What Are Waldorf Toys?
At Babipur, we’ve been selling fair trade, ethical, eco toys made from sustainable wood and organic cotton since 2007 but we’ve recently been buzzing about Waldorf toys – but just what makes a toy a Waldorf toy?
Beautiful, sensory and natural
Essentially, Waldorf toys are not just eco toys that are good for the environment but are good for children too. Beautiful, tactile and warm, Waldorf toys appeal to the senses and call upon children to play with them. Unlike many toys in our throw-away culture, Waldorf toys are skilfully crafted from natural materials and are designed to last for future generations. Having been lovingly crafted from natural materials such as sustainable wood, organic cotton, wool and silk, Waldorf toys create a link between the children who play with them and the natural world. Due to the nature of the materials, they need to be treated with care and we think that learning how to take care of the things we own is an invaluable lesson for children.
Learning through imaginative play
Although beautiful to behold, Waldorf toys are usually simplistic – the lack of details allow children to fill in the blanks with their imaginations. They can be used in multiple ways in creative play scenarios, rather than being prescriptive. It is through this discovery of just how many ways one open-ended toy can be used that promotes creative play. Waldorf toys can also help foster independent and imitative play, with children acting out activities they see their parents do, such as cooking or caring for babies.
Waldorf Steiner education
Waldorf toys are inspired by the Waldorf Steiner education movement which advocates learning through thoughtful, creative play at an unhurried pace. Toys play an important part of the learning experience and parents don’t need to subscribe to the Steiner education model to appreciate the toys that have been inspired by the movement.
Step into the Babipur’s wonderful world of Waldorf toys
We sell a wide range of Waldorf inspired toys from various brands including Gluckskafer, Grimm’s Toys, Sarah’s Silks, Bajo, Sew Heart Felt and Keptin Jr. From stacking toys to natural dolls, wooden puzzles, wooden vehicles, curvy rocker boards, play silks, toy kitchens and wooden animals, Waldorf toys will delight children and enrich their play. Here are a few of our favourite Waldorf toys.If you’re looking for an iconic Waldorf toy, look no further than the range of wooden stacking toys and blocks by Grimm’s Toys including the iconic Grimm’s 12 piece rainbow stacker. These natural toys come in a range of shades and sizes, with a rainbow to suit every taste and budget.
The large 12-piece is a fabulous open-ended toy that will wow any child. Choose from soft pastel colours, rainbows, natural wood or monochrome and the blocks can be used in a myriad of ways – stack them up one on top of each other; lean them against one another and watch the rainbow click-clack into place; use as tunnels and bridges for cars and trains; make a cot for baby dolls; create a dolls’ house; use on a farm as animal shelters and fences; make your own ball run… the only limit is your imagination. The 12-Piece Rainbow is even big enough for small children to crawl through and can be spread out to make mermaid tails for their young owners. Steiner educators, nurseries and playgroups will love how this natural toy can be used throughout the day in numerous ways.
These rainbows are cut from a single block of lime wood and the features of the grain show through the water-based colour stain and can run through several different pieces. The sheer flexibility of this open-ended toy, combined with its beauty, craftsmanship and natural qualities mark this out as a Waldorf toy.
Waldorf Dolls
Waldorf dolls are typically made from natural fabrics – their bodies are usually made with soft cotton, stuffed with wool, with wool for hair and the most simple of facial expressions painted by hand. While a smiling plastic doll with a beaming smile must always look happy, a Waldorf doll with a simple, pared back appearance with only dots for eyes and the smallest hint of an expressionless mouth can take on whatever mood the child wishes for them.
We have a range of natural dolls from Grimm’s, Peppa and Keptin Jr that children will adore looking after and are perfect for inspiring imaginative and imitative play. Grimm’s soft Waldorf dolls are ideal if you’re looking for a Waldorf baby doll for an older child or a Waldorf baby toy for a new addition to the family. They’re soft and cuddly in their babygrows and nightcaps, made with natural fabrics and have beautifully simple faces. Suitable from birth.
