At the root of it, creativity is a skill that starts with the choices we make to express ourselves. Early on, kids begin choosing their favorite colors, making up dances and creating hand gestures, all of which build up to an original expression of themselves. They like what they like and choose what they choose, typically uninhibited, typically unprompted. And while seemingly basic, learning to express ourselves authentically is where our creative journey begins.
Here are a few ways we can encourage that early art of self-expression at home.
- Give kids space to explore and experience. Let the little ones smell, touch and tinker freely (and safely!). These connections help open young minds to the possibilities of the world and their place in it.
- Celebrate freedom. Encourage them to make decisions, even if it’s just choosing which shirt to wear or which dance music to play. When we bask in their individuality, we also help them build confidence in themselves and their choices.
- Provide resources for their artistic discovery. Designate a corner for their messes. Invite them to paint, dance, play musical instruments and sing. Ask open-ended questions and explore answers together.
- Tolerate mistakes. Let them make their mistakes, then reflect and try again in a safe space. Kids who fear failure are typically less likely to take bold creative chances, even as they get older.
Like many skills, creativity develops in childhood and strengthens and grows as we continue to practice it. It permeates every subject we learn and every part of our lives, whether we’re writing, cooking, coding, presenting or playing games. While schools encourage creativity in varying degrees, the degree to which they do isn’t something we can easily choose or change. And that’s okay. The opportunity to keep a child’s creative skills sharp and ready also comes through in small, everyday ways at home. If you have any tips for more creative nurturing, share them with us below!
The Japanese have an aesthetic philosophy called wabi-sabi: the embrace of natural imperfections. It refers to finding beauty in things that are asymmetric, unfinished or irregular. Wabi-sabi is a sign of life, a reminder that everything evolves and sustains beauty in just being. This timeless concept — more layered than we can describe here — encapsulates what we appreciate about wooden toys in their natural, imperfect state.
Many wooden toys are handcrafted, which makes each piece even more one-of-a-kind. No two pieces will look exactly alike and this sets it apart from the uniformity we’re used to with plastic toys and other modern products. Our expectations have to be (re)set properly when it comes to wooden toys, so that we can appreciate them for what they are, and what they are not.
Photo Credit: Letter in Pine
Here are a few natural imperfections to expect with handcrafted wooden toys.
KNOTS, SPOTS AND STRIPES
A tree throughout its life develops knots, spots and stripes that represent its life story. Toymakers usually don’t cut out these marks because doing so is largely an unsustainable practice. That dark knot in the middle of your rainbow, or an inconsistent grain pattern on your blocks — those are unique, natural and perfectly safe for children.
ASYMMETRY
Asymmetry can drive the perfectionist in us crazy but when buying handcrafted wooden toys, it comes with the territory. This can mean asymmetry in colors, grain patterns, cuts or shapes, especially for designs that integrate the natural shape of the wood. Wooden rainbows — recently popular — are especially prone to asymmetry. But that certainly doesn’t make them any less fun or functional!
VARIED TEXTURE
Handcrafted wooden toys usually retain their natural texture, which in most cases is not as smooth as plastic toys. This texture can actually help early learners develop their grip, as well as expose them to a new sensory experience. As kids play with their wooden toys, they’re likely to add their own dents and scuffs, ultimately adding to a perfectly unique texture.
UNEVEN PAINT COLORS
Not only do different types of wood absorb paint differently, different parts of the same piece may as well. We also see different types of paint, stains and dyes that only add to the variations you see among wooden toys. Toymakers make their own choices in this regard and those choices become part of their style.
With all this said, wooden toys can indeed have real issues. If your toys have splinters, cracks or chips, then those should be fixed or replaced before giving it to your child to play. This may happen from time and time and at Schoolyard, we’re happy to work with you to resolve these issues. Please remember though that many handcrafted wooden toys are made by small workshops, and a little kindness for their art goes a long way.
One final point from us. Not all wooden toys are entirely handcrafted, and you’ve definitely seen toys made with machines that achieve greater consistency. However, this doesn’t preclude them from the natural properties of wood, so imperfections will still come through. Wabi-sabi. Across the board though, many wooden toys offer similar benefits for play, and your choice for one over another — if any, even — is up to you.
Toymakers, the wonderful people who make kids happy. We’ve been them and known them, and we’re out to be a platform that’s as welcoming to small, emerging toy brands as we are to bigger brands. Here’s what that means for us.
FAIR TRADE
We’re committed to supporting smaller, independent, emerging toymakers and their ability to earn a fair profit. We use a distribution model that’s fair and financially sustainable, to ensure that our toy partners earn the proper value of their ideas, design and labor. In doing so, we set our prices where they need to be — not significantly more or less — so that our company can strive to do good for everyone, including you, our customers.
“HOMEGROWN” BRANDS
We’re working hard to draw attention to the world-class toys being created here in our region! Asia has long been a manufacturing hub for toys and we’re excited to see more “homegrown” toy brands emerge in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, China and India, among others. Small as they may start, we love discovering their toys, following their journeys and partnering with them when the opportunity is right. Check out the range of brands in our launch collection.
If you have a favorite small business toy brand — from anywhere! — we’d love to hear. Drop us a note in the comments below or chat with us directly.
QUALITY TOYS
We seek out world-class toys made with a genuine purpose to entertain and educate children as they grow. Expertly curated from toymakers around the world, we select toys for their design, purpose, safety and function. In our unrelenting search for quality, we’re also adamant about choosing toys that can be sold at fair and reasonable prices!