Every child wants them and every store has a thousand of them for sale. With an ever growing market of inexpensive, plastic toys available any and every play idea is available. With so many possibilities out there why are some parents turning their backs on the typical trinkets and choosing wooden toys instead?
Since the birth of the production line we have enjoyed the freedom that comes from having our wants mass produced. You can buy the same stereo in three different colors, the same watch in five different colors, or the same car in ten different colors. Then came the added ease of plastic. Suddenly it became possible to buy just about anything you want in nearly any color, size, or style that you might wish for fairly cheap. Because of this children’s toys are able to be manufactured and sold in such massive quantities that it seems as if we will be buried in them. Every week new toys hit the markets and catch the eye of children.
Wooden toys may not offer all of the same glitz and glamour that typical plastic toys have, but they also have less of the dangerous trapping. All of the plastic and paper packaging, the fuel used to transport the toys, and the pollution created by the plants making the toys themselves quickly adds up. Suddenly a small action figure seems a lot bigger. The ecological impact of all of the toys being marketed can be overwhelming to imagine. This is why many parents are choosing to buy simple wooden toys, often hand created by local crafters or by companies that are more ethical than the larger toy makers. Having wooden toys in the home makes them feel safer about what their children are playing with. They also feel more confident that they can trust the makers of wooden toys.
Wooden toys can be a lot safer for children. Many plastic toys are made with a molecule called bisphenol A that is known to cause dangerous hormone changes in children. There is also the toxic PVC phthalates from vinyl found in some toys which can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system. Many parents are worried about what these chemicals can mean to their young children. Wooden toys, however, do not contain the dangerous chemicals plastic toys are manufactured with. Removing some of the main sources of these chemicals that children come into direct contact with the most is important step to some parents. Doing this means keeping out the dangerous trinkets, and instead offering safer wooden toys for their children to play with.
For some parents choosing wooden toys has an added benefit of being cost effective. Generally buying a good quality wooden toy will cost more than the mass produced plastic version at first. However those plastic toys often break easily and are replaced several times. The cost of buying several of the same toy can quickly add up, not to mention the environmental cost of all the broken toys being thrown out. Wooden toys are commonly made to be stronger and last longer. Thereby children get more play time out of each wooden toy. The durability of wooden toys can make them well worth the added cost up front. Also because wooden toys are well made after your children have outgrown them they can be passed on or resold far easier than the typical plastic toys. Buying wooden toys can seem like an investment.
It is this very investment that came came wooden toys so special for some parents. The durability and quality of a well crafted wooden toy can make them heirloom possessions for some. Passing down special family items to future generations is something that many families want to be able to do. Often things with sentimental value such as specific jewelry, clothing, and even toys are carefully put away when they are no longer in use. Having beautiful and durable toys that will be treasured later on is another benefit of choosing to buy wooden toys.
Despite the overwhelming availability of mass produced toys on the market today many families are turning back to simple wooden toys. Reasons such as environmentalism, safety, getting the most out of their money, and durability are only a few of the many reasons that wooden toys are gaining popularity.