Peppa fair trade Waldorf dolls are dressed in more grown-up clothing and children will love to get them dressed, practising the practical skills required for getting themselves ready in the mornings.
Wobbel Board
Here at Babipur we are extremely proud to be the first retailer to launch the Wobbelboard in the UK. The Wobbel Board is made from curved wood, but it is much more than curve! Wobbel Board is designed to promote both balance and creativity. Active play is essential for growing children and the Wobbel Board is great for playing with inside and outdoors. Turn it onto its rocker and rock from end to end, sitting or standing, developing core strength and balance, and walk from end to end. Turn it over and have a bridge for toy cars, trains and land yachts to travel under and over. It even makes a stylish seat for little bottoms. The Wobbel Board can bear a load of up to 100kg so can be enjoyed two children at a time, as well as mums and dads too. Made from natural beech plywood, this beautiful rocker board is stylish and wonderfully tactile too. Suitable for toddlers, kids, teens and parents too, this is a toy with heirloom qualities and promises a lifetime of enjoyment. Suitable from 18 months+.
Grimm’s Little Land Yachts
Grimm’s land yachts are fabulous Waldorf toys that come in a pack of four, they are also available to buy individually at Babipur. They can be enjoyed on the floor with the whole family getting involved in races but can also be played with in the bath or at the beach, boating lake or pond, making for a fun sensory experience in the water.
The Grimm’s little land yachts are available to buy individually from Babipur
Made with solid lime wood, these little boats and their peg doll sailors enjoy getting wet but must be dried out slowly and carefully, well away from direct heat which would cause the wood to split. Teaching children how to take care of their favourite toys is a key life lesson and the after-care required is just another way to encourage learning through play. The peg dolls can be removed and played with separately in numerous ways.
Holztiger
Holztiger wooden animals are iconic natural toys – made from solid wood that has been shaped and sanded down and naturally stained to create figures that are wonderfully smooth and tactile. Like Waldorf dolls, they are beautiful but simple with details that are never overstated, allowing children to continue moulding them with their imaginations as they play. Whether building a themed collection of farm, wild or woodland animals, or creating a fabulously higgledy-piggledy set, Holztiger animals will encourage communication and nurturing skills as children imitate animal noises and look after their animals – taking them to water, providing food, a bed and animal friends to play with.
Plan Toys are a super eco toy brand and their educational toys appeal to parents who are looking for toys that encourage learning through play. We especially love their toys that are designed to be played with in water. We have a huge selection of natural rubber and wooden BPA free bath toys at Babipur.
The Plan Toys wagon is also a firm favourite of ours, check out Rhys above – he’s had lots of fun collecting apples!
Haba Building Blocks
Wooden Toy building blocks are great natural toys and this set will be at home in a Waldorf play room. Haba blocks are smooth and tactile and made from solid wood and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These natural blocks can of course be used to build towers, towns and other imaginative forms but they’re also great in a play kitchen as ingredients, as tools for counting and doing sums, making dolls’ house furniture and a whole lot else besides. They are also great for extending and building onto the marble runs. Wooden toy blocks will bring years of enjoyment to your children before being passed on to the next generation.
Encourage a connection to the natural world with this incredible natural wooden kitchen. Made from alder wood and left unpainted to show off the rich grain, this beautifully crafted toy kitchen is stunning. It has a sink, oven, hob, shelving and hooks for utensils – everything children need to get cooking, just like mum and dad. Simple, beautiful, tactile and encouraging imitative play and learning through play, this kitchen is a fantastic Waldorf toy that will be loved by your children and grandchildren. Suitable from 3 years+.
I want everything! Sarah’s silks are next on my wishlist, I love how these toys are so versatile and can enjoyed by all ages.
I use the Waldorf Steiner theology as the basis for all my environmental education sessions at work & love how these toys fit into it! I’m so glad I discovered Holztiger on Babipur as I use them at work and have built up a nice collection at home for my one year old (and me!) to play with!
Beautiful blog post!! Babipur are our favourite shop and you stock so many beautiful things!
