The post Rainbows Galore first appeared on Schoolyard.
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Why choose one color when you can have the whole rainbow? We’ve rounded up an awesome selection of toys to celebrate and explore the colors of the rainbow.
Rainbow Stackers by Letter in Pine
Instantly add color to any playroom with these popular stackers. Perfect for open-ended play, kids will love building, balancing, storytelling and much more with these rainbows. For kids aged 2+ years. Pair with the Semi-circle Rainbow Stackers for double the fun!
Light & Color by GummyBox
Light and color make our world brighter, and here’s a fun way to explore it! This activity box from GummyBox includes materials to mix colors, make shadows and learn about rainbows. For kids aged 4+ years.
Unicorn Sock Doll by Peerly’s
Peerly’s rainbow unicorn dolls are beauties! With rainbow manes and wings to fly, these unicorn dolls make fun companions for your imaginative child. For all ages.
Peg Dolls by Letter in Pine
Peg dolls are a classic addition to every wooden toy collection. Simply in aesthetic, these little creations from Letter in Pine are painted in different colors and leave room for plenty of open-ended play. For kids aged 3+ years.
Macramé Rainbow by Wooddo
Knotted with love, these macramé rainbows from Wooddo will add a subtle splash of color to your home. Choose a size, a color scheme, and decide on pom-poms or not. For all ages, young and old.
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]]>The post Holiday Gift Ideas for Kids by Age first appeared on Schoolyard.
]]>Christmas is rolling in fast! We love the merry energy of this season, the lights and glitter of everything around. Understandably though, things also get super frenzied with Christmas preparations, school holidays and family travel (for many, a first in years!). Let us help you check a few things off your list faster — take a look at our gift ideas for kids!
Gifts for Toddlers
Aged between one and three years old, toddlers will love toys that engage their developing motor skills. Toys with elements of building, sorting and moving are a hit. Sprinkle in a little pretend play and their creativity (and cuteness!) will really spark. Here are a few favorites this season.
Gifts for 3 to 5 year olds
Preschool kids are curious little explorers. Equipped with budding language skills, they’ll love these open-ended toys that leave room for tinkering, storytelling and creating. Toys and games that encourage social interactions are also great gifts for these littles!
Gifts for 6 to 8 year olds
As kids start developing stronger preferences, variety is the name of the game! Some kids will be into crafts, others may prefer science experiments, some may love dress-up play, while others yet may choose computer games. Check out this variety of picks for your little big kids!
Gifts for 9+ year olds
Play becomes more layered and complex as kids approach those double digits. With much longer attention spans, older kids stay more engaged with toys that challenge their problem-solving and creative skills. Look out for activities that involve more intricate building, experimenting, creating and even competing. Here are a few ideas!
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]]>The post Creativity and Self-Expression first appeared on Schoolyard.
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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!
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]]>The post 5 Pretend Play Ideas first appeared on Schoolyard.
]]>The land of make believe is an important one for children. Through pretend play, kids not only expand their imaginations but also learn empathy, solve problems and play out their anxieties. While some imagined plots mimic real life situations, others project fictional stories and outcomes, both positive and negative. As kids grow, so too do their storytelling, critical thinking, language and social skills.
While the benefits of pretend play are numerous, our favorite reason to encourage it is that it’s simply fun. Popsicle sticks and stuffed toys can become a pretend animal hospital. A basket can turn into a trip to a pretend farmer’s market. When children let their imaginations take over, their world becomes a fascinating, curious place that we’re lucky to be invited into.
Here are five pretend storylines that we hope will inspire new play ideas in your home. Happy playing!
1. SUPERHERO SCHOOL
Before fighting bad guys and saving the world, superheroes have a lot to learn. Set up a superhero school to train students (read: siblings, parents, stuffed toys!) to become superheroes.
Suggestions for kids to get started:
- Make capes and masks using cloth, paper and elastic
- Set up challenge stations like hopping 10 times on one foot
Take it up a notch! Complement this pretend play with GummyBox’s Superhero Adventures activity box.
2. DESSERTS & CO.
Open up a dessert shop and serve up delicious treats, whether real or pretend. There’s a lot that goes into running a shop, from making yummy treats, to serving them and collecting the bill.
Suggestions to get started:
- Set up a storefront with a menu for customers
- Prepare your cash register to take payments
Take it up a notch! Complement this pretend play with Airin Handicrabby’s Cookie Decorating set or Wooddo’s Ice Cream Stand.
3. CAMPING TRIP
Pack up a bag and head out on a pretend camping trip. Now what goes in a camping bag? We’ll let the little ones sort that out – just remind them to bring the bear spray!
Suggestions for kids to get started:
- Create a trail filled with interesting things like pretend spider webs, bat caves and creaky foot bridges
- Build a tent using cushions, blankets and anything else you can imagine
Take it up a notch! Complement this pretend play with Airin Handicrabby’s Campfire & S’mores set.
4. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
It’s construction season! Fence off an area to build something new – a house, a bridge or perhaps a tunnel? Keep the area clear of pedestrians and make sure to put on proper safety gear.
Suggestions for kids to get started:
- Draw a blueprint of what you want to build
- Gather building materials like wooden toys, paper cups and empty boxes
Take it up a notch! Complement this pretend play with Letterinpine’s Rainbow Stacker, Airin Handicrabby’s Tool Kit and GummyBox’s Construction Zone activity box.
5. MOVIE THEATER
Get your tickets, pick up your popcorn and enjoy the movie! Open the doors to a theater featuring your own movie or one on TV. Other ideas for theater: a concert, circus or comedy show (for those little joke-tellers!).
Suggestions for kids to get started:
- Make tickets and give them out to your movie-goers
- Prepare popcorn and drinks for the concession stand
Take it up a notch! Complement this pretend play with GummyBox’s Movie Magic activity box.
The post 5 Pretend Play Ideas first appeared on Schoolyard.
]]>The post Perfectly Imperfect Wooden Toys first appeared on Schoolyard.
]]>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.
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]]>The post Schoolyard and the Toymakers first appeared on Schoolyard.
]]>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!
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