Wooden Vs Plastic Toys: Which is best?

Wood

With such a huge array of forever changing toys on the market today, many parents ask, "Which is better for my kids, wooden or plastic toys?" Let's look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of each material.

Pros: As opposed to their plastic counterparts, wooden toys are more sturdy, last a long time, and are generally better for the environment. Have you ever had a family heirloom toy that was passed down through the generations? Was it constructed of wood? At the end of the day, when a wooden toy breaks or becomes unusable, it is discarded in a landfill. As compared to plastic-based products, it will degrade quickly (or also become recycled wood, or used as firewood in the home). Wooden toys, particularly in our increasingly tech-savvy world, can be lovely, traditional alternatives to other toys. A child's creativity will flourish if they are given a collection of wooden blocks.

Cons: Wooden toys are more expensive than plastic toys, so careful consideration should be given when choosing the wooden toys to buy. Often check to see if your toy maker uses sustainably harvested wood and if their products meet all safety requirements. Nobody wants their child to get splinters while playing!

Plastics

Pros: Plastic toys are simple to make, acquire, and are typically inexpensive. Another advantage of plastic toys is how easy they are to clean and sterilise. Most plastic toys are now thoroughly tested for protection and are available at almost all toy stores.

Cons: Plastic toys, which can be very sharp, can be extremely dangerous if they break. It's also crucial to look at the type of plastics used in the product. Unfortunately, some plastics take over 1000 years to decompose, something we don't want to leave for future generations to contend with.

The Verdict:

While plastic toys are less expensive and easier to manufacture, when they are no longer in use, they cause much more environmental damage than their wooden counterparts. Wooden toys are more durable, last longer, and can be passed down through the generations as family heirlooms. But, at the end of the day, the most important thing is that whatever toys you buy for your kids are enjoyable, educational, enable their imaginations to run wild, and provide hours of interaction so you get your money's worth. Most of the time, the ambiguity of plain, traditional wooden toys offers so much more than the gimmicky "new plastic thing" on the market, but of course, there are exceptions. The most important factor to remember is that children excel when they are challenged and learning.