Lots of these now on my wish list and desperately waiting for next Wobbel board drop!
We love Waldorf toys. My children love the plan toy cups and counters, I love how tactile they feel. We also have Grimms men in bowls and our little bees too. They are such beautiful toys that never go out of fashion and are loved by all. We have a rainbow and wooden marbles put back for Christmas and I know they will be a favourite
All so beautiful!
Such beautiful toys that inspire such imagination from any little one. I have so many on my wishlist including a wobbel board, 12 piece rainbow and Holztiger… I just can’t stop buying! X
I’m a great fan of Babipur – all the toys I’ve bought (for my family and as gifts) have been well loved. My little one is not yet a year but watching him enjoy toys creatively is already exciting
I love toys made from natural materials – they really do encourage open ended play, and are attractive to both adults and children. I’m looking forward to building up our collection as our children grow ?
Such a beautifully written article on Waldorf toys promoting imaginative play. I have 3 boys and it’s always the open ended toys that spark the most creativity from them. Babipur has a great range and their customer service is incredible, that’s why I order from them over and over again!
I cannot wait to get some more of these beautiful toys. I love how flexible they are and how they can become so many different things.
So many beautiful toys! So difficult to choose what to buy!
I was a sceptic about these gorgeous toys when I had my first child! Everything we owned had flashing lights and annoying noises! As he got older his love for wooden toys got bigger, and his imagination exploded! He’s 3 now and we also have a 1 year old daughter, and their Christmas stash consists of Holztiger (which we adore!), Balancing animals and a gorgeous Grimm’s rainbow! No plastic this year! Yay!
Love this post. Great to share with others who don’t quite “get” our choice of toys 🙂
I never knew these group of toys had a name. I started picking them because i loved the way they felt, the endless things you can do with them.
I love how me and my children can engage together in so many different ways with the same toys, I also love to watch what they come up with.Great little read i now know what they are called!
I would love a rainbow in time for Christmas, I’m slowly trying to weed out all the annoying plastic toys and replace with these wonderful works of art
I am so excited to get all our new Waldorf toys out on Christmas day! What’s fantastic about them is that they appeal to any age – the rainbow can be something to chew on or stack in different ways, or it can be buildings, tunnels for trains, or fences for animals. Looking forward to playing with them for years to come!
These toys are beautiful. I have a few simple wooden toys for my daughter and they’re so lovely. My wish list is pretty much the whole website; a wobbel board, a rainbow and a marble run are right at the top.
We have some holztiger animals and a grimms rainbow stashed away ready for Christmas. I was amazed and how awesome the holztiger are in real life. Really beautifully made and I know my two children will love playing with them (and if not, I know I will!). So many more toys that I have my eye on, just waiting for a couple of things to come back in stock before placing another order at babipur.
We love Waldorf toys in our house! By christmas, thanks to Babipur we should hopefully have a mainly plastic free house of toys. The few wooden toys we’ve brought from Babipur already have been so well loved by my boys and encourage such amazing imaginations from them, that it’s hard to ignore. So this Christmas we’ve saved a lot of money to overhaul our toy stash and make way for lots of gorgeous Babipur goodies! The Wobbel Board has already been a big hit!!!!
Thank you Babipur for changing our life’s!
We love our rainbows and a big one is coming for Christmas! I’m really trying with this second child to minimise the “stuff” in favour of a smaller number of treasured toys. It’s not how I was raised but I can see huge value that would carry to later life if they valued the creativity rather than the quantity. It’s so hard for me to get rid of the things we need to lose though, even knowing the benefit. Wish I’d started sooner. Remaining hopeful though!
I love the beautiful selection of toys available at Babi Pur, ethical and afford so many imaginative play opportunities. “Everything you can imagine is real” (Picasso) I’m lucky enough to have a few of the toys mentioned but have lots more on my wish list.
All these toys are so beautiful, with loads of opportunities for imagination. Beautifully made and environmentally safe too…we would love them all! ??
