SiamMandalay stands by its ethos of heirloom quality goods, and we want to make puzzles, games and wooden toys that last for generations. From our experience we have found that on the whole plastic toys and games tend to be cheaply made, poorly designed and often break soon after purchase, inevitably ending up on the landfill.
Remember that old rocking horse your grandmother had? Or that fort from your Dad that you played with as a child? We are going for that. Every. Single. Time.
Considering durability, wooden toys are second to none. Toys made from wood last much longer than their plastic counterpart. Toys that are made from cheaper, lower quality materials may appear to be more complicated, but you’re missing out on that wonderful tactile texture.
We like to craft all our wooden children’s toys from premium grade Monkeypod wood – we feel there should be an emphasis on children’s developing a connection with natural things. The best way for a child to appreciate their world and learn about it, is to put them in connection with it.
Monkeypod wood provides an enriching experience that seems devoid in plastic, there is a rustic wholesome feel. We emphasize natural materials that are healthy, safe, eco-friendly and innately enjoyable. The level of craftsmanship that goes into all our wooden toys means that they are generally of a much higher standard than, mass produced factory regalia.
The benefit of children handling natural materials in their toys, mean that they get used to dealing with materials that require care. If a child throws a plastic truck or train it will bounce right back – resulting in limited feedback for the child. Kids like activities with tactile elements, invigorating the senses, our natural wood grain has a feel, a smell and colored hues – developing and working a host of elements.
The educational benefits provided by natural toys are often debated, however there is certainly something to be said for structured play. For example, coast-to-coast forms, for a child, a challenging assembly puzzle as well as a fun, engaging toy – this is intended, the lines between work and play and blurred helping to contribute to their development in a deep way. Whilst high-tech toys are incredibly good at amusing and distracting children, they rarely leave any room for the child to develop. Conversely, wooden toys are ideal for encouraging creative and imaginative play in children.
Push and pull toys can be incorporated into more detailed learning experience for younger children, less than 5. Children will recognize and in the future be able describe a spectrum of movement ranges; quick, slow, backwards, forwards, round, swing, turn, slide. They will also begin to explore the ways in which their bodies can move and name the parts of the body that can make movements. Children will learn to identify differences between the movements of different objects and make suggestions about how objects can be made to move. This is a very early introduction to science which bodes well for the future.
Kids love wooden trucks; they have been a staple especially for young boys. Kids have fun picking up and moving around the floor with them – at the same time they are developing their motor skills. They are also a universal toy that can help with social interaction among other children.
Our wooden kid’s toys help to foster independence - they are a style of puzzle that can be done without adult help. Of course, we want to develop products that you and your child can do together, but we place a lot of emphasis on developing healthy self-confidence and autonomy.
Push and pull toys like our train, car and lorry toys are ideal for young children as they are learning to combine skills they have developed together. Cars and trucks that are large enough for them to be pushed and pulled while standing upright are useful for young children and helps them to keep develop their balance. Once the child has a sense of balance and is walking around on their feet pull toys will allow them to move around and pull their favorite toys with them.
Accompanied by a vintage wash, wooden toys are timeless, they are not mass-produced factory products. They have been trendy for decades, probably centuries – while there is a lot to be said for the high end technological educational toys, there a lot of value in sticking to what’s tried and true – wooden toys are not really susceptible to fads.
This “unfaddy” style means that wooden toys grow with your child and are quality hand-me-downs. Toddlers and pre-schoolers can engage in simple play, and basic manipulation with toys. Older kids can begin to incorporate into more complex imaginative scenarios – working them into basic science and solve problems.
Since wooden toys don’t have electricity there is no toxic batteries, leaky parts or Co2 emissions– they also allow for children to develop reasoning skills, forming logical conclusions to packing problems and stacked block wooden toys. They very rarely have sharp or protruding edges, unlike plastic and the top end manufacturers will make sure to sand down the toy on completion meaning there are no dangerous rough edges.
Let’s face it, wooden toy and games look great, we are exceptionally proud of all our wooden toys their beautiful aesthetic and hued tones – colorful puzzles bring a bit of positive Feng shui, but our plain wax finish also means that they make a professional décor accent when the children aren’t playing with them.