Wooden Childrens Toys - Types of Toys Available, Part 1

While many of the toys of today have become high tech and many are made of plastic, there are still a variety of wooden children's toys that are made. Wooden toys have been around for many years, and they are still quite popular today in spite of other toys that have been developed with today's technology. Many times, wooden toys have proven to be much safer and cheaper as well. There are many different kinds of wooden toys that your children may enjoy playing with, and there is a good chance that mom and dad might enjoy playing with some of these toys as well.

Wooden Puzzles

Wooden puzzles are wooden toys that are made for children of a variety of ages. Some of these puzzles have pieces that are quite large and are suitable for young children, while other wooden puzzles have smaller pieces that are meant for older children. These puzzles are extremely fun to put together and teach children hand-eye coordination and how to solve problems on their own. These types of puzzles also look great when they are completed, and some people even choose to mount and frame them when they are completed.

Wooden Cars

Wooden cars are another favorite among wooden children's toys. Cars made of wood have been around for years and were created long before Hot Wheels ever became popular. With wooden cars there is usually no need to worry about little parts falling off and being a choking hazard. Many older people enjoy wooden cars as well and have a variety of them as a part of a car collection. Other types of vehicles are made of wood as well such as trucks, airplanes, and helicopters.

Wooden Dollhouses

One type of wooden toys that little girls often enjoy playing with are wooden dollhouses. Whether you build the dollhouse yourself or purchase it already made, they are great fun. Children can also get dolls and furniture to go along with these houses, which makes for a great playing experience. Wooden dollhouses have been around for years, and now they have even more exciting options than ever before with some dollhouses coming with Jacuzzi's and swimming pools to make them more modern.

Children's Top 10 Toys For Christmas and Beyond

Every year there are top toys that become very difficult to get hold of. One example a couple of years ago was a very expensive robot dinosaur that cost parents a lot of money. Many friends I know of bought these for their children and after Christmas they were never played with again. So I'm not giving you here the latest results from the news on what is selling really well I'm giving you my own experience and the experience of friends who came up with this list of what we feel are the top ten toys for Christmas.

Firstly it has to be a traditional but ever popular toy, lego. Lego comes in various sizes depending on how old the child is. Large lego pieces are suitable for very young children as they cannot be swallowed and for older children more challenging smaller pieces. There are scores of different models that you can buy, often models that relate to films that have been on the cinema such as Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. I have found that vehicles always prove popular whether it be cars or rockets. The beauty of lego is that you can choose a box to suit your budget.

Next is a cuddly toy. Girls especially love these and whilst we tend to buy them for babies, it isn't until they are around the age of 5-10 in my experience that they really get the full comfort and adoration for them. Dogs and cats are always popular, nothing too large and anything that has a cute face and feels soft to the touch.

My third choice isn't cheap but my goodness the children just play and play this and never get bored of it. The Nintendo DS ( pink if you are buying for a girl!) is a constantly best selling toy and quite rightly. You can buy endless games for it. Most younger children from the age of 7 enjoy the virtual pets ones, expecially Nintendo dogs. They can blow bubbles for the dog to play with buy accessories such as ribbons for their fur, feed them and cuddle them. With certain games you can connect to another consule so children can play together with them. These are great for plane journeys, long car journeys and as a last resort will give you some quiet time at a restaurant if you are with adults that are keeping the meal lasting longer than the children would like! A great buy.

Number four is the new swimming Baby Born doll. Children from age five would love this to play with in the bath. It actually swims and then can be wrapped in a towel and dressed etc. I have found all girls to go through a phase of loving baby dolls. I have a seven year old that has asked for this for Christmas and yet last year she stopped playing with dolls. So if you know a child that is asking for a doll this one would be enjoyed every day and especially on bath days.

Number five is a board game called Jenga. It is suitable for boys or girls and for any age. You build a tower of wooden blocks and one by one you take it in turn to take the blocks out of a tower. Eventually they crash and you shout JENGA. It gets everyone together and although we have a cupboard full of board games Jenga is the one that my three constantly take out. Another excellent choice would be Connect 4.

Number six may not be described as a toy for Christmas but I'm including it as I know plenty of boys and girls that would love to have this to open as a Christmas toy. The Apple ipod comes in a huge range of colours and is still very trendy with children and teenagers. Younger children seem to find the Zen stone easier to use but older ones just love the Apple ipod and being able to see videos of their singers etc. It is lightweight and seems robust too. Also very easy to use.

Number seven is something, anything to do with Bratz. So much more popular than Barbie with slightly older children of say age six and above. I personally love the doll that you can style and put make up on. Comes in a good sized box too.

Number eight will be Barbie. Only for younger children. My ten year old girl loves Bratz but would be horrified to rececive anything with Barbie. My seven year old still likes Barbie but her peers have already moved to Bratz. So if you are buying for a child aged six or younger then I would stick to glamourous Barbie. Lots of dolls to choose from. Mine always liked ones that dressed in cool clothes rather than looking like a princess and the ones that have a dog or cat with them were very popular.

Number nine would be magnetix. Only for older children but for girls they do girlie pinks and pale coloured balls and for boys more primary based ones. The magnets means that you can construct and make all types of creations with these toys. Children also enjoy finding places within the home for these. I would never buy these if you have any younger children in the house as they are just begging to be swallowed by a toddler but for children aged eight and above these work very well.

Last but not least is a book for Christmas. If you know a child that likes to read look at the current best sellers and buy a book. My ten year old daugher loves Jaqueline Wilson and Meg Cabot. My seven year old girl is currently a big fan of Enid Blyton and my twelve year old loves Garth Nix and Charlie Higson.

All the toys above have been popular with not only my children but friends' children too.
You can find pictures of the toys mentioned on www.helpful-ideas.com

Merry Christmas x