hardcore waldorf folks die a little inside







jk

Anyway, our daughter has a mix of plastic/wood etc. Sure, I would have loved it if all she were interested in were pine cones and playsilks (because then of course, I would win crunchy mama of the year award! lol) but the reality is -- she likes what she is going to like.

We have very few toys to begin with compared to most American families, and it is a mix -- like many posters, we have hardly any battery-operated toys because they drive me up a wall -- but she has plastic people, animals, blocks and dollhouse right along her wooden blocks, wooden animals, and playsilks (which are thrift store silk scarves).

She also watches a fair amount of tv, and despite the popular belief that it kills every brain cell you have -- she is one of the most imaginative people I know.


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## Luckiestgirl (Nov 10, 2004)

We have about 2/3 "natural" toys and 1/3 plastic. Some of our natural toys have bombed, but so have some of the plastic ones the kids have received.

I agree with others that the "open play" concept is often more important than what material the toy is made from. The following natural toys have given us fantastic play value for our money. As in, they are played with nearly every day -- even though we have had some of them for 3+ years:

1. Play silks
2. Large cardboard building blocks
3. Wooden play kitchen (brightly painted, not natural) and realistic-looking felt play food
4. Wooden cash register with little wooden "tiles" picturing different kinds of food
5. Wooden tool box (brightly painted)
6. Basket of dress-ups
7. Small Brio wooden blocks (again, colorful)
8. Wooden truck with peg people (rarely used as a truck -- the kids turn the peg people into all kinds of other things)

I too, have a dd who prefers her plastic dolls to her Waldorf ones (her favorites are her Corolle dolls); however, my five-year-old ds is deeply attached to the Waldorf doll he received when he was three. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that there aren't many plastic boy dolls out there?


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## sewchris2642 (Feb 28, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Just My Opinion* 
I'm sure this thread is making a lot of the hardcore waldorf folks die a little inside







jk

Anyway, our daughter has a mix of plastic/wood etc. Sure, I would have loved it if all she were interested in were pine cones and playsilks (because then of course, I would win crunchy mama of the year award! lol) but the reality is -- she likes what she is going to like.

We have very few toys to begin with compared to most American families, and it is a mix -- like many posters, we have hardly any battery-operated toys because they drive me up a wall -- but she has plastic people, animals, blocks and dollhouse right along her wooden blocks, wooden animals, and playsilks (which are thrift store silk scarves).

She also watches a fair amount of tv, and despite the popular belief that it kills every brain cell you have -- she is one of the most imaginative people I know.

From experience with my son, I'm not sold on TV killing brain cells. Life with a highly gifted child is no walk in the park. I could live with him having a few less brain cells.

Excuse me, but what are playsilks? Are they used in dress up and play pretend? What are the advantage of those over found things in the house, such as pillowcases, tablecloths, blankets, mom's skirt and blouse, left over Halloween costumes?


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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

I read some of the posts, but wanted to jump in...

My kids don't play with any of their toys really. Well, DS will play with a few certain toys (and they both love Rody), but for the most part they play with blankets, playsilks, and dress-up clothes. Oh, and dd loves to stuff things in bags and drag them around. I keep waiting to see if they're going to play with this stuff, but they don't. Ds is a bit more into toys than DD, but mostly just carries them around.

They both love the new melissa and doug mailbox Ds got as a gift... oh, and they both love to play with "real things". Not plastic or wood that looks like a real thing (yeah, tried that), but they want the ACTUAL hair dryer or vacuum or pot/pan. Right now, ds is playing with a spray bottle that I use for cleaning (w/vinegar solution, usually, but right now it has water)


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