Waldorf / Montessori / other toys?

**Nature'sKids!** · 14-10-2011, 07:09 AM

I have two kids myself and have selected toys for them that
Tend more towards waldorf inspired education (ie natural, wooden, felt etc)
I like aspects of Montessori too. Generally anything that uses natural materials.
Ds1 is 4 1/2 and recently discovered transformers though

So we have a few of them, plus some Lego and duplo.

Do any of you use mainly wooden toys?
I LOVE myriadonline for toys - although they're quite expensive they last forever!

**pinky33** · 14-10-2011, 07:52 AM

Yes we do!
We steer towards Steiner/woldolf/Montessori practises and have mostly natural resources and aggree they are expensive so use flebay a lot.

**Joda** · 14-10-2011, 07:54 AM

I used to work in a Montessori nursery so do use some of the activities etc in my setting. I love wooden toys - I've just bought some lovely shape sorters/stacking toys from T K Maxx.

**RainbowMum** · 14-10-2011, 08:09 AM

I have spent the last 6 months or so scaling down the plastic selection and building up the natural/wooden resources. I agree about Myriad - just spent a small fortune recently

**nat222** · 14-10-2011, 09:48 AM

I too worked in montessori setting and am trying to get all wooden toys to get away from plastic. I find amazon is very good for wooden toys.

**jayjay1963** · 14-10-2011, 10:14 AM

Ikea have some nice wooden toys, I've had mine for six years and they still look like new

Jacqui

**snuffy123lulu** · 14-10-2011, 10:35 AM

I love wooden toys/natural toys - shame the kids prefer good old fashioned bright coloured plastic

Pick of the day is 200 different coloured plastic balls scattered all over the place, amazing how many games they can make up with them

**sweets** · 14-10-2011, 12:07 PM

i like wooden toys too and have just bought the log ends from hope education (got them cheap!

)

but they are not quite what i was expecting, they are really rough and bits of bark are falling off! i was hoping to pop them in a use everyday basket and let the children play with them when they want but i think they are going to have to go in a messy play tray to be got out now and again.

did anyone else get them? if so are yours rough too?

**singingcactus** · 14-10-2011, 07:57 PM

I have a good mix of wooden, plastic, metal, plush and toys made of other materials. I wouldn't go all wooden cos I feel kids need a range of textures, not just wood.
I don't like to see settings that only have flashy, noisy, bright plastic toys, but at the same time I don't like to see a setting filled with only wooden toys. We live in the modern world and it's good for the kids to have a mix of natural and man-made resources on offer.

**Nature'sKids!** · 14-10-2011, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by singingcactus

I have a good mix of wooden, plastic, metal, plush and toys made of other materials. I wouldn't go all wooden cos I feel kids need a range of textures, not just wood.
I don't like to see settings that only have flashy, noisy, bright plastic toys, but at the same time I don't like to see a setting filled with only wooden toys. We live in the modern world and it's good for the kids to have a mix of natural and man-made resources on offer.

That's why we go to playgroups 3 days a week

**loocyloo** · 14-10-2011, 08:19 PM

i love toys made from wood and natural materials, but somethings just don't work!

my children could not exist without lego or hotwheel cars!

i've been looking for multicultural wooden food ... i've found wooden pizza & sushi, but other than that, food from aroudn the world seems to be plastic!

**Nature'sKids!** · 14-10-2011, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by loocyloo

i love toys made from wood and natural materials, but somethings just don't work!

my children could not exist without lego or hotwheel cars!

i've been looking for multicultural wooden food ... i've found wooden pizza & sushi, but other than that, food from aroudn the world seems to be plastic!

Try haba.
We do have Lego and hotwheels

**Nature'sKids!** · 14-10-2011, 08:32 PM

http://www.google.co.uk/m/search?sit...0food&sa=N#i=7

Not wood but not plastic either a felt / fabric kebab

**QualityCare** · 14-10-2011, 08:37 PM

l too love wooden toys and love the toys by Melisa and Doug, TK Max often has some in otherwise good quality toy shops or on line.

**loocyloo** · 14-10-2011, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by Nature'sKids!

http://www.google.co.uk/m/search?sit...0food&sa=N#i=7

Not wood but not plastic either a felt / fabric kebab

thanks. i've had fabric food ( and knitted food! ) but when the littlies 'pretend' to eat them and they go in the mouth, they never seem to come quite clean again!

i had some very manky carrots for a while

**Mouse** · 14-10-2011, 08:47 PM

I have a lot of wood, fabric & natural resources, but also v-tech type electrical toys and Happyland toys. I would say the split is about 70% wooden/natural and 30% plastic. I've loved themove away from plastic, but do think children need a mix. The v-tech toys are great for ICT, which we can't get from wooden toys.

I don't have any plastic storage boxes though. They're all wooden, raffia, cotton bags etc. All the furniture is also wooden, including tables, chairs, highchairs.

And I don't have any "character" toys, so no Pepper Pig, Thomas the Tank Engine, or whatever the latest thing is. We've got books with them in & I'll print sheets for the children to use for crafts, but I don't have any specific character toys.

**Nature'sKids!** · 14-10-2011, 09:51 PM

Yes our storage is all wooden / basket / fabric too - ikea helped there

The only character toys we have are bath toys (octonauts) and ds1 recently discovered transformers

I tried a few plastic toys butthey just don't last

time_4_change · 14-10-2011, 10:13 PM

Unfortunately I am a new minder and my setting is mostly plastic

purely because I was given ALOT and bought some very cheap - money is an issue at the moment so just taking what i can get!

- I am going to start putting pictures and ideas of wooden and natural toys in my Self Evaluatioon folder, then once I get going I can gradually buy these things

Not going completely natural though, I believe in a good range!

Like the idea of the natural storage too

Thanks for the inspiration
Leanne x

**rickysmiths** · 14-10-2011, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by Nature'sKids!

Yes our storage is all wooden / basket / fabric too - ikea helped there

The only character toys we have are bath toys (octonauts) and ds1 recently discovered transformers

I tried a few plastic toys butthey just don't last

I still use the plastic stacking cups we bought for my daughter - 17yrs ago

They are still a complete set with a sortig lid and I still have all the shapes

We also have a wobbling clown given to her for her first birthday by her childminder and a plastic Tomy car with sorting shapes given to her by my sister for her first birthday. All are still in perfect shape and have been enjoyed by dozens of mindees over the last 17yrs.

They are easy to keep clean unlike some for the wooden toys I have had over the years that are difficult to clean properly and go manky after they have been sucked and chewed by numerous children.

Again over the years I have used a variety of storage boxes, wooden, natural bags and when I redid everything last year I went back to palstic with good fitting lids. The lids stay on best and again they are much easier to clean and they last longer. I have a few baskets to rotate toys in but do not sore stuff in them.

**Mouse** · 15-10-2011, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by time_4_change

Unfortunately I am a new minder and my setting is mostly plastic

purely because I was given ALOT and bought some very cheap - money is an issue at the moment so just taking what i can get!

- I am going to start putting pictures and ideas of wooden and natural toys in my Self Evaluatioon folder, then once I get going I can gradually buy these things

Not going completely natural though, I believe in a good range!

Like the idea of the natural storage too

Thanks for the inspiration
Leanne x

Have you tried looking at a carboot sale? I went to one recently and bought some lovely wooden toys - a noah's ark with all the animals, a big bead frame, an abacus, all sorts of little cars & toys. Nothing cost me more than £1. I cleaned them with antibacterial wipes & they are lovely!