. Treasure Blocks

Wood blocks are a wonderful investment for any room. They are a canvas of endless possibility and you can match them to the theme of your child’s room. All you need is a few bottles of acrylic paint and a glossy sealant such as Mod Podge. If your child has a pirate themed room, you can create Jolly Roger flags with black and white paint, wood planks, ocean waves or anything you can imagine. After painting each block, let dry and then, apply the glossy sealant. These are a beautiful and decorative addition to any child’s room.

2. Buried Treasure Toy Chest

A wooden “pirate” chest is the perfect place to house your child’s toys. Telling him that it is a place to “bury all his treasures” will encourage him to keep his prized toys off the floor. You can store your treasure blocks away in clear, shapely containers and set them up on your child’s shelves. Wood toys such as classic ships are also a perfect decorative touch to grace the walls.

You can keep a tidy, design savvy home – even with a houseful of tots. All you need is a little time, a little hard work and most importantly, a BIG imagination.

From baby rattles, to pull along duckies and alligators – there are so many unique items from which to choose. By picking a unique wooden toy over your run of the mill plastic baby keys, you can be sure that your gift will not make it to the returns line or to the bottom of the toy basket. With their traditional and aesthetically pleasing appeal, these toys even have the potential to end up on display in baby’s room.

If you want to be twice as unique, opt for an unfinished wood toy and decorate it yourself. Make sure to choose paints that are baby friendly and not lead based as the toy will certainly make its way to baby’s mouth. If you just cannot find the time to create a masterpiece of your own, create a shower gift basket for mom and baby. Include unfinished wood toys, a variety of paints, artist brushes and a bottle of good glossy or matte sealant. It will be a fun do together project for mom and dad.

The most important thing to remember when choosing a shower gift is stay true to your budget. If you cannot afford a large wood toy, opt for a smaller one instead. Do not stress over counting pennies you do not have. After all, when it comes to gift giving, the only thing that really “counts” is the thought.

Just last week I was reading over a recall alert on my home page. All the recent recall alerts had not really scared me too much until I saw it . . . a tiny metal Spiderman ring that toy companies had warned could cause lead poisoning in small children. I had bought the same exact ring for my son a few months prior. I remembered how he had loved it because it flashed shades of red and blue. He called it his “superpowers ring”. I also began to remember how I had witnessed him many times touching the ring to his face and even once, how I had scolded him for putting it inside of his mouth.

That was when it hit home for me. The dangers of these recent recalls are real and these types of scary situations can happen to any of us. It is so scary to think that my child could have swallowed that ring. If he had gotten sick, I might not have even known what was wrong with him. It was that moment that I went straight to the toy box and threw that ring into the garbage. I began to bring out his wooden blocks, his toy trains and his Lincoln logs. To my surprise, he did not mind one bit. Actually, he seemed to be having a much better time with the wood toys than he did with any of the umpteen plastic toys I had bought him this year.

When it comes to protecting our children, nothing is more important. The great thing about wood toys is that they are all-natural and contain no harmful substances that can make our little ones sick. Make sure to keep your little one safe from the recent recalls and opt for a safer solution that will keep your child happy all while keeping your mind at ease.

Just last year, I watched my son as he pushed a red plastic fire truck across the kitchen floor. It was exactly the same as the one I had bought him the year before – only this one still had all four wheels. After going through several toys that couldn’t stand up to my son, I too began to think about the simpler days when a toy outlasted its first “crash” . . . and even the rambunctious ways of several generations.

My grandfather had an old wooden train that sat atop the fireplace of the den. I can still see him sitting there in his old red recliner and faded overalls as he watched me push it along the floor for hours on in. Born in 1915, he would tell me of the times he himself would see how quickly it could fly from atop the back porch in the summer and how it even survived the roughhousing of my nine aunts and uncles. It was amazing to think that it had been through two World Wars and even the Great Depression. It was more than just a toy. It was a history.

