Tuesday, September 30, 2008
What is a Toy Box (furniture)?
Toys categorization of furniture:
1. Upholstered Rocker and Ottoman (Couch); Recliner V.I.P. Sofa collection
2. Denim Kids bedroom collection;
3. Vanilla Mates bed;
4. Twin bunk bed with under-bed sliding drawers;
5. Sweet dream study wall-5 pc;
6. Computer desks; Girls techno mobile desk
7. High heel shoe puffing(Couches) or chairs
8. Disney princess and Fairytopia styled kid box cabinets;
9. Home doll house storage with bookcase attachment;
10. Pastel storage unit with canvas and plastic bins;
11. 9-Bin Toy organizer explorer cabinet;
12. Wooden carriage toy box;
13. Wooden and plastic circus entertainment center;
14. Locker collection: Kids locker night table with two storey shelves in bottom;
15. Disney’s `Cars` collection Toy box.
Wooden Toys and Plastic Toys - Know the Difference
1. Wood can be made into toys suitable for outdoors or indoors. Plastic toys break easily, and is no where near wooden toys when it comes to durability.
2. Miniature wooden toys make the ideal gifts for both adults and children.
3. Wooden toys are often pass the test of time with flying colors, as they never seem to fade away.
4. Wooden toys are excellent toys for pretend play. They can be reused again and again to play out different scenarios, thus providing hours of fun and entertainment.
5. Simple wooden toys engages children and motivates them to think.
6. The color, size and shape of wooden toys may vary. Young children can benefit from wooden toys greatly because toys like wooden puzzles help a child's mind to grow.
7. Wooden toys are suitable for both boys and girls. There are toys like toy cars and toy furniture that are suitable for both genders.
There are many different types of wooden toys. They include flyers, soft toys, puzzles, pedal cars, toy furniture and more. A mint condition wooden toy means that it comes with its original toy box. And these toys are often worth more. In the popular fairy tale Pinocchio, the puppet is made from wood.
For education purposes, many wooden toys such as beads, mazes and puzzles are used. This is because they don't break easily and can be used over and over again.
Plastic eventually starts to replace wood when it comes to making toys and its cheaper for mass production. Hence, many toy makers switched to plastic. But given the many advantages wooden toys have over plastic toys, wooden toys will never truly be replaced.
Toy collectors like collecting wooden toys more because they are more durable. And although plastic toys cost less than wooden toys, they often break more easily, making them less desirable to keep in a collection. Also, isn't it funny why wooden toys have managed to retain its popularity over the years? That's because there are many different types of wooden toys, and surely, some must have captured the hearts of the collectors.
So where do you start looking for wooden toys? The Internet of course! The Internet is a good place to source for wooden toys as most modern toy stores don't have them on their shelves any more. Once you manage to find the toy that you want, learn how to preserve it.
It's rather simple to preserve a wooden toy. Protect it from dirt and grind by cleaning the surface with some clean water regularly. A rust inhibitor is optional.
It is not uncommon to find wooden toys that cost much more than plastic toys. That's because crafting a sophisticated wooden toy takes years of practice and experience.
Finally, assume nothing when it comes to safety. Always read the labels to make sure that paints are child friendly before giving the wooden toy to a child.
The Interesting Origins Of Educational Wooden Toys
One would think with all the bright gadgets and gimmicks overloading children's senses in today's toy market, they wouldn't have any time for the simpler things in life. This is not the case, as wooden toys are still as popular as they ever were. Toys made from wood have a certain straightforwardness about them that encourages a child to use their imagination. It doesn't matter whether they are painted bright colors or natural, kids love to play with them.
A Brief History of Wooden Toys
Archaeologists have reported finding spinning tops made from wood as evidence that wooden toys have been around since ancient times. Hand crafted dolls and animals have been found which were made for children in dating back as far as 1100BC. Wood for toy making would have been their first choice since it is so readily available and not hard to work with. Wooden building sets, dolls houses, jack-in-the-boxes and jig saw puzzles are all wooden toys designed in the 1800's which are still very popular today.
Toy Peddlers
It was in the sixteenth century that Germany started producing toys for trade. The men who made them would travel around the country selling them as they went. They were time consuming to make, and were considered a treat or gift for unforgettable events. Some craftsmen were lucky to be enlisted to make toys for the royals, and were paid well for their work.
