droolicious : wooden toys

Can't Go to London This Year? Pick Up London in a Bag

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:00:00 GMT

So your travel budget is nil this year -- that doesn't mean you still can't take that trip to London you've been planning. In fact, with London in a Bag, you can just bring the city to your playroom.

Okay, so maybe unboxing an adorably blocky Big Ben, Bobby, London Bridge and other wooden facsimiles of common London sights isn't quite the same as being there, but if you want a really authentic experience, you can pay in pounds sterling.

£12.95 (around $21 U.S.) from the Handpicked Collection.

Introducing the Eco Town by Plan Toys

elizabeth leach — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Eco Town by Plan Toys includes an eco home, eco train station, eco charging station for electric cars, eco street accessories and a play mat. Plan your city any way you want as long as it's eco! With solar panel roofs and electric cars, this eco town is made from solid wood and is completely non-toxic.

Eco Town by Plan Toys is available at Oompa for $149.99.

Natural Wooden Teaching Clock

Lisa Estall — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:54:00 GMT

For kids interested in learning the time, I think this Wooden Teaching Clock might be helpful. It's made of sustainable sources and is free from harmful toxins.

Remove and match the numbers in the correct slots. This is for kids ages 3 and up.

This is sold on the UK web site Ethical Babe so if money is no object, it's $30 for the clock and extra for shipping to the U.S.

Total Up Groceries With A Wooden Cash Register

Lisa Estall — Mon, 04 May 2009 22:11:00 GMT

This modern Wooden Cash Register is way different from the one I had as a child. The calculator really works, there’s a handheld scanner and the drawer pops open when the cash button is pressed.

This if for children ages 3 and up and is priced around $28.

Is it too plain to play with though? Find it at Ethical Babe.

Modern Garage Designed By Momoll

Lisa Estall — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:40:00 GMT

I think this Momoll DING 3 Garage is awesome! I really like the Scandanavian design since it's modern and minimalistic. The printed signs are in wood...

and with my child’s imagination, he would play with this for hours.

The Size is 54cm x 54cm x 73cm and very expensive! If you can afford it, check out the price at Little Fashion Gallery.

Lion Animal Puzzle By Naef

Lisa Estall — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:51:00 GMT

I just found out from my son's daycare teacher that he has been completing 25 piece puzzles. That means he might like this Lion Animal Puzzle by Swiss company Naef.

These cubes are durable and covered with non-toxic finishes.

See the cat Naef animal puzzle featured here at Droolicious last year. This puzzle is $98 and sold at Babygeared.com.

Bajo EMT Ambulance Toy

AmandaHill — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:00:00 GMT

I am neither the first nor the last to notice the adorable products that Bajo puts out. This EMT Ambulance toy being one of them. It's a wooden car toy just waiting to be played with by a tiny hands.

Check it out at Oompa.

Off With Their Heads!

Heather Kuldell — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:03:00 GMT

Djeco Wooden Animal Building Set is not as simple as it looks in the picture. These wooden animals are bolts in disguise. Twist the “feet” off, and the body piece slides off so re-animators can mix and match the animal parts of the rabbit, cat, dog and cow as they please. Part puzzle, part dexterity developer, the set is all fun. The set costs $21.99 at Oompa.

Catching Butterflies is Easy: Can You Put One Together?

Heather Kuldell — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:04:00 GMT

Puzzles are something parents buy hoping their kids will put them together. For little kids, however, the fun lays in taking the puzzles apart. For kids three and up, the ImagiPLAY Alphabet Butterfly Puzzle offers a colorful take on a classic. Letters pepper each piece of chemical-free rubberwood, creating sturdy and safe entertainment.

Available at Wild Dill for $30.

A Haba Toy For Those Sunny Stroller Walks

Lisa Estall — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:19:00 GMT

This Blossom Stroller Toy from Haba is colorful and a nice decoration for the stroller for those sunny walks.

It’s made of wood and fabric and threaded through a cord, so could also be tied to a crib and a car seat as well.

I have bought Haba toys and really like their designs. Price is $24.99 and sold at Oompa.

