When choosing playthings for our children, we prefer natural toys. With young babies, there are no worries when baby plays with the toys in her mouth rather than her tubby fingers. Wood and fabric toys, especially those that are handmade, have a beauty that we all can admire.
We also love our handmade toys for another reason. After they have been played with and loved, toys often become worn—or even broken. This is tearful sadness for a child who has enjoyed and become attached to a well-loved plaything. With handmade toys, there is most often a fix. A snapped wood piece may be glued back together. A tear in a fabric doll's dress can be patched and mended. Because the natural toys were made by hand, they can be mended by hand. This is not often so with plastic toys. Carefully selecting sturdy well-crafted toys from the beginning will assure many years of play that can be extended when the most well-loved toys become damaged in play.
A simple toy fix-it kit for natural toys will include the following supplies:
These toy fix-it supplies may be ones you already have on hand. We use the binder clips to hold pieces tightly in place while wood glue dries. Binder clips can be found in office supply stores in sizes from tiny to large. They work wonderfully like clamps a carpenter would use in a wood shop for larger wood projects. Sometimes the hold-together power of a simple rubber band, bound around two pieces re-secured with glue, is all that is needed until the glue has dried. For fabric tears, simple stitches—minimal sewing skills required—are all that is needed to fix a doll's torn dress or a stuffed doll's arm. All of these repairs are simple, quick, and a delight for a child to watch as her favorite plaything is transformed back into one she may enjoy once again.
See more of the natural ways we play in our home—
buy less + give well = more creative play • make a wee treehouse • block bowling!
encourage pretend play with a love of learning and teaching • nature of play: a natural playground • ideas for making work into play
More of our play ideas here—
And, our printables here—
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©heather cahoon • wordplayhouse®