As my mind went back to that old farmhouse, I decided to pass the train down to my own son. When I did, it quickly replaced the likes of that old three wheeled fire truck! I could not stop him – he was all over the house, pushing it across the floor for hours on in . . . just as I used to do and my grandpa before me. It was that instant that I knew why Grandpa had watched me with that same old smile each time I took it from the mantle. It was a magical thing that managed to surpass the seventy-year gap between us and somehow make us both kids again.

To this day, my son still asks me every night before bed to “tell the one about grandpa” one more time. That old train has become something that has bonded us together like nothing else I could ever imagine. We sit and share the stories of a man he never got to meet and only knows through a few old photographs . . . and now, stories attached to one wooden train with a squeaky wheel.

If you do not have your own passed down treasure – create one. When it comes to longing for days gone by, online retailers have heeded the call by breathing new life into the heirloom toy, making it easier than ever to start your own cherished tradition. Wood toys make the perfect heirloom and there is just something so special about knowing that someday your children’s children will be pushing those same toys across the floor. When buying heirloom toys you are buying much more than a manufactured item, you are buying memories and a history that will last for generations to come.

Did you know that it could take up to 50 years for one single plastic bag to begin to deteriorate in the landfill? It’s true. In China alone, 3 billion plastic bags are used every day. If just a few people opted to switch to reusable shopping bags, in as little as one year, they would already have made a dramatic dent in the number of plastic bags that find their way to our landfills.

Wood toys are also a simple way to go green. These toys have a longer shelf life than plastic toys and are also a lot more eco-friendly. With so many recalls being put out these days, as parents, wood toys also offer peace of mind – especially for parents of the smaller sets.

Recycle, recycle, recycle! It’s perhaps the simplest and most known way to “go green”. It does not cost any money to recycle and often does not require an extra trip to a recycling center. Many trash dumps offer a mini-recycling bin within their facility. If yours does not, team up with a neighbor or friend and take turns dropping the items off at your local recycling center each week.

From wood toys to hybrid cars, going green can be as complex or as simple as you make it. Doing your part, simply means doing the best you can within your budget. You do not have to spend a fortune or buy a fancy product to help save the planet. Even the smallest steps can make a big difference.

By “creating”, I don’t mean spending four hours a day locked away in a workshop with a drill and a ton of wood glue. Many specialty online retailers carry unfinished wood toys just waiting for a personal, whimsical touch. Today, let’s explore one of the many wonderful projects that is both parent and daughter friendly.

What little girl doesn’t love dollhouses? Chances are your daughter has begged you for at least one this year. Just imagine . . . if she had a dollhouse unlike any other girl’s in the world! It isn’t a very difficult task to “decorate” the house yourself.

While you can purchase paints especially for wood surfaces, acrylic paints also work well if you finish with a coat of good sealant. Paint your walls with polka dots and cover your floors in pretty shag or animal print fabrics – or whatever suits her fancy. You can also buy unfinished miniatures and create picture frames for your walls. The possibilities are endless. Once you finish your dollhouse, you can begin on the dolls themselves!

Creating wood toys with your child is the perfect project for both you and your daughter. As your daughter outgrows her dollhouse, she can save it for her own children and she will have an oh, so sweet story to share of how you spent your days together creating this one of a kind treasure.

While you can buy specialty paints especially for wood surfaces, cheap acrylic paints also work well and are much more budget friendly. The key to using a cheaper paint such as acrylic is coating the finished piece in a good sealant. Sealants come in glossy and matte finishes. Which one you will choose will depend on the end result you are trying to achieve. While you can cut corners with paint, refrain from skimping out on a good set of artist brushes. Cheaper brushes can be course and hard to work with. A good quality set of brushes usually cost around ten dollars but they will last you many years.