Love this blog and love all these toys my LO needs them all! We have the grimms rainbow and holztiger animals and it’s amazing to watch him play using his imagination
Just love these toys and the endless play children of all ages can get from them. Babipur is our first stop for any new toy or cloth nappies we need.
Oh my I’d never be able to choose a favourite! Love all of it x
We have just begun our toy collection mainly from babipur
We were lucky enough to get a giant rainbow and have purchased the half circles and friends in cups amongst other items as stocking fillers
I’ve always preferred wooden toys and love bright rainbow coloured toys
Great blog post! I absolutely love Waldorf toys. Since discovering babipur I’ve gotten lots of newbies – originally for Christmas but alot of it didn’t make it to the cupboard they’re too pretty to hide! I’ve always been a fan of wooden toys over plastic but the toys sold by babipur take wooden toys to a new level! Love.
A very interesting read. I prefer toys that inspire imagination and there’s just something about wooden toys anyway. They’re beautiful!
Beautiful toys that are a pleasure to play with. Love the simplicity and open-ended play options.
A really lovely read, thank you so much for sharing this! So much information and lots to bookmark for further birthdays and Christmas.
Such beautiful and creative toys to spark the imagination. The craftsmanship is second to none. What a lovely post Babipur, very insightful and does justice to lovely toys.
It actually makes me a bit emotional to think of my future grandchildren etc playing with the same toys my one year old is playing with now (but that might be the pregnancy hormones talking!!).
I LOVE these toys, so beautiful. <3
I love toys that are open to the imagination. My daughter loves her holztiger woodland, and uses a play silk as grass underneath the trees. I’d love to get her a wobbel board as I know she’d get a lot out of it, but they are out of my price range at the moment.
I’m a new mother (my baby is 3 months old) and I find the world of baby toys a bit overwhelming. However these Waldorf toys do not only appeal to children but also to me as an adult. They are beautiful to look at, functional and fair trade, ethical and environmentally friendly. Great news for everyone!
I love this article! I’ve been asked before what Waldorf toys are, and I’ve been stumped. You’ve explained beautifully! I’ll definitely direct anyone asking in future, here!
So many beautiful things! Toys parents can also enjoy playing with – so much more fun and aesthetic than most of the plastic stuff out there. Big plus: no batteries needed and no creepy noises in the middle of the night from any of these
I’m about to make my first Waldorf toy purchase and the wonderful range at Babipur is making it very difficult to choose!
Such beautiful toys
We have only really just started to collect up Waldorf toys for our 4yr old and 18mo sons (& a little for mummy too if I’m honest!), they’ll be coming at Christmas. So far we have a pastel rainbow, a few Grimms peg dolls and boats, some zoo Holztiger, a farm set, semi circles and a Wobbel board stashed away. I’m super excited to hand them over at Christmas and get rid of some of the plastic tat we have far too much of!
So informative. Really confirms why these toys are so important to ours and our children’s education. Beautiful lovingly hand crafted toys help little imaginations grow so much and being ethically sourced is that final thing that makes them so special. Thanks Babi Pur…now where is my bank card!!
We love all the toys listed on here. And have just brought the wobbel board for Christmas. I love that Waldorf toys allow for a child’s imagination to grow into anything and aren’t confined to a set sterotype
Fantastic post, I’ve only recently discovered the joy of Waldorf toys and am hoping to build a great collection for my 1 and 3 year old to enjoy for many years to come, we are staring our collection with a Grimm’s Rainbow and an Ark.
Definitely my boy’s favourite toys although he’s only 22 months. He loves his rainbow and people and the buttons in bowls (plan sort and count). They’re beautiful, good quality and ethical and never get boring.
Lovely post explaining it all
I love all of these toys…more importantly, so does my son. There are literally endless games to be played and fun to be had. This is why Babi Pur keeps my wish list full, and my bank account empty haha
They’re all so beautiful! <3
Amazing toys from a wonderful company!!
Inspirational as always. Have been building my little girl’s collection with many of these…and look forward to buying more! I love Babi Pur ❤ !
