Why I Chose Wooden Toys Over Plastic
Simplifying parenting
When my daughter was born three and a half years ago, I was overwhelmed with all the choices available to me as a parent. When did parenting become so complicated? Anyone who ever set foot in a children’s store knows what I’m talking about. But do I really need all these toys, gadgets and accessories to raise my kid, I wondered? Luckily, I soon discovered that I did not.
In my research of early childhood development, I came across Montessori and Waldorf teaching philosophies, which both made a wonderful case for simplifying parenting and getting rid of the “clutter” that comes with it. They promoted natural materials for all things childhood, especially toys, as a way to have a better connection with the natural world and a warmer, more nourishing environment. Wooden toys, I learned, were more durable, nicer to the touch and less stimulating for both babies and older children and, dare I say, their parents.
Surely, wooden toys can be more expensive than plastic ones, but they also tend to last longer and are often passed down from generation to generation. And if not, they’re much easier to recycle, making them planet-friendly. Since I’m quite sensitive to how things feel, look and sound, all this rings true to me. What a simple concept: buy less but buy better.
