How to Select Wooden Farm Toys

Select the Best Materials

• 1

  Feel the wood of the farm toys if possible. Select smoothly sanded toys for young children to protect their hands and mouths from slivers.

• 2

  Ask what type of sealant was used on the wooden farm toy. Choose toys sealed with water-based, non-toxic paints and finishes or toys not sealed at all.

• 3

  Go green: Look for wooden toys made of sustainable materials, such as beech, pine or maple. Avoid selecting wooden toys made from endangered or exotic tree species.

• 4

  Select from 100-percent wooden farm toys or wooden farm toys with plastic, rubber or metal accessories.

Select the Shape of the Wooden Farm Toy

• 5

  Choose from many shapes and sizes of wooden farm toys. A wooden mini farm set can be large enough to hold a farmer, tractor, wagon, fences, stalls, trees and animals.

• 6

  Check for wooden farm toys in carved or cut-and-assembled options. Some artisans hand-carve the farm animals and the intricate wooden toys. Others use various saws and other tools to create flat-surface toys. like barns, farmhouses and tractor puzzles.

Select Wooden Farm Toys

• 7

  Look for any merchant carrying Waldorf toys, a high-quality brand of wooden toy.

• 8

  Shop locally during the holidays or at festivals to find artisans specializing in wooden toys. Some may even do custom work, a wonderful option if you'd like to include a toy based on a family pet in the farm set.

• 9

  Make wooden farm toys using twigs for fences and extra wood to craft a rough barn or farmhouse. Use a pocketknife under parental supervision to carve small farm animals and figures.