Once in a while a new toy or a new clothing line comes along that makes my heart beat a little faster. This is one of those times. How beautiful is that kids stamp set and this jungle puzzle. I’m already a big fan of wooden toys especially when they are kept in their natural state. Called Bleeblaand created by a pair of architects from Portugal, this is their first collection of toys with a jungle theme. They plan to release more wooden toys all with a wildlife theme including sea life, forest and field. In our home stamp sets are very popular not just with Anya but with her friends too (and maybe even me :)) and this one with 10 animal stamps would go down a treat!
I’m a big fan of wooden things especially when the wood is left in it’s natural state and not painted or decorated in any way. From wooden toys to wooden furniture and even wooden bags, I like them all. Here is a selection of natural wooden things I’m currently loving for mamas and babies (that vintage rattan case – love!):
These wooden toysbyKarl Zahn are so beautiful and imaginative. They include a set of 5 stacking crocodiles and a range of animals that come in pieces for you to build. You can also interchange the animal parts to create new creatures. But these toys aren’t just for play; they’d look equally great displayed in a nursery or even on an adult bookshelf. My favourite is that little elephant although the stacking crocodiles are pretty cool too.
When I watch my daughter Anya play, it’s always the simplest of toys that encourage her to use her imagination and create little make-believe situations. She talks to the toys or she talks on their behalf and together they have tea parties, they have sleepovers, they adopt imaginary pets… the list is endless. The other day I found that she had stuck a plaster on the edge of our coffee table and was pretending that it was a diving board. She had managed to make a game out of a humble plaster! So I’m all for simple toys that don’t do much but instead allow the child to imagine what they will and these beautiful animals and cars are a perfect example. No batteries, noise or shiny buttons here, just a piece of smooth wood in the shape of an animal or car and the rest is up to the child.
These gorgeous toys are made to order by a London based design house. They have their workshop in Brick Lane and all the toys are made at the back of their shop. It reminds me of how things used to be done when our parents were kids and sometimes I wish we could go back to more of those ways. But before I get all nostalgic, I’ll stop myself there and go back to admiring these beauties made by Unto this last.
Today I bring you the next lot of goodies in my 2011 Christmas gift guide for kids. And this one is all about wooden toys. It’s no secret that I love wooden toys so I’ve searched the web to bring you some of the loveliest ones around. Here’s the list:
1. A modern dolls house that’s so cool. By Hase weiss.
2. Create your own city with these chalkboards, cars, traffic signals and trees. By Kiko Kids from Sisters Guild.
There’s something so appealing about natural wooden toys. It’s their simplicity and smoothness that attracts me each and every time. I’ve rounded up 7 wooden animal toys that I love. They can also double up as lovely little decorations in a nursery or play space.
1. The Cheekeyes* make fabby wooden animal playsets with just the slightest hint of colour. They’ve got different playsets on offer including a safari one, a rainforest one and this garden creatures one. Ollie & Forbes have a good selection on offer. Each set has some animals and some extras like trees and mountains and they cost £24 per set.
2. Baileys Home and Garden is a store packed with beautiful objects which include wooden animal toys. This gorgeous chubby elephant is one of their offerings and costs £18.
3. This little wooden monkey can be a playmate or just left on a shelf to be admired. I’m loving his dangly legs and arms. The wooden monkey comes from Not on the High Street and costs £10.50.
4. A natural wood teething ring in the shape of a hippo. So simple, so sweet! Easy to grasp and chew on as much as your bambino likes. This hippo teething toy comes from Little Sapling Toys on Etsy and costs $12 with international shipping available.
5. These beautiful beaky birds come in 3 sizes – small to represent children, medium to represent parents and chubby to represent grandparents (poor grandparents!). They’ve got removable heads so your kiddos can mix and match the heads with the different sized bodies. They cost between $52 and $79 depending on the size and come from the lovely American store Modernchild who ship internationally.
6. Soopsori hand make natural wood toys with good looks and they’re fun too. This cute elephant cart with dominos is a perfect example of their lovely wares. To get this wooden elephant head to Red Lilly where it costs £21.95.
7. This lovely little whale by Areaware isn’t just eye-candy. It slides open to reveal a hidden compartment where your bambino can hide his precious treasures or you can. There’s a range of animal boxes available but the whale is my favourite. I first discovered it at Oeuf NYC but they only ship in the US. For UK readers, you can get the whale at SCP where it costs just under £31.
These plywood animals by Ferm Living are just so lovely. Simple wooden silhouettes that come in pieces so you and your kiddo can put them together. Once assembled, if you want to jazz up your safari you can paint them or even stick on some bright wallpaper. Although I have to admit, I do like them as they are in all their natural glory. The plywood animals by Ferm Living come as a set of 5 and cost £39.95 plus £5.95 shipping from a store called 95% Danish. Yup, I’m also wondering about the other 5%!
Ebabee Likes is a style guide for babies, kids, teens and their mamas. It’s all about inspiration, ideas and indulging yourself and your brood. It’s written by me ~ Nomita ~ a style loving girl from Mumbai who now live’s in London. Read More...
