Wooden toys for toddlers were once a thing of the past, where they were thought to be clunky and old, but are now coming back into our shopping baskets as not only are they more eco-friendly, but are also a lot more durable for little ones!
There are a huge range of wooden toys for toddlers and children available on the market, and nowadays they seem to fit more with Montessori toy play and are ideal for handing down to future siblings to play with too. Not only that, but they also help to encourage imagination and develop skills in a way that some plastic toys just won't do.
Best wooden toys for toddlers and babies at glance
Not only are they good for play, but a lot of wooden toys also fit in with peoples home styles these days, which a lot of parents prefer as they look nicer on display than a lot of the vibrant plastic toys do.
As a mum of two, I've also found wooden toys to last more than five minutes and be played with multiple times, as opposed to other toys in our house that get lost, broken or forgotten about. So if you want to change your toy-style or want gift ideas, here's Mother&Baby's pick of the best wooden toys for little ones.
Best wooden toys for babies and toddlers
Best wooden toy for imaginative play
www.scandiborn.co.uk
With plenty of different ice creams and toppings to choose from, the Little Dutch Toy Ice Cream Shop encourages imaginative play for toddlers and children. It comes with a magnetic scoop, that picks up the ice creams so little ones can feel like they're serving ice cream onto the cones properly.
It also comes with a menu board, sauce bottles and different ice cream toppings.
Best wooden stacking toy
Our tester thought these Rosa & Bo Woodland Friends Nesting Babies were unlike any other stacking toys and that they were beautifully designed. Being BPA free, she also found it reassuring to know they were safe if her baby decided to chomp on them.
Designed so that they can also be used in the bath, the toys create a fun element of play where your baby can help to develop their hand-eye coordination, as well as help to develop early number concepts.
The tester, Melissa, was slightly concerned that when they aren't stacked, they could be broken by falling on them or being thrown. So, if you were looking for an alternate stacking toy with different materials, the Wooden Rainbow Stacker would be an excellent choice.
Best personalised wooden toy
www.my1styears.com
Ideal as a gift for dinosaur fans, this Personalised Dinosaur Wooden Ramp can provide hours of fun. You can customise it with your little ones name, or leave it without the personalisation.
It has four ramp levels where kids can pop the rollers at the top, and watch it roll and drop down each level to the bottom. It's great for learning about cause and effect too!
Best wooden toy tea set
groceries.morrisons.com
With a tray included for carrying the tea, your little one can enjoy their very own tea parties. The Wooden Toy Tea Set comes with wooden tea bags and two cups, and even a little kettle. We love the added feature of the lemon slices for the side of the cups.
Best wooden toy cash register
groceries.morrisons.com
The Wooden Toy Cash Register is great for encouraging number recognition and early math skills. It's also great for role play and imagination! This lovely cash register comes with a till, scanner, credit card machine, money and even a Morrisons bag.
Best mini wooden toy ice cream set
www2.hm.com
The Wooden Ice Cream Toy Set is a simple set for children and a great addition to have with another Ice Cream Set, such as the Little Dutch Toy Ice Cream Shop, or for a toy kitchen they have. It comes with four ice creams, two cones and two lollies, giving a great variety of choices for imaginative play.
The set also comes with a wooden stand, that has slots for the ice creams to fit in and keep neatly stored away.
Best wooden toy coffee counter
www.kidly.co.uk
With all the accessories any barista needs to serve a good coffee, this Little Dutch Coffee Corner is great at encouraging social and imaginative play. It comes with cups, cupcakes, pastries, teabags and so much more!
The Coffee Corner can just be wiped clean, and it's a sleek design too so it won't look like an eyesore in your home.
Best wooden toy for nursery decor too
babymori.com
Not only would this Wooden Rainbow Stacker make an adorable nursery decor piece until your little one is old enough, but it's also a great toy for encouraging hand-eye coordination, balance and numeracy skills.
The stacker can be balanced in different ways and it's a really beautiful, coloured design too.
Best wooden toy stroller
lovevery.co.uk
This gender-neutral stroller is perfectly sized for toddlers and is a fantastic way to promote pretend play. We love this brightly coloured toy, which is sure to be your little one's next favourite toy. The stroller has been crafted from sustainably sourced wood and organic cotton and is built to withstand the most enthusiastic play.
It's supportive and sturdy too, which is ideal for little one's just starting to take their first steps.
Best wooden toy for helping dexterity
The puzzle introduces children to different geometric shapes, promoting early math skills and enhancing their ability to identify and name shapes in their environment. Made from high-quality, non-toxic wood, this puzzle is designed to withstand the rigors of active play while ensuring safety for young children.
The colourful geometric shapes can inspire imaginative play, allowing children to create their own stories and scenarios as they engage with the puzzle, plus the wooden pieces helps develop hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
11.
Ant Balance Game
Best wooden toy for balance
www.kidly.co.uk
With 20 stackable leaves, this Ant Balance Game is ideal for teaching toddlers dexterity and coordination. It's also a great game for two children to encourage turn-taking, like a modern buckaroo, to try and balance the leaves without it falling off.
Best pull-along wooden toy
Using water-based paints this sweet Wooden Cocoon Rainbow Turtle comes with six stackable arches that can be stored neatly on the turtles back, or used in independent, stacking play.
The pull along design can also encourage movement in younger children and they can also learn about different sizes as they figure out how to stack the arches away on the turtle when not using.
Best open-ended play wooden toy
The toy encourages problem-solving skills as children figure out the correct order for stacking the rings by size and colour, reinforcing concepts of sorting and sequencing. With its vibrant colours and shapes, the ring stacker sparks creativity and allows for open-ended play, encouraging children to explore and experiment.
As children play, they learn to recognize different colours and can practice counting the rings, enhancing early learning concepts, and with its compact design, it makes it easy to transport and store, allowing for fun and learning both at home and on the go.
Best problem solving wooden toy
babymori.com
A beautiful shape sorter that has a muted colour design, the Wooden Shape Sorter by Baby MORI takes a modern take on the traditional shape sorters. The pieces are chunky for little hands to hold comfortably, and they can match the colours as well as the shapes too.
Wooden toys for toddlers FAQs
Are wooden toys better for children than plastic?
Wooden toys can be a lot better for many different reason. First, they are better for the environment, as they are a more renewable material and can be passed down thanks to their durability.
Another reason they can be better is that wooden toys are often free of artificial components.
Samantha Ball is a Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby, having written for the brand since 2018. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best and current trending products for little ones and for cute seasonal outfits.