If you are a parent, you will be well aware of the restless and curious nature of the children and how they need to stay engaged constantly. For children, especially toddlers, playing keeps them busy and enables them to develop new skills, which is essential in the formative years of a child's development. Nowadays, with the advent of technology, many parents hand out a smartphone or tablet to the toddler, but this approach does not help the child's development. Smartphones cannot replace traditional toys, and several reasons exist.
When we look at traditional toys, they are either made of wood or plastic. Although there are plastic battery-operated toys, they are not ideal for a child's development as such toys are self-operated, which means less input from the child. Wooden toys are another alternative. In this blog, we will compare simple wooden and plastic toys regarding some characteristics.
Children engage in rough play frequently, and many toddlers also throw toys, which is why toys need to be sturdy.
Toys crafted from wood tend to be far more durable than plastic ones. These toys can withstand the rough handling of a child's hands and do not break easily in collisions. In addition, they last for years and can be passed on from generation to generation. The passing of toys from one generation to the next also means that wasteful spending is not needed in purchasing new toys, and the old wooden toys have an emotional value attached to them.
In contrast, plastic toys are not as tough as wooden ones and can break apart or crack. They are also less impact-resistant. Plastic toys also tend to become worn out more quickly, and it is rarer to see a plastic toy passed down unless it is made of really high-quality plastic, which is not that common as most plastic toys are disposable. In general, the usage life of plastic toys is shorter.
We live in a world where climate change and pollution have become global issues and are already reaping the ugly consequences of pollution and excessive waste.
Hence, living an environmentally sustainable lifestyle has become a necessity, and wooden toys, with their natural material construction, help make life more eco-friendly.
Many wooden toys are crafted from recycled wood, which means that their production does not have a large carbon footprint. Biodegradable wooden toys do not contribute to land pollution, as no large landfills are needed for disposing of the toys.
Plastic toys are a different story, and their adverse effects on the environment are well-known. Plastic waste is a significant source of land pollution, and the production of plastic toys also has a large carbon footprint. Many plastic toys are not recyclable, which worsens the environmental issue.
Wooden toys are traditional and do not include battery-operated toys. This means that the child will have to use his imagination to make the play entertaining using wooden toys.
Many plastic toys have buttons, and the child only has to press some buttons, which requires no imagination. While playing with wooden toys, toddlers must create scenarios and think outside the box. This will ultimately help the child in their cognitive development.
Moreover, the child will have more freedom to experiment with wooden toys rather than plastic automated ones, where the scope of using them in multiple ways is impossible.
Small children always take the toys in their mouths, and many plastic toys have toxic chemicals, or the paint used to color plastic toys is toxic. Some toxic chemicals in plastic toys are phthalates, Bisphenol A (BPA), and Polyvinyl chloride. These chemicals can result in poisoning, making the toys unsafe for children.
Wooden toys are often unpainted. Being made of natural wood, they do not contain poisonous chemicals, so the risk of the child getting poisoned is almost nil. Wooden toys are also much easier to repair and can be repainted, polished, or even glued back together.
Durability, safety, environmental impact, and developmental benefits are some factors considered when choosing wooden or plastic toys for your child. Wooden toys seem a much more sustainable, environmentally friendly option, with timeless appearance and durability that often provoke imaginative play and sensory learning in children. However, they are usually free from harmful chemicals, making them safer options for young children. On the other hand, plastic toys can afford diversity, allowance, and access to features like lights and sounds that may be much more advanced to enable better learning opportunities.