| All who build a wooden toy will have reasons | | | | trucks and cranes or dollhouses. Even smaller toys |
| personal to them. All will tell you how much fun | | | | often find their way on to the edge of book |
| they have making these items. If you have | | | | shelves or window boards. |
| children of your own or nephews, grandchildren | | | | Educational type toys are so numerous that it |
| etc. you could gain even more enjoyment by | | | | would be impossible to discuss them all here, so |
| involving the child in the fun. | | | | we will cover just a few. Toys in the form of |
| The number of wooden toys is almost infinite, as | | | | building blocks or even interlocking style toys like |
| well as giving much joy to their young owners | | | | Lego, although fairly complex to make, are very |
| they can also be of an educational nature. Games | | | | worthwhile. Some puzzle and game type wooden |
| like dominos can help with counting skills and | | | | toys will take careful use of fret or band saws or |
| simple blocks with numbers, letters, or pictures | | | | similar tools, but they will last for many years and |
| can be of enormous benefit to young expanding | | | | give hours of enjoyment. |
| minds. Puzzles can help with coordination and | | | | Wooden toys often attract substantial sales |
| shape recognition. | | | | prices, many people who have started out making |
| Most wooden toy plans are designed with | | | | a few toys as DIY projects find them-selves |
| younger children of 2 - 5 years in mind, however | | | | receiving requests or commissions from other |
| a growing number of plans are for kids of 6 | | | | people will to pay high prices to own a beautiful |
| years plus. Some of the more elaborate model | | | | masterpiece. |
| type toys might appeal to children of over 9; and | | | | A significant first step to building wooden toys is |
| if we are honest we will gain a great deal of | | | | to obtain some books about making wooden toys |
| happiness 'helping' youngsters to play with toys | | | | and a few good plans. Then choose a modest |
| that often hold happy memories of our own | | | | project to start off with and build up to |
| childhood! | | | | something more elaborate. Take your time, |
| Some of the more elaborate toy designs are | | | | especially with the finishing work and you will have |
| very often built with the purpose of becoming | | | | toys that might stay in the family for generations. |
| display pieces; especially bigger toys such as | | | | |