Baby Toys - Does Your Baby Need Wooden Blocks?

Does your baby need wooden blocks? Children in developing countries survive and thrive with very little in the way of real toys, receiving stimulation through their family, environment and nature. So while it's clear that wooden blocks are not necessary for a baby's survival, they actually can be a great aid in his entertainment and exploration of the world around him.

Wooden baby blocks have many benefits, and make a great toy for young children because they:

Are made from natural materials; namely, wood. Natural materials are better for children than plastic, which may brings children in contact with chemicals for years after the toy is made.
Improve tactile skills, creating mind-body connections as the young baby grasps, holds, handles, moves, stacks and pushes over the blocks.
Are great for building any number of structures, towers, doll furniture, and thus can be incorporated with a multitude of other games and toys.
Teach little ones about the principles of cause and effect. Toddlers will knock down a tower as many times as you build one, fascinated by the results of their little push to the tall stack of blocks.
Encourage the young child's imagination and imaginative play as they grow. Blocks can become building toys, used to define space, placed in and out of containers, pulled on wagons or pushed in carts, used to make enclosed areas in games and more. Thus blocks encourage, rather than limit, the child's imagination.

The problem with plastic toys designed for one purpose, such as a toy steering wheel or toy cell phone, is that while the child uses his imagination to some extent while playing with them, he is limited by the toys to some extent. They are not free form, nor are they anywhere near limitless in their application. For this reason, a set of wooden blocks is a better toy investment.

Children can turn almost any everyday object into a toy, given the opportunity. Cardboard boxes become forts, caves, cars, boats, beds, houses, tables, and more. Wooden spoons turn into flag poles, paddles, stakes, pirate swords, and back into mixing utensils. Wooden blocks are just as versatile and fun, leaving many other toys far behind in the rankings.

Thus while a child may not need wooden blocks per se, they are an excellent toy choice for babies and toddlers as they will be used for years and grow with the child, truly evolving with his imagination and capabilities.