So why do we pay a premium for wood (and natural fiber) toys when the plastic versions are so much cheaper? Here are five reasons our family (and lots of others) makes that choice:

1. Wood Toys Are Safer

Wood toys made in the U.S. and Europe are lead-free. Beyond local and European regulations about lead paint, a number of wood toy manufacturers have taken extra steps to ensure the safety of their creations — and their customers.  For example, many use vegetable dyes, non-toxic glues and mineral oil finishes.

2. Wood Toys Are More Sensory

From their simple lines to their subtle designs, wood toys offer children (and their parents) a total sensory experience.  They are lovely to look at, they are weighty and warm in your hand, and they have a natural woody smell.

3. Wood Toys Encourage More Creative Play

Yeah, I know, little ones love that red Elmo guy, but the attraction of battery-operated noise makers wears off quickly. Wooden toys, on the other hand, promote open-ended, imaginative play. With wooden toys, children provide the motion/action.  With battery operated toys, the play experience is more passive: Watching, not doing.

4. Wood Toys Are (Far) More Durable

Natural wooden toys are built to last.  They wear better with age and can usually withstand rough play from children of all ages.  If a wooden toy does break or chip, it can be repaired with wood glue, sand paper, or paint — unlike a plastic toy, which usually gets thrown away when a little part inevitably snaps off.

5. Wood Toys Are Green

Wood is natural, biodegradable and recyclable. Plastic, on the other hand, is made from petroleum, which as you know releases toxic chemicals into the air during manufacturing. Wood toys won’t be sitting in landfills 100 years from now.  Plastic toys will still be in that landfill in 500 years.

But what about cost?

That’s all well and good, but aren’t wood toys more expensive that plastic toys?  Yes.  As a rule, yes. Especially when you have a penchant for heirloom-quality wooden toys.  We had a wooden play kitchen made for my son’s second birthday.  All natural oak, no MDF. I paid more than three times what I would have for a “high-end” plastic kitchen.

But given their many benefits, I am convinced of their long-term value.  My grandchildren will play with that kitchen. The plastic one with Dora on it?  I doubt it. Plus, the price point of wooden toys gives me the incentive I need to keep our toy collection in check. And I definitely find that the fewer, more open ended toys we have, the more creatively and independently my children play.

Does your family love wood toys as much as we do?  What’s your rationale?