Your most common questions answered
WHAT ARE OPEN-ENDED & WOODEN TOYS
Put it simply, open-ended and wooden toys are passive toys.
Unlike their 'active' counterparts, passive toys do not do the entertaining, they are brought to life by the child and go as far as imagination will take them. Typically, if you see something and wonder what the heck is my child to do with this, you're likely on the right path! This is because the use of these resources is so open and not prescriptive that it's really not obvious what can be done with it or what they were meant for. A wooden rainbow, a playsilk, a hundred board, ... Often a deceptively simple masterpiece of engineering, cleverly put together from quality, appropriate materials by talented craftmen.
The past decades have seen a plethora of new 'children's toys' flooding stores and playrooms - meant to teach kids this, make them learn that, usually being flashy, loud and highly prescriptive in how to use them. For many reasons, these toys are now increasingly being questioned by inquisitive modern parents, mindful of their parenting ethos and deliberate in their ethical and environmental choices.
WHY DOES OPEN-ENDED PLAY MATTERS?
1/ Nurturing our innate children's drive
Active or 'entertaining' toys teach the kids to find out what the thing can do, rather than what they can do with the thing. In doing so, kids slowly learn that their play depend on and is constrained by their resources, and they let their imagination dwindle overtime - until they become *gasp*... adults! (Recommending reading Le Petit Prince here ;) ). After all, a toy dog that can sit, bark and roll over can only do so much.
Have you seen the spark in a baby's eye as they set off to figure out the world? The passion, dedication and perseverance as they repeat an action endlessly until they master it? That drive, is what we, at Endless Play Collective, have vowed to protect at all costs, for all children of all ages, from craddle to grave. We believe play resources should cleverly support this inquisitive drive and never get in the way or try to direct it, because it's through their experiments that little ones can figure out the real world and play is serious business.
2/ Cost per play
Even though 'regular toys' may sometimes look dirty cheap, there is so little use your child will get out of them - because it only has that much capability, the child will outgrow it in a blink, and they are usually not build to last - that the 'cost-per-play' is actually incredibly high. I won't even get into the environmental and ethical cost here.
High quality open-ended and wooden toys may be considered an initial investment, but the cost per play actually ends up being much lower. They are made from quality materials, often handmade, and built to be passed down from generations to generations but generally also hold their resale value pretty well. As imagination will stretch them into new play ideas, one toy will replace twenty. Finally, they can often be used from a very early age (although we always recommend to supervise play) and will grow with the child for years - or forever (see 3.For everyone).
3/ For everyone
Open-ended play may also be a fantastic way to reconnect with your inner child and spend more time playing as a family. Although usually bought for babies, toddlers or young children - you'll soon find out quickly they will entertain mums, dads and grandparents alike (and pets, oh boy do our cats love our baby's toys!)! They are also little known fantastic resources for children with special needs and the elderly!
COMING SOON:
I am new to open-ended & wooden toys and feeling overwhelmed? Where do I start?
What parenting philosophy do you follow?
What if my kid prefers other toys?
What about plastic toys?
The right level of challenge
Open-ended & wooden toys gift guide and etiquette