A Toast To Breakfast Toys

Lisa Estall — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:04:00 GMT

Get your mornings started with this KidKraft Toaster Set. Your child can join you in the kitchen and pretend to make breakfast while you prepare their real food.

For $29.95, this wooden set includes a toaster that pops up, 2 slices of bread, 2 bagels, a stick of butter with Velcro straps, a plate, and a butter knife.

You can buy this at A Rocking Horse To Love.

Baufix Crane Construction Set Makes a Great Tow Truck, Too

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Even though this Crane Construction Set from Baufix looks like tons of fun in its namesake creation, cranes are just the start of what the set can be used to make.

Mix and match the set's 74 wood pieces to make a tow truck, an off-road vehicle and (of course) the crane shown here, among countless other creations. The colorful, water-varnished nuts, bolts, slats and panels should last through years' worth of whatever your junior model-maker can dream up for them.

$39.99 from Target.

Mix & Match Animal Blocks

Lisa Mulcahy — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:00:00 GMT

There’s a large-scale version of this toy at the playground I take my son to. He loves it, so I’m sure an at home version would be equally entertaining.

Imported from Switzerland you can get these Twisty Critters at Romp for $28. The painted blocks are a fun mix and match activity featuring furry and feathered favorites like a rooster, cat, bear and a penguin.

Talk About Green Energy

Heather Kuldell — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:32:00 GMT

Sometimes simple is better. Or at least, refreshing. The sleek, wooden racing car zooms off the starting line using rubber-band power. That’s right: Wind up the rear wheel, set it down, and watch it go. Because rubber bands do occasionally snap, this toy is recommended for kids 3 and up.

Available at Natural Pod for $34.95.

Welcome to My Eco-Friendly Doll House

Lisa Estall — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:22:00 GMT

One day I want to get a dollhouse for my daughter. What’s great is now there are ones that are eco-friendly!

Wonderworld’s Eco-Friendly Wooden Doll House is made of rubber-wood and decorated with water-based, non-toxic paint. It iincludes a recycling...

trash can, solar panels, a bicycle, as well as the family and the room pieces.

Why not teach the young ones how to be more Green with this toy?

This dollhouse is only sold online at Toys R Us. Price is $129.99

Classic Wooden Toys Collapse and Spring Back To Life

Chris Ford — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:30:00 GMT

You know what they say, "What's old is new again." I'm not that old, but when I was a kid I used to be fascinated with these types of little wooden toys - the kind that seem to collapse when you push the bottom but then spring to life again when you let go. Now you can get a few of them for your kids too - and at a price that won't break the bank.

The Petra Toys Press Puppets come in a Rhino, Giraffe, Red Dog and Elephant version. They would be great for an inexpensive little gift or even a party favor. Actually, it's kind of a pricey party favor, but they're cool nonetheless.

Petra Toys Wooden Press Puppets, $18 from BlackWagon.com

Plan City Deluxe Road System Offers Plenty of Mileage

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:30:00 GMT

We're frequent travelers of Plan Toys' recycled-rubberwood roads here at Droolicious, so give us the chance to expand our Plan City freeway, and we're all over it.

Perfect for train-table top or playroom floor, the Plan City Deluxe Road System includes two miniature cars that look like they'd get plenty of mileage cruising the set's wooden roadway tracks and suspension bridge.

The set also easily expands to accommodate whatever Plan City Rail or Road add-ons (we dig the City Station) you can add to it, and as always, it features just enough of Plan Toys' trademark minimalist detailing to kick-start the imagination.

$45 (regularly $59.99) from Amazon. Ages 3 and up.

Push, Pull and Play: MY Train Tic-Tac-Toe Car

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Simple and functional, the MY Train Tic-Tac-Toe Car is two toys in one: Pull the 6 1/2" train around your play space, or use its passengers (which also double as pegs) for a game of tic-tac-toe. Made from all-wood parts with non-toxic finishes, each car includes five removable people-pegs, five red and four blue. Our money's on red.

$25 from Maple Landmark Woodcraft.

