As a new mother, I had no idea what types of toys my baby would want to play with in her first 18 months. I would watch her development and monitor her milestones to find fun toys for her along the way. To save you the same pain, I’ve put together a list of some of Harper’s favorite toys that also happen to be made of wood, so they are safe AND fun! I also tried hard to find toys that would get more than a few months of use.

Hape Alphabet Abacus

The Hape Alphabet Abacus Wooden Counting Toy is actually recommended for kids ages 3-5, but my little one started playing with it around a year and would have fun spinning the letters and numbers. I originally just had it displayed as a cute item in her play area, but now she always gets it out to play with it and looks at the pictures on each block. Can’t wait for many more years of fun and learning with this one!

About Hape…
Hape is a German toy company that uses wood and water-based paints for all of their toys. I like this because Germany has much stricter safety standards than the United States to protect against the use of lead and other heavy metals in toys.

Hape Puppy Pull Along Toy

Harper loves dogs and got the Hape Walk-A-Long Puppy Wooden Pull Toy for her 1st birthday. She loves watching the puppy’s ears and tail move. At first, it was hard for her to pull the puppy without it falling over, but I know she will get better at it and be able to play with it more during her second year.

Hape Shape Sorter

The Hape Shake and Match Toddler Wooden Shape Sorter Toy comes with wood blocks with beads inside that make the blocks fun to shake. At around 14 months, she had fun shaking the blocks and putting them inside through the larger hole on top. At 16 months, this toy helped her learn colors and shapes by matching the blocks with the right color side and shape. I also love that the blocks are easily stored inside, so we haven’t lost a piece yet. This is a favorite in our house!

Melissa & Doug Wooden Stacker

The Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker Wooden Ring Educational Toy became fun for Harper starting around 10 months. At first, she had fun taking all of the blocks off. Then, she started putting the blocks back on and stacking around 12 months. We have also been using these blocks to learn colors.

EverEarth Garden Activity Cube

The EverEarth Garden Activity Cube EE33285 has been one of Harper’s favorite toys since she could sit up and play. She loved to spin the blocks and wheels on the sides. Once she started to stand up, she began playing with the bead maze on top. She also loves taking off the magnetic wood blocks. The toy is well-made and is something I believe she will play with for years to come.

EverEarth Rocking Horse
The EverEarth Bamboo Rocking Horse EE33559 is made out of sustainable, solid bamboo. This toy does arrive in pieces and you must build it but the steps are fairly simple. Harper started using the rocking horse at about 13 months and loved it from the start. It took her about a month to learn how to get on and off by herself. She loves getting to rock back and forth on her horsey.

I am always on the hunt for new toys. Please share your favorite wood toys or toy makers in the comments!