We are going to explore the many possibilities of decorating your own toys. Let’s use a tractor for our example. By painting each part of the tractor in an unusual way, you can create a whimsy that cannot be bought in stores. Try creating polka-dotted tires and striped frames. Old buttons make the perfect “headlights” and “wheel spokes”. It’s also a good idea to use various colors and not stick to just one or two.

So what’s the secret to designing great wood toys? That’s the beauty of it – there is no secret! Simply use your imagination. If you see stars on your paddleboat or pigs flying on the side of your wooden train – just paint it! The only rules are that there aren’t any.

Happy creating!

When choosing a wall design, opt for colors that will easily adapt to your décor as your child grows into a toddler. Remember that he may not always like teddy bears and baby boy blue. Those days of Spiderman, cowboys and Indians will creep up on your sooner than you think! It is a good idea to create aesthetically stimulating walls as both babies and children enjoy being in brightly colored, kid friendly areas. Try painting your walls in a two-tone stripe and customizing your child’s dresser with polka dots in a contrast color.

The wonderful thing about décor is that it is much easier to change than a wall color. Try taking old art frames and painting them bright white – hang them upon the wall and place a clear “art shelf” in the center of each. You now have a wonderful 3-D art frame for a tiny vase with a fresh flower or a brightly colored wood toy. As your child grows, this will also serve as a platform for those macaroni art projects he brings home from school.

Wood toys are also a wonderful touch to any baby’s room. They add a touch of tradition and a wonderful accent to your décor. This is especially true for those pull along duckies – there is just something so joyful about walking into a room with a pull along duckie strung sweetly across the rug.

Creating a baby room that will grow with your child is as easy as one, two, three. The best thing about this project is the hassle it will save you from repainting your walls every two years as your child’s interest change.

Happy Decorating!

If you are extra creative and have the time to devote to the project, opt for painting “faux” stone walls. Many local home improvement stores offer free classes where they teach this technique. It is not difficult – just time consuming. Try painting one wall every two weeks until the job is finished. When complete, you can also go around and add “faux moss” to the stones, another tip that is taught at most home improvement stores. Purchase antique looking mountable wall lamps and use them as your “torches”.

Stores that specialize in Celtic or Medieval items have a variety of wonderful accessories for knight rooms. From inexpensive trinkets all the way up to pricey freestanding suits of armor, they should have almost all you need to create a lifelike “castle”.

Wooden swords and shields make an excellent alternative to dangerous metal. They still look wonderfully realistic, yet, give you the peace of mind that your child will go to bed with all ten fingers and toes! Another wonderful idea is to have a costume box to grace his closet. Fill it with regal robes, toy crowns, costume beards and such. It will give him endless possibilities for pretend play in his “castle”.

Creating a one-of-a-kind boy’s room isn’t as hard as it seems. From faux stone walls, to wood toys and “torches”, you too can give your son a room that is fit for the bravest knight in the land. After all, a boy’s home is his castle!

So just out of curiosity, I clicked upon a “custom made playhouses” link. What I saw took my breath away! It was a beautiful, wood crafted, life-size pirate playhouse! It was spectacular. There were “trap doors”, a “dungeon”, a look out perch and even a faux skeleton that graced the front of the ship. It was interwoven between seven trees. It was a little boy’s fantasyland! While, the price tag was a bit too steep for my purse, it did not stop me from wishing!

As I began to search for other related wooden playhouses, I found all kinds of them – from $400,000 larger than life backyard wonders to modest $300 magical getaways. While of course, my favorite was the $400,000 dollar playhouse – my budget was much, much closer to that $300 dollar mark. While I didn’t have the dough to spend on such an elaborate playhouse, I did ask around town and many home improvement stores have free classes in which you can learn how to build your own playhouses. It was a great place for a real life mom to meet in the middle of luxury and modesty while not skimping out on style.

Whatever your budget, these playhouses make the perfect addition to any backyard. Whether you are young or young at heart, these larger than life wood toys are sure to bring magic to your world and a smile to your face.