You’ve picked up a few wooden toys here and there and noticed a few things, like:

·  Some wooden toys seem to hold up better than others

·  Some wooden toys have paint that chips and rubs off

·  Some wooden toys splinter easily

·  Some of your wooden toys have a strong chemical smell

It makes you wonder! Now you want to know how wooden toys are made – what makes some wooden toys better than others? Is a specific wood used? Obviously, you want the best for your child, and picking a mass-produced wooden toy from a chain department store may not be the case. Now that your love of wooden toys is established (bah!) You’re ready to take the next step. You’re ready to jump straight into the pool! This means looking for environmentally friendly, sustainably sourced wooden toys from brands that put the safety of your children and our planet first. While you can find all of these things at Tooky toy, let’s take a look at what it takes to make a quality wooden toy. What is the best wooden toy for your child?

What is the best wood for making toys?

We know that not all plastic toys are created equal, but did you know that the same is true of wooden toys? While wooden toys have countless advantages over plastic toys, not all wood is created equal. In today’s throwaway culture, where landfills are filling faster than ever before, being an informed consumer can go a long way toward protecting the environment. I’d like to discuss the difference between softwood, hardwood, and MDF/plywood/compressed wood in this blog. Why? Because choosing the right type of wood for a toy can be difficult.

There are many different kinds of wood used to make toys. However, when it comes to the durability and quality of wooden toys, not all wood is created equal. The main types of wood used for toys are hardwood, cork, and plywood/MDF. Let’s dig a little deeper. Which woods are hardwood, which are softwood, and which are the safest choices for toys? Hardwood is most often used to make wooden toys because it is durable. Its resistance to cracking and cracking make it an ideal material for children’s toys. Hardwood toys are more likely to withstand chewing, throwing and beating. Because toys made of hardwood are usually of better quality, you will find that they are usually more expensive. Hardwood is the safest wood for making baby toys.

Solid Wood VS MDF 

VS

It’s common knowledge that not all plastic toys are made equal, but did you know the same is true of wooden toys?

While there are countless advantages to wooden toys over plastic, it’s not like all wood is created equal. In today’s throw-away culture, where landfills are filling away quicker than ever, being a well-informed consumer can go a long way toward helping the environment.

I want to discuss the differences between softwoods, hardwoods, and MDF/plywood/compressed wood in this blog. Why? Because selecting the correct type of wood for a toy can be difficult.

Some of the most popular hardwoods are:

Beech

Beechwood is a common choice for toy manufacturers because it is durable, easy to shape, delicate and beautifully textured. Check out these fruit and vegetable dominoes carved from beech wood.

Oak

Oak is a good choice for making wooden toys because it is very strong, dense and durable. It is also extremely water resistant, making it an ideal teething chew toy for babies and children. PoppyBabyCo offers a number of toys carved from oak, such as this oak puzzle or baby teeth.

Maple

This is another great hardwood for toys. With fine grains that don’t splinter easily, maple is a heavy wood that makes durable, long-lasting wooden toys. See our maple and oak stacking toy. 

Birch

Looking for a very wear-resistant hardwood? All right, look no further. Birch is not only durable, but lighter and cheaper than maple, making it perfect for making high-quality wooden toys like our Rainbow sailboat stacker.

Walnut

Walnut is a great choice for wooden toys, as it’s hard but not extremely heavy. However, be aware of potential nut allergies when working with or purchasing toys made out of walnut wood. Check out our beautiful number puzzle made of walnut wood.

Ash

Ash makes great wooden toys due to its high shock resistance. It’s also a less expensive wood, and when left untreated, it’s non-toxic. This makes it the perfect wood for toys like our cute Waldorf dog puzzle.

Softwoods

Common softwoods used for toys are:

Poplar

A sturdy, durable, and reliable choice of wood, poplar makes quality wooden toys. Poplar is an easier wood to carve and is less likely to splinter.

 Pine 

 Spruce

Cedar

 Basswood

Overall, softwoods isn’t as good of an option for toys as they dent, splinter, warp, and crack much easier than hardwoods do. However, wooden toys carved from softwood can be fine if you have an older child that won’t be throwing and chewing on their toys.

Plywood/MDF

The last wood used for toys is plywood and MDF. While some might say it’s still environmentally friendly, MDF is full of chemicals, including formaldehyde. Formaldehyde can cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation – which is exactly what you want your kids to see, right?

It is said that once the wood product is sealed, it will not come into contact with the toxic chemicals of MDF. However, MDF is weak. Once wet, it cracks, cracks and swells easily. In addition, one of the main causes of formaldehyde in the home comes from wood pressing products.

Imagine that your child is playing with a wooden toy made of MDF. They kept banging on it – throwing it over and over again because they liked the sound it made. They kept chewing on the toy, and eventually all the drooling, banging, and throwing wore it down. Now it has been weakened to the point of rupture, exposing the chemicals sealed inside.

While it may be tempting to buy toys made of MDF, keep in mind that the risks associated with it are not worth the cheap price. Not to mention, MDF is not as durable as quality wood, so while you can save money up front, toys made with cheap materials will be discarded long before they are used by the next generation.

What is the best oil for wooden toys?

When buying wooden toys, you want to make sure they are finished with paints and oils that are safe for children. Most likely, the toy will end up in your child’s mouth at some point, so make sure the oil or paint on the toy is non-toxic. 

You can rest assured that any toy made with these oils will be completely safe for your little one. If you are buying wooden toys for babies, it is best to make them unfinished or just oiled. Luckily, at Tooky toy has you covered! We have an extensive line of high quality wooden baby toys rubbed in linseed oil or beeswax. What is the best paint for wooden toys?

Sometimes people get caught up in the fact that the toy is made of wood and forget about the paint on it. Some wooden toys may be advertised as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable,” but they’re covered in stains, shellac, or chemical-filled paint. It’s important to look beyond the surface of a company’s advertising. Be sure to read the materials used in wooden toys. If you’re buying painted wooden toys, look for ones with the following paints:

·  Water-based, non-toxic acrylic paint

·  Water-based, non-toxic latex paint

·  Non-toxic milk paint

At Tooky toy, we only used water-based paints to ensure the safety of every child playing with our toys. We understand that while the price and design of a wooden toy play an important role in your purchasing decisions, the safety of our children is our top priority. 

The End of Tooky

Tooky is a leading 19 years wooden toy supplier based in China. Below are our main 7 values. If you are interested in importing wooden toys, feel free to CONTACT us.

1) Products-Over 500 fine-selected products + over 40 quarterly new launches. 

2) Free customized designs-9 experienced product managers, will convert toys into with your brand characteristics

3) Customized package-4 packaging experts offer not only safe packages, but legal labeling for market access

4) Test report-Not sure of testing standards? You can leave the test with us till we get a final “pass” report as the market requires

5) Lifestyle pictures-Never feel helpless about marketing! Will offer you lifestyle pictures if you need

6) Short videos-Check with our sales for “Short Video Paid-Service & Discount Program”

7) Exclusivity program-After spending a tremendous amount of resources on marketing and advertising, we may see competitors sharing our fruits of labor by carrying very similar products. How to obtain some kind of protection? An “exclusivity program” needed to be put in place, check with our sales.

Any comments, pls contact me sales42@tookytoy.com