Myers Natural Toys is one of our favorite small Etsy shops. I got Kai their wave and tree stackers for her birthday, and they are a hit. They are adorable, nice to touch, and expand her play, the perfect toy trifecta.
natural toys
Our Favorite Playdough
I’m not sure which Pinterest post I got this recipe from, but with a little tweaking it produced my go to playdough. It does require cooking, but it makes enough to get three or four good size balls of playdough that you can do different things with, and I feel like the salt gets incorporated better than in other recipes I tried.
Keeping Toys to a Dull Roar
It’s Toy Rotation Tuesday here, so I thought I’d write a little bit about how we deal with toys and gifts.
Handmade Christmas, Week 2
Christmas shopping is in full swing around here. I thought I might make a few suggestions for presents made with natural materials to offset some of the plastic shock that often comes with Christmas. This week I have another list of small scale makers that offer awesome handmade goods.
Helping Grandparents Pick Natural Toys This Christmas
Grandparents tend to get excited about Christmas, I know my mom does. Sometimes this excitement translates into piles of gifts. Plastic, plastic everywhere. I think I’ve seen this question on every mom related Facebook group I’m in, how do I stop the grandparents from buying a ton of plastic toys?
Handcrafted Christmas, Week 1
I’ve already started shopping for Christmas and I know some of you have too. I thought I might make a few suggestions for presents made with natural materials to offset some of the plastic shock that often comes with Christmas. I’m not an Etsy affiliate, so these are just people I love and want other people to love too! This first week of handmade Christmas, here are seven makers who focus on toys and educational materials.
Spotlight on Loose Parts
I first became acquainted with the idea of loose pieces from a Reggio facebook group. Loose parts, architect Simon Nicholson argued, let kids engage in open ended, experimental play. These parts can be used to build, be taken apart, carried around, and used to build something totally new and different. They are the ultimate open end toy.
A (belated) Summer Solstice
TreeMagination Tree Blocks Review
Tree blocks are a wonderful addition to your child’s toys. They are made of natural materials, in natural shapes, making a change from (or addition to!) the standardized shapes and right angles of unit blocks.
This Craftsman Life 