Educational Wooden Toys
Whenever we think of wooden toys we think of the little blocks with the alphabet painted on them or engraved into the wood. Toys that children could learn from date back as far as the eighteenth century in the UK. When adults saw how much a child could develop their imagination playing with the blocks, they sought out more miniature friends for them. Small hand crafted animals and dolls then became more common.
If you don't think alphabet blocks then you definitely think wooden trains when you hear about vintage toys. It was in the nineteenth century that a lot more thought was put into creating children's toys. Craftsmen developed revolutionary items like the jack in the box, wooden army men, complex houses for girls dolls and wind up toys with moving parts. They made trucks and trains with tracks and just about anything appropriate they could to make children feel like miniature versions of their parents.
Wooden Building Toys
The twentieth century saw a boom in the building industry, both commercial and domestic. It seemed relevant, with so many father's going to work, that a range of toys be bought out for children who wanted to be like their dads. Interlocking and interchangeable pieces that came in sets so children could build things is what they released. Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys are two companies who produced these wooden toys, and they are still around today.
There are so many flashing, plastic, battery operated toys in stores that it comes to the point where they all seem to blend into one. It is so lovely to see a child surrounded with hi tech toys and their eyes still light up when a wooden train is introduced. They may be more expensive because they aren't mass produced in Asia, but they pass the test of time and have great benefits in stimulating a child's individuality and creativity. They are also classic decorations as well.
Summary:
Still nowadays wooden toys are the favorite for many children. They are great for developing creativity and many are designed to educate them as well. Don't fall for the hype of cheap five minute wonder toys, but instead invest in quality that will last lifetimes.
Finding the Right Toy Box for Your Kid
Managing your child’s large number of toys can be an annoying business. There are occasions when you may feel that there is no empty place left in your home as the toys are scattered all over. The best way to organise your home is to purchase a good toy box that will keep all the toys at one place.
Toy boxes are mainly made of wood or plastic and both these materials have its own advantages and disadvantages. But if you are looking for a toy box that lasts long, then the one made of wood is the best. A toy box made of wood can also be refurnished to store more toys or any other things that the child may want to store when he or she grows up. But this property will not be there in a toy box made of plastic. When compared to wooden toy box, plastic toy box is of less weight.
It is possible to personalise the toy box of the child with his or her name or photo. This will make it more interesting for the child to use the toy box. The toy chest or the box comes in different colours and shapes as well. Using a toy box is one sure method to teach the child the initial lessons of cleanliness and order. Toy boxes are made in such a way that the child can handle it easily and safely. There are a lot of online resources, from where you can find a plenty of toy boxes of different makes and shapes.
The Perfect Toy Box for your Child, One to Spark His or Her Imagination!
Wooden toy chests are designed with children in mind. Each toy box or bench has been fitted with slow closing safety hinges. Boxes are constructed with cut-outs under the lid's closing edge to prevent pinched fingers. Many of the toy chests come with casters, making them easy to roll, to rearrange, or to move as needed. All of the toy boxes, toy chests and toy storage benches are constructed from the highest quality wood making them solid and durable.
Toy box interiors are roomy and can be customized with removable dividers to separate toys and books. Toy box exteriors come in a great variety of creations. Many toy chests also function as a bench and toys storage solution and just perfect for waiting areas, daycares or preschool centers. There are styles made specifically for boys, and those that are made just for girls. Many are perfect for both, or for more than one child.
Made with girls in mind there are pastel castles, princess carriages, doll houses, and butterflies. Pink, lavender, or topped with a soft pillow there are many pretty wooden toy boxes to choose from. Picture your little girl dancing around in her fairy costume. As she flutters from her bed to her toy box, she imagines that she is freeing her fairy friends from the enchanted chest. She lifts them out one by one and gives them each a sweet fairy kiss. The child then tenderly tucks each freed creature into bed. By nap time, she has magically broken the spell. But the real magic happens when she cheerfully picks up all her toys and deposits them into her darling pink princess toy chest.
Fire trucks, fire stations, school buses, and circus tents filled with big cats are among the wide variety of choices for little boys. Perhaps you have a son who plays on a little league team. He thinks, breaths, and eats baseball. He is learning to pitch, hit, run bases and to be a good at sport. If only he would learn to put his equipment away instead of leaving it all over his room. A sporty looking wooden toy box with baseball favorite team logo and design would be an excellent motivational tool.
His little brother who looks up to him in every way will want a toy box of his own. He also loves to play baseball, but he dreams of being a train engineer. He will be able to take many exciting trips across the country on his locomotive toy chest. And he won't be without storage space!
