Eco-Friendly Toy Review: Natural Pod
Want to unleash your child’s creativity? Take away his toys.
No, I’m not Scrooge.
And I don’t mean to imply that you should take away all of your child’s toys; just all of this battery-powered, light-em-up, electro-beeping toys. Not permanently. Just for a day.
For the record, yes, my kids have a few electronic gadgets. So I know how tempting it is to plug them in to something that keeps them safe, quiet, and out of your hair for a few hours. But I also know that while those toys certainly keep my girls entertained they do not get them engaged (I don’t care how much the manufacturers try to push their educational value.)
So I really try to reserve those toys for occasions when their brains need a rest (when they’re sick, when I’m sick, and road trips.) And instead of those toys, I make sure my girls have access to toys that keep their brains active and spark their creativity. Blocks, dolls, figurines, art supplies, puzzles, cars, and trains are some of my girls’ favorites.
Simple is best when it comes to kids toys. And with the holidays approaching, I was pretty excited to come across a company called Natural Pod that makes simple, creativity-sparking toys, like wooden puzzles and musical instruments, hand-sewn plush dolls, hand-dyes play silks and more.
We gave the Tree Branch Blocks (pictured above) a test drive in our house and so far they have been used for stacking, counting, sorting, and of course, to create a home for forest gnomes. Their unusual shapes and sizes are a welcome complement to our collection of symmetrical wooden blocks. And their sturdy construction means that they’ll “stick” around long enough to be passed down again and again.
Jennifer, thanks for the great review. I’m glad your children like the trees blocks. We have a new post on our blog about cleaning out the toy room and getting back to the basics. With the holidays coming this is a helpful idea.
http://www.naturalpod.com/blog
What a fun idea - really like the natural blocks.