Best
wooden toys
TechnoBuffalo
2022

The best wooden toys make great gifts for kids of all ages. Step away from the plastic and keep things traditional by choosing to invest in a collection of wooden toys. More tactile than artificial materials, stronger than a lot of plastics and durable to last and last for years, wooden toys are a savvy choice for parents and carers to make. We’ve found some excellent options for suitable for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Pepe Pull Along

Encourages walking:
Hape Pepe Walk-A-Long wooden puppy


Staff Pick

Perfect for little ones aged one and up, Pepe Pull Along is a childhood classic. Made of wood, with a non-toxic finish and robust rubber wheels, Pepe works as a push along toy for non-walkers, then a pull along one when they have found their feet.

$23 at Amazon

Melissa and Doug Stacker

Shapes and more:
Melissa & Doug geometric stacker

Melissa & Doug do a wonderful line in wooden toys. This classic stacker is comprised of 25 colorful wooden pieces of rings, octagons, and rectangles that can be matched and stacked on three rods. It’s great for hand-eye coordination and learning colors.

$20 at Amazon

Play22 Wooden Train

Fun by the carload:
Play22 wooden magnetic train set

All children love a choo-choo train! This lovely set gives you three wooden engines and a variety of wooden carriages that attach with magnets. This comes complete with a little wooden shelving unit for storage, so makes a great gift.

$20 at Amazon

Coogam Wooden Puzzles

Colorful brainteasers:
Coogam wooden jigsaw puzzle set

With no sharp edges and non-toxic paint, younger children can enjoy the tactile feel and bright colors of this six puzzle set. When they’re a little older, they can enjoy the challenge of putting the puzzle pieces in the correct positions, so good for critical thinking and coordination.

$18 at Amazon

Skwish Classic

Shake and chomp:
Manhattan Toy Skwish classic rattle and teether toy

This is a rattle, a teether, a geometry toy, and a clutch toy to encourage motor skills. Suitable for the tiniest of tots, the elastic linking the beads and dowels “squishes” down to fascinate little learners, but always pops back up for more fun.

$10 at Amazon

Hape Music Bench

Make beautiful music:
Hape Pound & Tap bench with slide-out xylophone

Designed to promote dexterity, hand-eye coordination, arm movement, and understanding cause and effect, this multi-functional toy combines a pounding bench with a xylophone for a musical mashup suitable for kiddies over the age of one.

From $26 at Amazon

Wooden Alphabet Blocks

Learn letters and stacking:
Wooden alphabet blocks in a wagon

This set is a miniature version of the old fashioned alphabet blocks and comes in a small wooden wagon that is handy for storage. Younger children will enjoy stacking the blocks and knocking them over, while older kids can use them to learn their ABCs.

$15 at Amazon

Tree Top Adventure

Spin, slide, and turn:
Manhattan Toy Tree Top Adventure activity center

This brilliant option will keep a toddler entertained for hours as they explore each quadrant and all the little activities they offer. There’s gliders, springy flaps, spinning dials, and bead runs, all in lovely bright colors and crafted from kid-safe painted wood.

$76 at Amazon

Coogam Tetris

Shape organization:
Coogam wooden shape puzzle

Although toddlers might enjoy stacking the brightly colored puzzle pieces, this game is best suited to pre-schoolers who can challenge themselves to solve the Tetris-themed puzzle, developing their problem-solving and logical thinking skills.

$9 at Amazon

Melissa and Doug Pounding Bench

Colors and coordination:
Melissa & Doug deluxe pounding bench

While some kids play intricate, imaginative games, others just like to hit things with a hammer. That’s where this pounding bench comes in. Let them release their inner Bamm-Bamm with this wooden peek-a-boo game that’s durable enough to take a beating.

$16 at Amazon

Ditch the plastic

Our overall staff pick, the Pepe Pull Along Walk-A-Long Wooden Puppy, is such a great value wooden toy. Under supervision, babies can enjoy holding and exploring the doggy shape and turning the wheels, non-walkers can push the puppy around on the floor, then Pepe can be used as a pull along toy when they are walking.

Also recommended as an option that will see you through different developmental phases is the Wooden Alphabet Blocks in a Wagon. These can be used by younger tots as building blocks, and older ones as an alphabet learning tool, building essential words as they learn their ABCs.

Finally, if you can afford it, and the child has space for it in their home, the Manhattan Toy Tree Top Adventure activity center comes recommended. Toddlers will love all the different little fiddly activities built into the center, and it can also be used as a woodland setting for small toys to be placed on.

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