A Lifetime Of Fun With Wooden Toys
By Unknown
There wasn't a kid in my neighborhood that did not have classic wooden toys that are still around today. Log cabins, building blocks, and those popular wooden work benches for boys were all toys you could find in my neighborhood. These wooden toys create a lifetime of fun because of their durability and the fact that they are always fun in any generation.
Babies being born today are still being given these traditional wooden toys that even my grandparents were playing with. The log cabin kits were my personal favorite wooden toys. You could play with Barbie or Polly Pocket after building different sized cabins. You were definitely missing out if you have never gotten to play with Lincoln Logs! The assortment of different sized miniature wood logs in these kits could be stacked on top of one another because of their specially designed notches at each end of the logs. The notch is really just a deep groove that allows the other log to sit perfectly into it.
These wooden toys were invented back in 1916 but they weren't mass produced to the public until about 1918. While most people assume these classic toys were named after former president, Abraham Lincoln, they were actually named after the inventor's father's middle name! Inventor, John L. Wright, got the design of the Lincoln Logs by looking at an earthquake proof basement structure in Tokyo. All the way up until about 1970 all of the logs included in the kits were wood, but that soon changed. Most manufacturers switched over to plastic because it was cheaper but there are just a few manufacturers left that only produce wooden logs.
Educational wooden toys were also popular at my childhood day care and pediatrician's office. While at day care I would play with the wooden tic tac toe board, and another wooden toy that had you match up wooden shape pieces into shapes set into a wooden block. Building blocks were also considered a type of educational toy so those were always around too. The building blocks were a little cooler than the Lincoln Logs simply because you weren't restricted to one or two designs. You could make homes, castles, bridges and many other things with the building blocks.
There are some kits out there for those of you who want more design potential. A variety of homes, including Appalachian homes, can be built with these kits. You may be able to find some classic wooden toys like these in local retail stores but most of these kits can only be found online at certain retailers. You should start looking online though if you want the best selection with these wooden log and building block toys.
You can even make your own wooden toys right at home if you want. Making your own building blocks or maybe even guitars will help get your family doing something together. If you enjoy puzzles you can even make a medium to large sized jig saw puzzle too. There are so many wooden toy options that you can make right from your own garage or home. How about a couple cars, a wooden rocking horse, alphabet building blocks or even your own stringed wooden guitar for your first wooden toy building project? Whether you decide to buy your toys made of wood, or make them yourself, you can be sure and find the perfect fit. You will learn the value that these classic wood toys have and how they provide a lifetime of fun.
This article was prepared by Paul Nerrad on behalf of Crafty Design www.logcabintoys.com. Crafty Design is located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada and specializes in Log Cabin Wooden Toys
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