The Simple Joys of Wooden Animal Figures

As a young mother, I placed a strong emphasis on providing my children with simple, natural toys that inspire creativity and imagination. Among our most cherished playthings are the beautiful wooden animal figures from the German companies Ostheimer and Holztiger. These handcrafted treasures have brought us countless hours of joy, sparking storytelling, learning, and good old-fashioned play.

When my firstborn was just a year old, we began a tradition of gifting him a new Ostheimer wooden animal figure for each birthday and holiday celebration. With each carefully wrapped present he unwrapped, his eyes would light up with wonder as a new creature joined his wooden menagerie. Now, with my youngest about to move into her teen years, my children have assembled an impressive "zoo" that lines their nature table and populates their imaginary worlds.

What first attracted me to these figures was their simple, rustic beauty coupled with extraordinary quality and attention to detail. The wood is sustainably sourced and left unvarnished, allowing the natural grain patterns and subtle color variations to show through. Every figure is meticulously hand-carved and hand-painted using plant-based inks and dyes.

You can feel the incredible craftsmanship in the weight and smooth, nibble-worthy curves (no sharp edges!) of each piece. I have figures from both Ostheimer and Holztiger wooden animal figures that are over a decade old, and they still look practically brand new despite years of rough play and love. These aren't toys destined for a garage sale after a season or two – they are heirloom treasures made to last generations.

One of the greatest joys has been watching how my children's play evolves around these simple yet captivating wooden animal figures. At first, it was just delighting in the different textures, sounds and simple motions like making the cow wiggle its big wooden head. As they grew, the individual animals began starring in elaborate imaginary adventures, eventually spending hours acting out detailed stories with their "actors" talking in funny voices and embarking on exciting quests.

The simplicity of the wooden animal figures is part of their magic, allowing children's minds to fill in all the detailed context. One day the plain brown bear is a friendly creature in an enchanted forest, the next it's a mighty grizzly hunting prey on a mountain. I love overhearing the wild tales and dramas they dream up using these humble playthings as their muse.

We've also used the wooden animal figures in so many ways beyond basic pretend play. When Covid turned our play school into a real school, we used them as counting manipulatives, for sorting and patterning exercises, and for storytelling baskets. We made tough "zoo maps" for our own safaris and stage fun "shows" with the animals doing tricks and dances. I've even occasionally pulled one out as a silent signal for cleanup time – when I place "Mrs. Owl" on the nature table, the kids know it's time to "fly" their toys back to their cozy nests.

Another trick I've learned is to always have one or two small animals in my purse. If I ever found myself in a traffic jam, or other situation where a child was getting impatient or bored, I was able to reach into my "magic" bag and pull out a zebra, horse or lion which would pull the child into the land of imagination.

Of course, over the years we've had plenty of humorous misadventures with our wooden critter friends. I'll never forget the time I was busy with dinner and my 3-year-old proudly announced "I'm giving the cow a mud bath!" and pulled the wet, freshly-bathed bovine out of the toilet. 

We've also had lots of fun with the hunt of curating our special collection piece-by-piece.  While the figures aren't cheap, I love that this hobby teaches patience, prioritizing, and care for cherished possessions.

My one regret is that we didn't discover Holztiger's line of wooden animal figures and mythical creatures earlier! In addition to the classic farmyard critters, they offer delightful knights, dragons, and more. 

One of the most often asked questions is - what is the difference between Ostheimer and Holtiger wooden animal figures? And which do we prefer?

While we love and collect figures from both of the renowned European brands, they do have some key differences:

Aesthetically, Ostheimer's figures are more realistic and subtle with muted colors and water-based stains that allow the wood grain to show through. The cut is more simple with streamlined shapes, generally smaller with a more consistent scale. Holztiger's pieces tend to be more chunky and rounded shapes, with a playful and colorful look with a thicker coat of paint and more details like spots and stripes. The size is generally larger with more variation in scale between different animals. Ostheimer offers a wider variety of animals to choose from and tends to be more expensive than Holztiger.

For younger children, the sturdier Holtziger figures are easier to grasp and manipulate. But my children have always managed the Ostheimer figures just fine with some initial modeling.

For pure open-ended play and imagination, both brands are extraordinary. However, if I'm looking for pieces to fit a specific purpose like retelling a fable or recreating scenes, Ostheimer offers a wider range of options. Their decades-old collection covers everything from forest animals to multicultural figures.

When it comes to durability, it's honestly too close to call – both have held up incredibly well to heavy use in our house. I will say that Holztiger's thicker limbs may be slightly more resistant to snapping from excessive roughhousing compared to the thin wire joints on some Ostheimer pieces. But with proper care, these wooden wonders will likely outlast any plastic toy by centuries.

No matter what you choose, these traditional wooden toys have brought my family countless treasured moments. If you're looking for a high-quality, sustainable option to nurture creativity through the magic of open-ended play, you can't go wrong adding these special wooden animal figures to your children's collection. They may become your most beloved toys of all.