There is much more to wooden toys than just aesthetics. A recent study by the New York University School of Medicine showed that infants ingest 10-20x more microplastics than adults, most likely caused by a number of things from plastic toys, carpet textiles, chewing on clothing, and even from utensils and feeding bottles. Plastics are everywhere and can be found in practically every category of the home, so when it comes to things for baby, especially toys, I make it a point to find ones that are made from natural materials. I especially love wooden toys and think of them as a wonderful investment for the family. They are durable, beautifully crafted, and can be passed down for generations!
Pretend-play toys have additional benefits for young children. They encourage development of basic cognitive and motor skills, to social and emotional development, and creativity and imagination. Starting at age 1, toddlers absorb so much of the world around them. It’s been amazing to watch my son make his own connections and imitate our actions just from his own observations!
For Christmas this year, I picked out a few wooden pretend-play pieces from Coco Village for my son. They have a wonderful assortment of wooden toys and furniture to choose from and deliver to both US and Canada! Not only are they well-crafted, sustainable, and affordable, they are so adorable! I love their minimal design and muted color palettes, making them a lovely addition to any room or home.
Wooden Shopping Cart – Seafoam – $89.99
The wooden shopping cart from Coco Village is perfect for toddlers starting at age 1. Made from premium birch wood, it is a safe & sustainable option for shopping pretend-play! My son is nearly 18 months and has less interest in his infant walker these days. When he saw the miniature shopping cart, he immediately began to push it all over our house! He loves placing other toys into the cart, including stuffed animals. Since the basket is higher than in the infant walker, he seems to enjoy pushing it a lot more. I think we’ve got a future contestant for supermarket sweep over here!
Assembly: The shopping cart was fairly straightforward to put together. All of the pieces are included, you just need a screwdriver. The bottom board of the cart was the only piece that took us a few tries to get in but the rest of the cart fit together wonderfully! The pieces are beautiful and lightweight. The wheels come pre-attached so no additional assembly is needed there. Overall, I was proud of myself for being able to assemble everything since I usually let my husband put our furniture together.
Wooden Payment Machine – Grey – $29.99
If your child enjoys pressing buttons on remotes and computers like my son does, they’ll have lots of fun with the wooden payment machine from Coco Village. The buttons rotate and don’t stay straight, but my son doesn’t mind. He loves playing with his “credit card,” (thicker than that Chase Reserve card 😂) and has even learned how to insert the “chip” into the reader. I know he’ll enjoy playing “store” when he grows older.
Wooden Breakfast & Tray Set – $39.99
The Wooden Breakfast & Tray Set is an adorable addition to our toy kitchen. I especially love the little boiled egg & holder. The set includes: 1 wooden tray, 1 plate, 1 knife, 1 egg sunny-side up, 1 boiled egg, 1 egg holder, 1 slice of bread, 1 slice of swiss cheese, 1 carton of milk and 2 bacons. It’s so fun to see my son try to coordinate all of the pieces and attempt to balance everything on the wooden tray.
If you’re still looking for gift ideas for the holidays, there’s still time to order! Place your order by December 15 for it to arrive by Christmas. You can use my rep code YUAN10 for an additional 10% off.
