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children playing with Ocamora wooden rainbow blocks
children playing with Ocamora wooden rainbow blocks
Girl feeding organic cotton doll from Keptin-Jr
Girl feeding Keptin-Jr organic cotton doll

Parents' Corner Blog

The Simple Joys of Wooden Animal Figures - blueottertoys

The Simple Joys of Wooden Animal Figures

The post is written from the perspective of a mother and her experience with Ostheimer and Holztiger wooden animals. She...

Wooden Vehicles: A Driving Force in Child Development - blueottertoys

Wooden Vehicles: A Driving Force in Child Development

This article explores how simple wooden vehicles like cars, trucks, and trains are much more than just toys - they...

The Art of Play: Creative Uses for Play Silks - blueottertoys

The Art of Play: Creative Uses for Play Silks

This blog post explores the many benefits of play silks - colorful, lightweight silk fabrics that inspire open-ended, imaginative play....

The Simple Joys of Wooden Animal Figures - blueottertoys

The Simple Joys of Wooden Animal Figures

The post is written from the perspective of a mother and her experience with Ostheimer and Holztiger wooden animals. She highlights the high-quality craftsmanship, use of sustainable wood, and painstaking details like hand-carving and natural finishes that make these figures such special heirloom toys. The author shares how her family has a tradition of gifting a new wooden animal for each birthday and holiday, allowing her children to build an impressive "zoo" over the years. She delights in watching their imaginative play evolve as the simple, open-ended figures spark endless storytelling possibilities. The post recounts funny misadventures that provide a glimpse into the humorous mischief kids can get up to with these rustic toys. Finally, the author compares and contrasts the aesthetics, construction, durability and play value of the two beloved brands, noting both their similarities in quality and key differences in styling. She concludes by recommending these wooden animal figures as imagination-nurturing, sustainable playthings that will become future family heirlooms.
Wooden Vehicles: A Driving Force in Child Development - blueottertoys

Wooden Vehicles: A Driving Force in Child Development

This article explores how simple wooden vehicles like cars, trucks, and trains are much more than just toys - they provide significant cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits for child development. Wooden vehicles encourage open-ended pretend play, which fuels creativity, imagination, problem-solving, and language skills. Pushing and manipulating the toys develops fine and gross motor skills. Cooperative play fosters social interaction and emotional intelligence. Additional perks of wooden toys include safety, durability, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal. Tips are provided for choosing quality wooden vehicles to maximize play value and developmental gains. The key takeaway is that incorporating wooden vehicles into playtime promotes holistic learning and growth in critical early childhood years.
The Art of Play: Creative Uses for Play Silks - blueottertoys

The Art of Play: Creative Uses for Play Silks

This blog post explores the many benefits of play silks - colorful, lightweight silk fabrics that inspire open-ended, imaginative play. The article provides a comprehensive overview of how to use play silks for sensory stimulation, developing skills, and encouraging creativity in children of all ages. It includes specific ideas for play with babies, toddlers, preschoolers and older kids. Tips for parents and caregivers are also provided to help enhance the play silk experience. The goal is to inform readers of the magic of play silks and how they can spark a child's curiosity and imagination through creative play.

From One Parent to Another

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Teisha, Rockland ME
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Chris, Olympia WA
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Arden, Port St. Joe FL