Wooden Baby Toys, Natural, eco-friendly Wooden Baby and Toddler Toys at our natural toy store are chosen from manufacturers that believe in a small ecological footprint. Our toy manufacturers are using FSC certified wood and responsible harvested wood that are chemical free. Wood is a natural, regenerative resource that stimulates the senses. Wood is considered a sensory material since it has texture, it is hard, soft, light or dark. Wood can be rough or smooth and it has it's own smell. Different pieces of wood will sound different, it is heavy or light, has it's own temperature and bacteria cannot reproduce on wood. If wood breaks, it can easily be fixed and it is recyclable. Because wood are found naturally in the world around us, the production of wooden toys have less of an impact on the environment than plastic toys. When wooden toys reach the end of their lifespan, they can be discarded without a negative environmental impact. Unfortunately all wooden toys are NOT created equal. Some cheap wooden toys may be made from wood sourced from old growth trees, illegal or irresponsible foresting or may contain high levels of pesticides.
When buying wood toys for your baby and children make sure that the wood comes from manufacturers that enforce sustainable forest management processes and that the surface finish on the toy is non-toxic. You also want to ensure that the surface is resistant against UV light, bumps, sweat and spittle.
Most wooden toys have been surface treated, which gives the wood an attractive look and makes it more resistant against outer influences. If the wood is colored, the coloring was either be done by covering the wood with a paint or by adding a stain or glaze which penetrates the wood and sets off/maintains the structure of the wood. In most cases these toys will have had additional treatment with a lacquer or an oil because stain and glaze manufacturers cannot guarantee that the toy is resistant against sweat and spittle.