Hi friends! Stacey here. 👋

It's October, which means gift lists are starting to float around.... birthday wish lists, "what does the baby need?" texts from grandma, and that little voice in the back of my head reminding me the holidays are closer than they look.

So I thought it was the perfect time to dust off one of the very first questions we ever tackled on this blog: why wooden toys? Back then I shared a short note and a link. Today I want to give you the real answer, the one Jesse and I have been living for well over a decade now.

Why I Still Believe in Wooden Toys

Jesse and I started Bannor Toys in 2011 out of a home workshop. At the time I was running an in-home daycare, so my days were full of little ones and their toys. And let me tell you.... spending your days around kids teaches you a LOT about what a toy really needs to do.

It needs to survive. It needs to hold their attention without doing all the work for them. And honestly, the best ones are the toys you don't mind tripping over in the living room. That's what we set out to make, and it's still what we make today.

7 Reasons Wooden Toys Are Worth It

1. They last. Solid hardwood can handle being dropped, stacked, knocked over, gnawed on and dropped again. A well-made wooden toy can outlive the childhood it was bought for, which is exactly what makes it an heirloom.
2. They leave room for imagination. No batteries, no flashing lights, no pre-recorded voices. A block can be a phone, a car, a cake or a castle wall. When the toy does less, your kiddo gets to do more.
3. They feel good in little hands. Wood has a little weight and warmth to it, and every piece has its own grain pattern and natural markings from the tree it came from. No two are exactly alike, and I love that.
4. They're made from simple materials. Ours are made from natural, unstained hardwood, mostly rock hard maple, which is dense and non-splintering. Simple materials are easy to feel good about.
5. They grow with your child. A set of alphabet blocks is for stacking and knocking down at one, for naming colors and pictures at two, and for spelling out names a few years later. Same toy, new game.
6. They're (a little) quieter. I'm not promising silence.... kids will always find a way to make noise! But no electronic songs on repeat? I think most parents would say amen to that.
7. They become keepsakes. Add a name, and a toy turns into something that gets tucked into a memory box and pulled back out for the next generation. That's the whole reason we personalize.

What to Look for in a Good Wooden Toy

Whether you shop with us or someone else, here's what I'd check before buying any wooden toy for a little one:

• Solid hardwood. Dense woods like maple hold up best and resist splintering.
• Smooth, sanded edges. Run your fingers over it. If it feels rough to you, it's rough for baby.
• Safety you can confirm. Look for toys that are CPSC Compliant, and don't be shy about asking a maker how their toys are tested.
• The right size for the age. Pay attention to age guidance, and always supervise teethers and grasping toys.
• Simple, open-ended design. The toys kids come back to are usually the ones that can be played with a dozen different ways.

For what it's worth, here's how we do it: most of our toys are made right in our own workshop. Our toys have been third-party lab tested and are CPSC Compliant, and we inspect and test them in-house every year. Small batch, real people, and a whole lot of sanding. 😊

A Few Favorites for Gift Season

If you're starting your list, here are a few that make my heart happy:

• Picture Alphabet Blocks: maple blocks with colorful pictures and a bold capital letter, made to be passed down to the grandbabies.
• Saturn Ring Wooden Baby Teether: rock hard maple rings with food-grade silicone beads, and you can add a name to the largest ring.
• Polar Bear Grasping Toy: such a sweet pick for baby's first winter, and it can be engraved with a name too.

A quick tip if you're shopping for the holidays: orders ship from us in 1–4 business days, then standard shipping takes 3–5 days (or 2–3 with Express). Shipping is free in the USA on orders $60+, so it's a great time to grab a gift for every little one on your list.

Thank you for being here and for choosing toys that are meant to be loved for a long, long time. We have always had confidence in YOU, and we're so grateful you keep trusting us with your kiddos' playtime. ❤️

Talk soon,
Stacey