Absolutely love grimms and holztiger! Our toddler suffered speech delay and within 2 weeks of having our lovely rainbow and geo blocks he could identify and say red, blue, green, yellow, orange and purple. My other half was put off with the price but since buying from this range and seeing how much it’s improved our toddlers development he also has grimms fever! We give thanks to babi pur for introducing us to such a versatile toy and educational product! Who ever thought learning could be so fun!
I honestly can’t wait for Christmas and birthdays for my children all coming up over the next 4 months. We’ve purchased a large rainbow for Christmas for my son who has a developmental delay and I can’t wait to watch his imagination and development flourish with the rainbow. Also can’t wait for the grimms balls and I really think some silks are in order after the joy he got from dressing up for Halloween! Our house is slowly becoming a babipur shrine and I love it!
We love all the Waldorf type toys, also I personally find the faceless dolls a bit creepy, kids seem to like them.
Very interesting read, thank you. We have the 12 piece rainbow and some holztiger ready for Christmas. I can’t wait to see what my 5year olds imagination comes up with! She struggles with imaginative play so I’m hopeful that these toys will help to encourage this more with her. Thank you Babi Pur x
What a lovely read. I love allowing my boy to play creatively. One of the most enjoyable things to do is to watch what he does next ❤️
A really beautiful article on these lovely toys. I am new to the world of wooden toys and am already in love. My father is a carpenter for going on 35 years and was full of pride when I recently told him all about my new interest in these wooden toys and plans for my children’s Christmas presents. Children these days, sadly my own included are so hooked on technology that they lose the ability to use their imagination and make believe. The technology is now gone from our house and I cannot wait to jam pack our home full of these beautiful Waldorf toys. My father is kindly and happily buying us the rainbow and I have the 12 friends, submarine bath man, little yachts, baby tethers, balls runs and rattles on our Christmas list….to name a few. Thank you Babipur for what I hope to be a new and exciting life for my family.
I love how the wobbEl board became an extra Grimms rainbow arch! VERY clever. Love wooden blocks, the haba ones are now on my wishlist!
We have so many Babi Pur goodies put away for Christmas, a lot of them are Waldorf toys. I can’t wait to watch my boys play and grow with them. Reading this just makes us ‘need’ more! Thank you.
Just had to share this article…since we discovered waldorf style toys the way we play has completely changed and I’m always trying to convert others!
You have so many lovely brands in your shop and it’s nice to see different ways some of these toys can be played with. It’s also great that a lot of these toys can be enjoyed by siblings of different ages together as they will all get different things from a game with them.
As the momma of a caring, calm, ethically aware, 14yr waldorf raised child I can testify to the pure power of a ‘wooden’ childhood. His imagination has seen him through some difficult times and he is constantly smiling. Reading didn’t consciously begin til he was 8, yet he could tell a story from memory or make one up for the enjoyment of his multi-aged friends from a very early age. Computers didn’t enter his life until he was 11. I’m so proud of what he has achieved and the person he is. Waldorf play and eventually waldorf based home education have given me an amazing young man.
Babi Pur, and the community that has built up around, it has introduced me to such a wonderful range of ‘real’ toys. Beautiful items like the Grimm’s rainbow really make play a whole family activity.
You could rename this article ‘must have toy list’ ?
Really looking forward to building our collection.
I’m a big fan of Waldorf toys and from our experience so far I would definitely say that they inspire creative play in my son more than many other toys. This article has finally convinced me to order the 12 piece rainbow stacker (I’ve been waivering for ages) but it’s now out of stock – hope you might have some in again before Christmas?!
Well written and a fantastic range of toys for Christmas inspiration, I will certainly be sharing this article ??
Beautiful toys and I’ve seen some more that my boys will love after seeing this blog post.
Some of our favourite toys are Waldorf toys, though we are only just beginning our collection! I can’t wait for Christmas when my nearly 2 year old gets her 12 piece rainbow and all the family gets a wobbel board! I love the range you have and the fact you introduced me to them.
