Tags: child development Edge Davao koala shopper Lifestyle Blog Lifestyle Blogger in Manila Philippines Meg Hernandez Meghann Hernandez Metro Mom Mom Blogger Mommy blog Mommy blogger in Manila Philippines Mommy Finds mompreneur motherhood wooden toys
Play is an important part of a child’s formative years and cognitive development. It’s also a way of forging creativity and social skills.
The world today offers a plethora of dolls and toys, in different forms, appeal and scales—making it both exciting and confusing for parents to choose the ideal ones their kid. There are some who go the long route by doing some research before deciding on their purchases. I don’t think this is wrong, in any case. After all, when it comes to our children, we always go the extra mile to ensure we give them what’s right and appropriate for their growth and needs.
As a parent, I choose to make my kid’s play time both fun and educational by carefully selecting toys that stimulate learning, imagination and creativity, as well as encourage more interaction between baby and me (or other kids and adults). While it’s easy to get impressed by toys replete with a lot of buttons, lights and sounds, I just make sure that these smart toys serve not only their purpose of entertainment, but also conducive for learning and interactive fun.
Over the years of rearing my own little free-thinkers, I’ve rediscovered my love for classic wooden toys. There’s a certain charm in wooden toys that make them so appealing to kids (even moms, too). They’re educational, sustainable, eco-friendly, durable and can withstand the test of time—all of which go well with our family’s gradual shift towards intentional living and a minimalist lifestyle. Wooden toys also present children a direct connection to the natural world, which can help improve mental and physical well-being.
Wooden toys are limited in most malls today. There are few specialty stores which offer some of the staple classics such as puzzles, building blocks and miniature construction sets. All these can help the junior family members understand numeracy and shapes, as well as develop motor and problem solving skills.
I’ve always turned to online shops as my go-to source for hard-to-find items for my growing baby. One of the sellers I found online turned out to be owned by moms from Davao City, who I knew from the ten years I lived in Durianburg.
Aizza “Atot” Tan – Barlis and her sister in law, Jenelle “Tisay” Barlis – Cuison, are the ladies behind Koala Shopper, an online shop which offers a number of children’s school items, nutritional goods, and wooden toys. What I love most about this shop is how well they’ve curated and selected toys that are not only sustainable for the kids today, but can also last generations down through the family tree. That’s definitely added value for your family’s money.
Aside from the construction, grooming and mobile sets, our favorite, by far, are their range of wooden kitchen and dining sets. All these wooden toys are naturally devoid of electronic sounds and applications, which then allow children to fire up their imagination by creating their own sound effects and dialogues. Such simplicity also aid in social awareness and encourage role-playing and world-building (such as creating their own market scene, dining party or cooking session with playmates).
“Our variety of wooden toys are great for imaginative play. We have enough cooking and food range to equip a kid’s dream kitchen,” shared Atot. “I have two boys and they both asked for a kitchen set. They actually love playing with it every day. Because of this, they’ve even become more interested in helping mom and dad in the real kitchen. Educational really do have a way of teaching our children some logical know-how of the world we live in.”
Check out @koalashopper on Instagram or email koalashopperph@gmail.com for product details, order form, delivery terms and prices.
Story also published on my Metro Mom column in Edge Davao newspaper.