Star Kid: Kingston’s Sweet Ride

SunnyChanel — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:07:00 GMT

Kingston, the 2-year-old son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rosedale, already has his first sweet ride. But this one doesn’t have a gears, pedals or even brakes. Here Kingston does the push bike thing on this LIKEaBIKE Mountain bike. Made for kids between 2 and 5, the LIKEaBike will prepare them for the real thing by teaching them balance, fine tuning their motor skills and boosting the all importance self confidence that’s a must when hitting the road on anything with wheels.

The all wooden LIKEaBIKE features a cotton (or leather) seat, rubber grips for the handle bars and pneumatic tires. You can pick one up here at Fawn & Forest for $315 (and you won’t have to pay shipping or sales tax).

Feathered Friend Stacker

Lisa Mulcahy — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:05:00 GMT

I’m trying to pinpoint when the modern bird trend emerged on the baby scene. My guess would be about two years ago, but it’s still going strong. So in keeping with my bird theme for today (see this morning’s post on the birdhouse light), here’s a stacking toy that breaks away from the tired traditional rainbow rings.

Like a work of organic architecture this set of six shaped birds, $32.50, from Kaefer of Germany, uses curves and color to create a really natural looking design that parents will appreciate. As for the kids, the birdies are pretty darn cute and can be played with separate from the stacking stick.

If You Give a Mouse a Home...

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:30:00 GMT

Make sure it looks something like this adorable wooden mouse house from the Chic Country Home. The set includes all the creature comforts its Mr. and Mrs. Mouse characters (both sold separately) could want, including a welcome mat, a kettle, two painted mugs, and a wooden table with two stools. The wooden roof is modeled after a slice of Edam cheese and features two little holes through which the mice (and their baby, also sold sparately) can come and go.

Not available until February, but you can preorder now from Not On the High Street. [Via Babygadget]

Maple Landmark Rolls Out 2009 NameTrain Engine

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:00:00 GMT

We've covered green toymaker Maple Landmark a handful of times in the past, but this being a new year and all, it's only fitting to highlight the company's 2009 exclusive, the latest edition to its NameTrain engine series.

Modeled after the old (1914-1933) British Remembrance Class 4-6-4 steam engine, this year's NameTrain choo-choo is made from solid hard maple and finished with non-toxic inks, and thanks to front and rear magnets, it'll have no trouble pulling your Brio, Plan or Thomas sets.

$4.90 from Maple Landmark Woodcraft.

Ahoy, Mateys! Pirate Ship for Toddlers

Cathy Hale — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:00:00 GMT

This ship may have set sail last year, but it's still a wonderful toy for youngsters. Thanks to chunky wooden pirates that are easy to grasp and the perfectly sized playset, the Play Town Pirate Ship is a favorite with little kiddos. The working anchor, spinning wheel, cannonball launcher and telescope are interactive, yet no small pieces to keep up with or worry about. It also comes with a cute board book as an added bonus. The ship is on wheels so it can scoot without waves. A few left at Amazon.

Indoor Bowling ... At Home

Erin Behan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:32:00 GMT

The holidays make me think bowling and this holiday is having me bemoan how few bowling alleys are left in the world. (I just found out my go-to Christmas bowling stop in Springfield, Va., is on the verge of closing.) Well, if you can't bowl out, you can still bowl at home, and this adorable bowling pin set from Sassafras is a rather stylish way to do it. The six wooden frog pins are about four inches tall and the set comes with a bag to keep everything together and a ball for knocking 'em down. Find it at Pink Olive Boutique for $12.

Imaginative Play: Dragon and Cave

Erin Behan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:47:00 GMT

Once all the blinking and battery-powered toys get thrown in the corner, chances are the kids will head for toys that spark the imagination, and Kinderkram's wooden dragon and cave playset is certainly on my short-list of imaginative toys. The photo doesn't really do the hand-painted wooden set justice. It stands 11 inches tall and the cave is two separate pieces. The dragon has mobile wings and a fire burst that can be slid in and out of his mouth. Buy it at Blueberry Forest for $85.95.