Noah's Ark

       My sister in law gave me the idea for a doll house style ark that would allow kids to reach in through the sides to place and play with the animals inside. I just recently made it a reality. It is now available  for sale in my shop here.

 As aways it has a rhyme:

The most famous story about animals is Noah's Ark
With this handmade set your kids will soon embark

on an imaginary journey to that time and place
where Noah built an Ark in spite of much disgrace

He built it not in water, but out upon a plain.
People watched and laughed until they felt the rain.

God filled the ark with critters like only he could do.
They walked right through the door arriving two by two.

This set will arrive with Noah and his wife
also 6 pairs of animals to refill the globe with life

A raven and a dove will also come along.
And of course the Ark in which they all belong

Some local exposure

A writer for MLive a local online media outlet called recently for a short interview after finding some of my toys.  They are calling my toy phone "A great local find"  You can see it HERE

Specialty woods and colors

My animals come usually made from maple

It is pretty and all, but that is my staple

if your taste in wood is a bit more refined

this is the listing you wanted to find

Do you like wood and it's beautiful grain

for toys that display it you need not strain

look through my shop at the many critters here

tell me which one you want and it will appear

in your mailbox cut from various wood

totally natural so you know it is good.

No chemicals paints or dyes

just wood without any disguise

The figure will come with out any stain

just the beauty of wood, sanded but plain

 

I have several beautiful varieties of wood to pick from.  Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Curly Maple, Bird's eye Maple, and even Purple Heart wood .   Come take a look at the various options available Here

Dragons, everywhere, even my workshop.

The minds of children are always teaming
with dragons and magic constantly dreaming

Dragons are currently very much "in"
if you haven't noticed, where have you been?

These wooden toys will keep up with the fad
but without chemicals that could be bad

How do I know that these toys are so good?
Because, they are made of nothing but wood!

You'll get a rider complete with a sword
as well as a dragon each one once a board

but now they're crafted into a great toy
for someone imaginative, a girl or boy

If you would like one come buy it here

The kid in your life will surely cheer!

Naturally antibiotic, could wood be cleaner than plastic?

     Most people like the idea of wooden toys. Less chemicals, and a more environmentally sustainable material appeals to many. However, especially with baby toys many people feel that surely it can not be as clean as plastic toys.
    It seems a logical concern that because wood is more porous it would hold bacteria longer than a non-porous surface like plastic. This article (Click Here) shows a scientific study that was done to compare wooden cutting boards and plastic cutting boards used to cut bacteria filled raw meats.  Much to the initial surprise of the investigators, they discovered that wood possesses natural antibacterial properties. They found that when brand new, both wood and plastic both cleaned easily and effectively with  soap and water. However, with continued use they could no longer remove the bacteria from the surface of the plastic it would get caught in the tiny scratches and remain on the surface each time they tested for it even after cleaning . The surface of the wood however even with scratches, continued to come up free of bacteria. What little bacteria may have gotten caught was killed by naturally occuring antibacterial properties of the wood itself!!

   

To see all my wooden baby toys CLICK HERE

Peter and the Wolf brings generations of fun.

        There is something extra fun about watching your kids enjoy or discover something that you can remember enjoying as a kid.  The classic story of Peter and the Wolf accompanied by the musical arrangement is one of those pleasures I enjoyed passing on to my kids.
            I remember playing the little record on a little record player, and listening to the classical music and the narrator describing the wolf as the sound of the horns made an ominous melody.  When I hear the music half of my imagination recreates the story, the other half remembers how it felt to be a kid listening to that story 25 years ago. 

       Whether you remember the story from your own childhood or if you are hearing of it for the first time. I encourage you to gather your kids around the computer and click here for an audio stream of the story and music.

        At our house I gave my kids these wooden figures and they act out the  story as we listen along.  You will find the set of figurines here in my shop.