With so many creative choices, there is sure to be the perfect wooden toy box or wooden toy chest for your child, one to spark his or her imagination, with its rich colors and specific theme. Adding a wooden toys storage box to your child's play area will be a valuable investment in the life of your child and in your playroom.
Caring For Wooden Toy Boxes
Have you got a very disorganised house or are your kids toys constantly scattered everywhere and you wish that there was something that you could get to organise them better? Well what better of organizing your children’s toys than with a wooden toy box so that your children can have their toys all in one place? It is not to say that they will stay there for long but at least you can put them back in there afterwards.
The great thing is that there is a great selection of wooden toy boxes around to choose from, or if you are a bit of a dab hand at DIY then you could even make one yourself. They can look extremely good in any room, adding an extra bit of character as well as keeping things a lot more organised too.
Making Your Own Wooden Toy Box
If you make your own toy box then you have a chance to be extremely creative and it can be cheaper than actually buying one. If you have an imagination then you could create something that your children will absolutely love. Also the best bit is that if you customise it then there will not be another box like it anywhere else and it would make a great keepsake for your children.
The thing is though that over time they may start to look a bit tattered and worn, but fortunately you can do things to help to protect it rather than just replace it. If you have built a custom toy box yourself then you are not going to want your talent to go to waste, so instead of binning it why not treat it so that it can last for as long as possible. Something that you should keep in mind before you build one is the type of wood that you are going to use. This will prove vital in durability and for how long that the wooden toy box lasts.
To ensure that the wooden toy box looks as good as possible for as long as possible, regular care is essential. For instance, you can wipe it every few days to get rid of any dirt, grime and dust to keep it looking clean. Also after a while you can apply a wood finish to the toy box too. When you clean the toy box you should research what products to use as it may cause damage to the toy box if you use the wrong products. Just by applying the right wood care techniques you and the children can enjoy the wooden toy box for as long as possible.
How to build a wooden toy box
Tips, instructions and design plans for building a wooden toy box yourself.
f you have at least one child, then you need a wooden toybox. A toybox is an efficient way to organize your son or daughter's toys so they don't end up cluttering up their bedroom floor.
There are many different types and styles of toyboxes on the market today. You can easily build a wooden receptacle yourself, though. By building it yourself, you can decide on its size, as well as its design.
The materials you'll need include Pine wood, nails or wood screws, four wheels or casters, a pair of metal hinges, a pair of metal handles, and a lid holder.
A soft wood such as Pine will work well for a toybox. Pine is relatively light, yet sturdy enough to hold the largest of toys. (The wood can be anywhere from a quarter of an inch to a half of an inch thick.) If you want to build a receptacle that measures, let's say, three feet long, and is eighteen inches wide, and a foot a half deep, then you'll need four pieces of measured and cut wood. The two side pieces will need to be three feet long and measure eighteen inches wide. And the end pieces will need to measure
eighteen by eighteen inches. (Remember, you can make the receptacle as long and as wide as you wish.)
These four Pine boards will be the body of the toybox. You should assemble them together by using either nails or wood screws.
Then, measure and cut two more pieces of wood for the top lid and the bottom. Fasten the bottom board onto the body of the toybox by using additional nails or screws; set the lid aside for now.
Most toyboxes that you can buy don't have these, but wheels or casters on the bottom make moving it around much easier. So, the next step is to secure four wheels or casters on the bottom of the receptacle, one at each corner. Use a screwdriver and the included hardware to fasten them on.
Now, carefully flip the toybox so it's right side up on the floor again. Attach the lid to the top of the box by using a pair of metal hinges and the hardware that's included with them.
Then, attach the metal handles - one to each side - by using a screwdriver and the hardware that comes with the handles.
Before you start on the final step of this project, you'll need to add two very special safety features to this receptacle. You'll need to add a lid holder and a finger saver. A lid holder is a long metal piece that slides up and down. It's connected at each end to the lid of the toybox and to the inside body of the receptacle. You'll need the included hardware and a screwdriver to install it. A lid holder locks the lid open so it can't fall down and hurt your child.
You can make a simple finger saver yourself by cutting a small chunk of wood that measures about an inch square. Position it inside of the receptacle, along the front corner, so that it extends slightly above the side. Secure it into place with a wood screw. Now, if the lid happens to slam shut, it won't shut completely. This means that your son or daughter won't get their fingers pinched!
Finally, sand down the rough edges of the Pine wood, then either paint or stain the wooden toybox to your liking.