You stock amazing collection of toys! My kids go ‘wow’ every time they see the grimms rainbow! Might be lucky enough to get it next Christmas… I’m hoping to buy the Plan wagon for my little ones bday I February it looks very simple toy but I know will bring him much joy!
My collection of these gorgeous toys is yet to be started but I fully endorse the idea of children playing with natural materials and being able to use their imagination in open ended play. Can’t wait to get my hands on the large rainbow when it’s back in stock!! Can see that Babipur will quite easily become my favourite shop! ?
It all looks wonderful, but I am especially lusting for a 12-piece rainbow!! I’m trying to justify it for my 11mo for Christmas. Beautiful toys.
What a brilliant blog! We need these toys in our life!! ?
Absolutely love Waldorf toys. They’re gorgeous and our kids play so much better with them than other toys they have. It’s brilliant to see them using their imagination.
I was a bit sceptical about these type of toys until I bought the grimm’s large rainbow…and it all made sense my son loves it, it is the most played toy in our home I’m beyond delighted with my purchase ….holztigers are also a big hit….seeing your kids use their imagination is priceless
Our kids love their Waldorf toys. Definitely there favorites.
These are all really beautiful. I particularly like the idea of the dolls being expressionless so that children can read different emotions into them during play. They’d work well as a therapy tool.
Beautiful toys that will never date. That kitchen is absolutely beautiful.
Love these toys. I want them all! I mean my children do… They are well worth the money and really do last. I have three boisterous boys and I was fed up of all the broken, plastic toy parts! Now their play area is colourful and they’re using their imaginations more ?
I’ve been looking into simplistic toys for my daughter as I really want to help her development as much as I can. I wanted to explain how open ended play benefited children to my partner, and now I have this article to share with him. Thanks!
My daughter loves all of these sort of toys, but I didn’t realise the full background behind them and why they are so good until I read this.
I can make a stronger argument to family and friends now to invest in these toys rather than plastic tat!
Love this selection of toys, good to keep forever and to encourage playful learning and creativity.
Wow! You have opened my eyes to what actually goes into making these wonderful toys. I can tell that Babipur has a real passion for these toys and the story behind them. I think I’m starting to fall in love with them too!
Am so excited to see how my girls play will develop with these toys. We have had a toy cull of the toys we had that were not promoting creativity. Already with less toys and openended quality toys available there play is beginning to change. Yey! Many if these toys are on my wishlist for them.
I love all these toys. My little girl seems to really enjoy playing with wooden toys (to my surprise I actually thought she’s want something more noisy or with flashing lighgs) but her little imagination is coming along great. It’s a real pleasure to watch her exploring her new toys (and mum doesn’t have a sore head with repetitive noisy toys) but best of all all these wonderful toys and future toys are getting kept for my grandbabies to enjoy and play with.
The 12 piece rainbow is a huge hit with my 3 and 1 year old boys, I love how my eldest uses his imagination to create so many different things with it. Can’t wait to give then their wobbel board at Christmas!
I love the Holztiger figures. Hoping to get some for my twins this Christmas.
<3
Love the open ended play possibilities of these toys.
I love Waldorf inspired toys and I’m so thankful that beautiful, ethically made toys exist. As my son turns from baby to toddler, choosing toys like these helps me as a parent to think about what I’d like to teach him about the world, and how. The rest is up to his imagination and I can’t wait to see what he will teach me! I love everything…the Dwarf village, the stunning rainbows, and the Grimms people.
What a great article, I am new to BabiPur and have already ordered lots of amazing things for my little girls 2nd birthday. Now I have even more ideas for her Xmas presents. We use silks at her sensory class so I may invest in them next.
Beautiful toys… this post just makes me want them all!
I love our Grimm’s rainbow!
Waldorf doll is in the Christmas list!
We have the 12 piece rainbow, wobelboard, lots of Holztiger and Plan toys…I must say all of these toys are very addictive! Everybody loves them, not only our child. Everytime I post a picture on my facebook, people start asking me where I got these amazing toys from. They are worth the money, no doubt about it.
Beautiful toys of amazing quality. We made the switch a few years ago and wish I’d done it sooner. I always thought they were too expensive but we save up and make do with fewer things that are of lovely quality, rather than lots of things which rarely get played with and get passed on quickly. I love that the toys are less age specific so that my two play with exactly the same things, just in different ways. I’ll never part with them either as they are such beautiful things to have around; when my kids are done, they’ll stay with me for visitors until we (hopefully) have grandkids one day x
I’ve bought the 12 piece Grimms rainbow for my 18 month old this Christmas. Love the look of the Holztiger animals and hoping to get the Wobbel board for her birthday next year:)
it may seem it’s all about the looks, but there is so much more; child development, learning how to create and think outside of the box, bonding with your friends and family, creating. these fabulous toys are really tools for a healthier childhood.
I love how these kinds of toys really inspire children to use their imagination. The rainbow is next on my fast growing list!
Hadn’t heard the term ‘Waldorf’ toys before. Interesting to read about the different brands and the ethos behind them, thank you.
I love the Waldorf toys and the philosophy behind them. The toys from Babi pur have really shaped how my 10month old is learning to play and explore.
We would love to get a wobbel board for my two little things. At the moment though, it’s hard to justify the cost.
I loved reading this blog post and finding out the background behind the toys. We have the 12 piece rainbow and I agree that the only limitation is your own imagination. I would love to have a go on one of the wobbel boards.
The Waldorf inspired toys are all so beautiful.. I’m planning on passing on our plastic toys to people who will appreciate them and replacing them with these.. Slowly but surely 🙂
Absolutely beautiful selection of toys with very informative descriptions. We love wooden toys that can be re-gifted and reused. I have wooden and waldorf inspired toys that I myself bought second hand and know that they are now on their 3rd child since us… who knows how many before us! They really do give years and years worth of play, and certainly won’t go out of fashion anytime soon.
Open ended play is a huge thing in our house, and with certain toys you may not ‘get it’, or think it’s too simple, but just pop a child into the mix and you’ll see the play and learning value of the toy truly come alive.
Thanks for a great post… but now I want one of everything!
I love these toys and there simplicity. I’m looking forward to seeing how my little baby will grow and use her imagination playing with these kind of toys.
I love this post! We have the Grimm’s Rainbow stashed for our little girl and I can’t wait for her to be old enough for the Wobbel board. This post has given so many more ideas of things to add to my Babi Pur wishlist (like it wasn’t big enough already!)
Great blog post! 🙂 we follow Montessori but a lot of the natural open ended play items are also used! Especially things like the wobbel board, haba blocks, holztiger, grimms and Sarah’s silks.
Love buying from you guys! Great customer service as always! My last order, they got some items of clothing especially upon my request. Will always be a loyal customer <3
I have always liked to read about things which are passionate to me, and of course when I was pregnant with my first I spent many evenings reading articles. What a great time spent, as I found all these wonderful organic and wooden toys, which really resonate with me. I only ever buy plastic toys if they are good quality, and without batteries, and what a better sound listening to your toddler chat away as she plays, rather than covering your ears due to the repetitive music of toys that sing, and I know the feeling as we have had a couple of presents from well meaning people which do exactly this. Babi Pur of course has a wonderful selection of these toys and has always been a delight to order from, with great customer service (especially when a baby brained mummy ordered the wrong thing) 🙂
Fantastic post, I love Waldorf toys and I’ve used this post to educate family before Christmas!!
I love how my little boy is able to develop his concentration and imagination using these magical and beautifully made ‘toys’. These will forever hold magical memories for us xx
This is such a lovely round up for anyone looking for a way to explain the benefits and practicalities of open ended play to others. Love so many of the items here, can’t wait to build up our collection with our little boy!
So glad I stumbled across this site about a year ago while looking for cloth nappies as it has opened up the world of waldorf toys to us! I love how imaginative everything is and how it has impacted on how I play with my sons! ? 12 piece rainbow will be on the Santa list!
I love these toys I am trying to quietly suggest these toys to my family (with varying levels of success) for my daughter’s Christmas. They are beautiful and the ones we have so far she loves.
I love these toys and the possibilities. Just need my little one to grow a little more so we can add to our collection.
Love, love , love! Could not imagine my life without babi pur anymore. Being asked what to get for my baby, I just pass on the website and say anything off this will be great, thanks. 🙂 xx
I’m so pleased to have stumbled across the Babi pur hangout during my night feeding sessions of my 5 month little boy. The toys are exactly what I’d like him to play with as he grows older. This blog post is a great introduction to what’s what. Perfect for making our wish list ? Thank you
We have a stock of grimms waiting for some tiny hands this Christmas and we love them already. Although not a Steiner family we subscribe to a lot of their ideas and love the natural element of the related toys. Just need a wobbel board to complete this list of toys!
A really interesting article about these beautiful toys. Thank you as always Babipur!
So so many beautiful toys! So tricky to choose a favourite as they all look fab!
Thank you for this lovely informative post about these beautiful toys
Great post, thank you. Love all the wooden toys, I think a Grimms Rainbow is next on our list!
We have bought some lovely Grimm’s toys for Christmas, for my one and four year old sons. I can’t wait to play with them and I hope my boys will want to play with the toys, with me, with each other and independently.
Such a beautiful range of toys! Many are currently on my sons Christmas lists from family members.
We are on a Waldorf inspired journey slightly later with my 1st at almost 4 but we have always encouraged imaginative play. We now just have more of the brands in your blog ☺
Wonderful well researched post. Lots to think about in setting up play both at home and at work (when I return) as an early years teacher. Also a lot of toys now on the wish list!
Thank you for a very informative article
My friend introduced me to Babi Pur and I have not looked back since. We have four children (all boisterous boys) and have spent a small fortune on plastic toys that have ended up piled high in a corner, Ignored and usually broken. It wasn’t until I realised the sheer scale of how much was going to just sit in landfill polluting the planet that I decided to switch to beautiful wooden toys that were going to last, be passed down the generations and encourage them to use their imagination. I can honestly say my boys play with our Babi Pur toys more then anything else they have been given, their imaginations are running wild! Thank you xx
What a brilliant post! I’ve completely changed our play space to a simple and uncluttered space full of beautiful natural products (most from Babi Pur) and the change in the children’s play is awe inspiring.
I’m so glad I discovered Babi Pur and the beautiful collection of toys you sell. I’ve noticed a real difference in the way my three year old treats his toys since we started buy more wooden toys. He’s at an age where his imagination is really developing and it’s lovely to watch how a simple set of blocks, a small rainbow and some wooden animals can be played with in so many ways from a tea party to an African Safari!
Love love love so many of these ?
Creativity is often so undervalued today. It’s important that children are encouraged to explore the world at their own pace, engaging all of their senses and given the tools to experiment and use their imaginations. My little one is only 8 months old but he’s already learning about the world through Waldorf toys we’ve discovered at Babi Pur x
I love the ethos of Waldorf toys, which I learnt from reading this blog post! Love the Plan toys and have a Grimms rainbow, so we definitely know their values in helping children with development. I love watching my little girl play with these types of toys and hope they can be passed down through to the next generation to be loved and played with too. Such an investment and creating memories that last lifetimes ❤
Great post, absolutely love the toys stocked at Babipur. Shopping with Babipur has really changed the toys I buy for my children. Much prefer wooden now!
Cant wait to get my hands on Grimms large rainbow and all the other toys that Ive planned to buy as Christmas presents for my boys.
Love Babi Pur! Such great service!
In 23 years of parenthood .ive only just discovered waldorf Steiner toys with baby number 9 .im totally bowled over any toy then can entertain a 2 year old ..6 and 10 year old and truth be told their mother for hours without the need for batteries is a winner .
Building up a stock from babipur that will hopefully be passed down the generations
Love babipur
Is there an ‘add all of the above to wish list’ button? 😉 All so gorgeous!
Great article, thanks!