Toys made from plastic materials have always dominated the market for many reasons, but mostly because they are the most accessible for the average consumer. (Of course there are the electronic toys that dominate the market today. For a comparison of electronic vs classic toys, you can click on this link.)

 

If you walk into a typical toy store, it’s likely that you will see shelves upon shelves of plastic toys. The bright colors and wide assortment of designs of these plastic products are certainly enough to make kids giddy with excitement but are they really the best toys that we can get for our children?

 

Recently, there has been a lot of talk regarding the safety of plastic toys, especially for very young children. Reports have come out saying that prolonged exposure to these toys may cause serious harm to a child’s health due to the toxic chemicals that are potentially used in these products.

 

Of course, not all plastic toys are hazardous to kids – we’ve all played with our share of plastic toys when we were young and it hasn’t really impaired our wellbeing, right? But for those parents who are not leaving anything to chance and would prefer not to have their kids in contact with plastic toys, wooden toys are an excellent alternative.

 

It is the immediate assumption of many people that when you say wooden toys, you are talking about brown blocks that are dull and boring for kids. It is therefore a welcome surprise to learn that the wooden toys available in stores these days are actually just as colorful as the plastic counterparts, and infinitely more interesting!

 

If you are on the fence as to whether or not to buy wooden toys for your kids, here are some of the advantages that you can enjoy when opting for toys made from wood:

 

• Wooden toys are made from organic materials and do not contain harmful chemicals. Even the paints used for these toys are non-toxic and 100% natural.

• Wooden toys are basic and can be played with in a great number of ways, which is why they are perfect for honing a child’s imagination, creativity and intelligence.

• Wooden toys are durable. In fact, many of these toys have been passed from generation to generation without losing any of its original features. Many plastic toys today don’t even last for a week.

• Wood is a biodegradable material so even in the unlikely event that a wooden toy breaks, it won’t be an environmental burden, unlike plastic toys that will just sit in a landfill for the next thousand years or so.

 

There is only one real disadvantage to buying wooden toys as opposed to plastic ones, and that is the price. Admittedly, wooden toys are considerably more expensive than the plastic varieties. One of the main reasons for this is that wooden toys are made by hand whereas plastic ones are mass-produced by machines in mega factories. However, looking at the benefits of wooden toys, it is very clear that the extra dollars that you will have to pay for them are definitely worth it. A good selection of wooden rocking horses is available at this site.