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By Mom Unplugged, February 7, 2008 9:31 pm

Weekly Toy Recommendation:

I once recommended one of our favorite travel toys, this wooden lacing block. But I recently stumbled upon these two adorable little wooden lacing blocks that might also be fun for little ones! You have a choice between the Apple or the Beehive.

Little fingers love to thread laces in and out of holes, or simply explore the holes with fingers alone. The wooden “needle” is firmly attached to the block by the thick lace so it can’t be lost or easily used as a weapon against sister (although I am sure some might try, I know my son has).

Of course lacing toys promote the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Plus kids just find them fun!

These two little ones are made by the same manufacturer as our very sturdy block that has now made it to child number three after a very hard life in the car/restaurant toy bag. So hopefully this model will prove to be as durable.

One point to consider: Although they seem like high quality toys, until I see evidence to the contrary, my guess is that they are probably made in China. If the paint makes you nervous, then I would urge you to consider our less cute original one that is natural wood (except for the lacing needle which is painted). I’ll put in a link below.

You can also find some slightly more expensive, but very nice lacing toys made in Europe or the US by searching through some of the Unplugged Toystores. For example, here is a cute ladybug made in Poland, or an apple (with attached needle) made with “food-grade” materials.

NOTE: I have to add this extremely cute lacing squirrel I just found!! - Made in Lithuania

Happy lacing!

Comments (3)

By Mom Unplugged, December 14, 2007 12:29 pm

I had one of these as a child and just loved it. Even my mother had one as a child! My daughter has had one since the age of six and enjoys hers too.

This easy-to-use knitting contraption lets children simply knit long “snakes” that can be coiled and sewn together to make any number of projects.

There is something so calming and zen-like about knitting and this is a great way to introduce this calming activity to your children. Plus you the parent can also experience peace of mind because, although there are less-expensive plastic versions of this out there, this one is made of wood in Germany by well-respected European toy-maker .

I have also found that it makes a wonderful travel activity since it is very small, light, and easily packable in a carry-on toy/activity bag. It would fit in a Christmas stocking too!

Are the “snakes” piling up with no purpose? Then here is also a link to a great book that has lots of fun and easy craft ideas for using all these little “snakes.”

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By Mom Unplugged, September 19, 2007 6:04 pm

This is a simple, classic wooden toy that teaches the concepts of size, shape, color, and sequence! I first saw one of these in my children’s Montessori classroom and was pleased to be able to find one to have at home too.

The idea is simple. There are four sets of five blocks. Each set is a different color and shape. The wooden board has a hole for each block. Children must arrange the blocks in the rows of holes sequence from shortest to tallest.

As with all good toys, children can actually play with this multiple ways. Sometimes they simply like to use the twenty colorful shapes as building blocks, other times they sequence them on the board as they are “supposed” to do.

Here’s another idea: Put the blocks in a bag and have your child (by touch alone) pull out all the triangular shaped ones for example. Or just put in one set and have your child try to pull them out from smallest to largest!

This block board is very durable since is ours is now on child number three without so much as a chip in the paint. At $8.99, I personally think the price is great for such a long lasting and educational wooden toy.

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By Mom Unplugged, May 2, 2007 3:43 pm

The object of this classic game is to get four in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. This tiny version comes in a little 4″ x 5.5″ tin that is ideal for travel or a stocking stuffer.

I generally prefer travel toys with very few small pieces, so all these little balls could be a car or airplane disaster. I only recommend this as a travel toy for children old enough to manage the balls without spills (also not good around babies). But for older kids, or even adults, this is a great game!

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By Mom Unplugged, April 6, 2007 10:25 am

This one is very simple and has been around for a long time. I believe that string games exist in just about every culture. Really all you need is a piece of string, but this set is nice because it comes with a sturdy string as well as a book of instructions.

The instructions are simply presented and well-illustrated so that children can learn the two person Cat’s Cradle game as well as how to make string-figures like Witch’s Broom, Eiffel Tower, and Jacob’s Ladder.

This makes a great travel game (it is easy to pack a string!) or stocking stuffer. My 6 year-old loved it and has taught her friends how to play. It brought back memories for me too. I discovered that I can still remember how to make Cat’s Whiskers after 30+ years!

This second book, is nice to have too: