Wooden Toy Ideas?

[Luke Dupont]

Hi guys! It's been a while.

I've taken a break from wood working for quite some time due to space and noise constraints in small Tokyo Apartments, but I'm now in a place where *small* projects are mostly doable. At least, I am on the first floor, and the only one on the first floor, so I need not worry about vibrations from light work traveling through the floor.

What's more, is that I'm now a dad! I've got a little guy, not even two months old. So I thought: what better to make, should I find the time to do so, than some classic wooden toys?

Have any of you dabbled with toy making, and if you have, what toys did you find to be most popular among young children?

[Jim Koepke]

It mostly depends on the age of the child.

When my son and his wife's first child was born I made a rattle:

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It has now been played with by all three of their children. That would require a lathe.

A small rocking horse was made for the youngest but it stayed here at grandma & grandpa's when the family moved to Korea. My son is in the Airforce and that is where he serves.

Little boys like train engines:

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Wooden airplanes are easy to make. It seems no pictures were taken of the simple ones made for my grandkids years ago. These were not made to fly but the kids had a lot of fun pretend flying.

jtk

[James Pallas]

We have a set of blocks, 12 blocks, that stack on dowels stuck into a base. They have been the most popular of toys with 24 grand kids and now three great grands joining the fray. Animals and vehicles, planes, trains, and autos. Things they can’t recognize from everyday life get left in the box most often.
Jim

[Aaron Liebling]

I made a squid for a friend's son who loves the ocean. The tentacles were fun: carve a rod, taper it, then cut it in to sections, drill out and search by running during through them. Could be used to make a snake, too.

There are also nice plans for simple doll-like robots that were very popular with kids I gave them to.

[John K Jordan]

I recommend a book or three. I have six books on making wooden toys. They have ideas for things from babies on up so you can get more ideas as the child grows! Amazon should have lots of book listings.

Congratulations on your little guy. What and adventure you have coming!!! And what a fortunate kid to have a dad who will make things for him! (Three sons here, the oldest is almost 50! :))

The most popular things I've made for tiny tots were wooden blocks. Not the square kind, but a variety of shapes and sizes. All with corners and edges sanded smooth. I used hard maple for the fine grain, no finish. Other fine-grained woods would be good too. Pay attention to the minimum sizes as age appropriate to avoid a choking tragedy! Safe dimensions are on the internet.

I made a number of sized blocks but a number the same of most sizes. The boys LOVED to stack them up and knock them over, lay them in a row, throw them across the room, use them for teething! I used 3/4" boards for most and made most about 2" wide, squares, rectangles, triangles, various curves. As the boys got older, these were used to make roads, tunnels, hills, etc for little toy cars. The grand kids still use these when I get them out and they are 6-10 years old.

If you buy some dowels with large enough diameter not to be a choking hazard you can make various round things too. BTW, you can buy such blocks for about 1000 times what it would cost to make them.

JKJ



Hi guys! It's been a while.

I've taken a break from wood working for quite some time due to space and noise constraints in small Tokyo Apartments, but I'm now in a place where *small* projects are mostly doable. At least, I am on the first floor, and the only one on the first floor, so I need not worry about vibrations from light work traveling through the floor.

What's more, is that I'm now a dad! I've got a little guy, not even two months old. So I thought: what better to make, should I find the time to do so, than some classic wooden toys?

Have any of you dabbled with toy making, and if you have, what toys did you find to be most popular among young children?

[Mel Fulks]

I like the mobiles. Those colorful hanging over the crib airplanes, butterflies, clouds . Always been fascinated by those things…..moving all
around without batteries ! You can even make little cable cars….but you’ll have to be careful with “air spaces”. Congratulations ! Have a
ball !

[Mike Soaper]

I had plans to make a set of blocks, with each block a different wood species. Alas, it didn't happen

[Lee Schierer]

"The Great All American Wooden Toy Book" has a number of toys that kids will like.
Here are a few examples:46588746588846588946589046589146589246589 3

[Robert L Stewart]

I did a run of 3 sets of train cars for friends a while back. What is not shown are the magnetic connectors. Your would need to source the round parts.
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[Thomas Wilson]

A scroll saw and some plywood for jigsaw puzzles. A scroll saw is not too loud. I use one in my apartment shop. I have a book of cleverly simple plans. Each piece is painted a solid color which makes painting easier. I found a source for non-toxic bright color paint. When t go to the apartment tomorrow I can add the name and publisher of the book and the brand of paint to this thread. It goes without saying the finish needs to be safe to eat.

[Christopher Charles]

Congratulations! I've also found blocks to be a big hit, especially in world with lots of plastic. And I'm about to make another mobile as a gift, which is a great apartment project if you have a fret saw or scrollsaw. I do hawks flying 'flat' so they look right from the 'baby's eye view. Enjoy!

[Scott Winners]

Blocks for sure to start. One of the first things I did with my first table saw was process a bunch of 2x2 construction lumber into cubes, enough to pretty well fill a one cubic foot box made of plywood for my nieces. I was set for life with the nieces just on that one project.

Another one I have read about that I will do for my future grandkids is a big pile of wooden plaques or plates in mostly uniform sizes but with a few different colors (species) of wood. Maybe 1x2x0.5 inches nominal. Having a 'big' tub of these to lay out in various playful patterns is supposed to help the little ones be good at math later. Something about patterns and predictability. I wish I was better at math. I don't think the plaques would have helped me because I am very stupid, but no reason to not give the next generation every possible chance to do well.

My main point would be to give kids something to do, not something to look at.

Congratulations on the new baby. Life as you knew it is over.

[George Yetka]

I didnt take any pictures but I had made a grasshopper tow behind toy. The rear legs were attached to the body and the wheels so they move.

Congrats, if you need any more I can ship you one of mine

[Wayne Cannon]

My grandkids (3 & 9) like free form construction toys. I found a great selection of well thought-out blocks, etc., in Doug Stowe's "Making Classic Toys that Teach".

[Wayne Cannon]

Doug Stowe's "Making Classi. Toys that Teach" includes flat pieces for exploring patterns.

My daughter asked for some silhouettes of my granddaughter's favorite animals. Easy peasy. Their outlines were copied from the internet and resized. They are painted in a solid [gray] color and hang on the wall. They've been a big hit with everyone.

When my grandson came along, I got an order for six more of HIS favorite animals.

[Thomas Wilson]

A scroll saw and some plywood for jigsaw puzzles. A scroll saw is not too loud. I use one in my apartment shop. I have a book of cleverly simple plans. Each piece is painted a solid color which makes painting easier. I found a source for non-toxic bright color paint. When t go to the apartment tomorrow I can add the name and publisher of the book and the brand of paint to this thread. It goes without saying the finish needs to be safe to eat.


The book is Ed Sibbetts, Jr, Wooden Puzzle Toys . The book gives 24 patterns using iron on transfer paper.
I have just copied them and used spray adhesive to glue the sheet to the work piece.

Here are the front and back covers and a back inside page. That should give you an idea of the scale and difficulty of the scroll saw work and painting.

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I remembered incorrectly about the painting being solid colors. Some pieces have multiple colors and lines.

The book is available used from private sellers through Amazon. Prices range quite a bit. I saw from $.75 to $877. A new copy was $39.97. I could also copy a few designs and mail them to you if you want to try just one or two.

I do not have the paint anymore but there are lots of non-toxic paints for sale online. This project does not require anything special.

[Joe A Faulkner]

You are probably a decade away from considering the wooden swords. You will blink and he will be 10 years old. Blink again and they are off to college. Custom jig saw puzzles were a big hit. The simple doll house/bookshelf makes for a nice nursery accessory. Wood burning cross sections of maple branches make for fun educational, manipulatives.

[Luke Dupont]

You are probably a decade away from considering the wooden swords. You will blink and he will be 10 years old. Blink again and they are off to college. Custom jig saw puzzles were a big hit. The simple doll house/bookshelf makes for a nice nursery accessory. Wood burning cross sections of maple branches make for fun educational, manipulatives.


Oh man, I look forward to wooden swords!

I actually happen to also be a martial artist and practice several sword arts, so I've made specialized wooden training swords for my practice before.

Maybe get him hooked young with toy swords, and then he'll be interested in doing martial arts with me :D

[Luke Dupont]

Thanks everyone!

So many great ideas here.

I really like the book suggestions, by the way. My biggest problem with woodworking is finding inspiration, especially as almost all materials seem to be geared towards totally power-tooled methods.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I thought I would start a thread "Santa's Workshop". It is already covered and contains some really neat stuff in the Wood Turners Forum. I see from other Toy topic threads that Santa has quite a few helpers. I am fond of the nativity puzzle in the attached image. It is a design that the owner of the shop next door to dads shop (Walt's Bike Shop) would make a few of each Christmas. Another of Walt's creations resides in the Smithsonian Institute. The tortilla press and piggy cutting board are also recurring family Christmas gift items. The workbench opens up to become a ping pong table. This gets opened up when the kids (adults) can come home for the holidays.

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Happy holidays! I will be in the shop until Santa arrives every Christmas Eve.

[Ed Aumiller]

He is still too young... but from about 3-4 years old till they are almost teens.... Make as many "Lincoln Logs" parts as you can... they learn a lot from them, but mostly just have fun building houses, roads, bridges, etc...
Have 7 grandsons and gave each one a tote full of them and they ALL wanted more... Naturally they got more.... they could and did literally build small towns...
They are now in their 20's and up.... And some of them still build houses for under the tree at Christmas!!!

[Jim Koepke]

They are now in their 20's and up.... And some of them still build houses for under the tree at Christmas!!!

If they have kids, they will likely be wanting more again.

jtk

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Here is a scan of the Nativity jigsaw. I suspect there is a more accurate pattern in a book. Also a web address for an article about Walt (the gentleman who showed this pattern to my dad)

https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/lifestyle/2008/11/17/granny-s-notes/21533897007/

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[Keith Outten]

Not exactly a toy but something that children of all ages enjoy is a gumball machine. I made this one 30 years ago.

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[Luke Dupont]

Not exactly a toy but something that children of all ages enjoy is a gumball machine. I made this one 30 years ago.

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Wow! That's awesome. Never would have thought of making one from wood.

[Brandon Speaks]

My niece loves ones that have some movement. I made a dog with wooden wheels that had a joint in the middle so it wiggles when she pulls it around and the ears etc can move. I made some animals with an internal wheel with the axel offset so when they roll it flaps a tail etc. Lots of good books on amazon with ideas.

[Lee Schierer]

My niece loves ones that have some movement. I made a dog with wooden wheels that had a joint in the middle so it wiggles when she pulls it around and the ears etc can move. I made some animals with an internal wheel with the axel offset so when they roll it flaps a tail etc. Lots of good books on amazon with ideas.

Here's a dog toy that I made. It has a toothed cam and sound chamber in the body powered by the front wheels so if makes a barking noise as it is pulled. Sort of arf, arf, arf....
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[John K Jordan]

I like the mobiles. Those colorful hanging over the crib airplanes, butterflies, clouds . Always been fascinated by those things…..moving all
around without batteries ! You can even make little cable cars….but you’ll have to be careful with “air spaces”. Congratulations ! Have a
ball !

I didn't see this until just now, but just wanted to say I love mobiles! When in college in '68 I made a couple of huge mobiles for a concert, hung from the edges of the upper balcony. They were just large geometric shapes painted various shades of grey but I think the dynamics of the motion and the shadows added something!

When my middle son was in high school he got interested in making mobiles, mostly from origami. I experimented with photos of a mobile of folded cranes in motion. Far more interesting than the static shots! Good fun.

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JKJ

[Maurice Mcmurry]

These are great. I keep looking for a Like button. We have a marble roller from Grandpa in the attic. loading one with gum balls is brilliant!