The Oskar's Wooden Ark Gift Guide: Open-ended Toys and Gifts for the Whole Family
Oskar's Wooden Ark | October 29, 2021
Are you looking for ideas for thoughtful, high-quality gifts that will be enjoyed and treasured for years to come? You will find plenty of inspiration at Oskar's Wooden Ark for unique, sustainable, open-ended toys, learning materials, craft supplies and MORE! Let us help you find the perfect Christmas and Birthday gifts for the ones you love. Also check out Thuy's Favourite Things: Christmas Gift Guide 2021 for personal recommendations from Mrs. Oskar's Wooden Ark herself!
Best open-ended toys and gifts for ANY AGE
Are you looking for a gift that will last? Something that will grow with your child and be enjoyed in numerous different ways, whatever their age or stage? Are you looking for something that the whole family will enjoy? Here's our selection of toys and resources that are guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone's dial!
⭐️ Grimm's opened-ended construction toys:
If you are seeking the perfect starter set, look no further than the Grimm's Rainbow, Semi-Circles, Building Boards and a Block Set. Add some Wooden Balls and create your own ball runs!
⭐️ Play Figures:
Play figures such a Ambrosius, CLiCQUES and Maileg, make excellent companions for open-ended small world play for young ones, or they can be a wonderful collectors item for figure fanatics!
⭐️ Musical Instruments:
Music can be appreciated by all ages for the joy it brings us all! Our Goldon range offers an extensive collection of fine musical instruments for aspiring, or the most skilled of musicians.
⭐️ Grapat Loose Parts:
There are endless ways to play, learn and create with loose parts, including sensory play, creative play, small-world play, educational activities, transient art and more. We are constantly amazed at the multiple, varied ways our community incorporate loose parts in their play and learning - creating patterns and images, decorating their small world scenes, using them as counters for learning activities, incorporating them in their pretend play as pretend money or as ingredients for culinary concoctions...The options truly are endless!
⭐️ Mader:
Who doesn't love a good quality spinning top! Such a simple, yet classic toy - everyone enjoys taking them for a spin.
⭐️ Art & Craft Supplies:
Whether your forte is drawing or painting, we have a huge range of mediums for you to explore; from pencils, crayons, chalk, paint and watercolours in brands such as Stockmar, Kitpas and Lyra - it's a one-stop-shop for any Picasso!
⭐️ Wobbel Board:
Both children and adults will love wobbling on this sturdy balance board, but the Wobbel is designed for so much more than movement-based play. It can be a ramp, a tunnel, a play surface, a step, a stage, a scene for small-world play, a cozy reading nook (especially when combined with the Wobbel Deck and Pillow) and pretty much anything else you can imagine!
⭐️ Flockmen:
Stack them, balance them, count them, draw on them, use as dominos - the options are endless!
⭐️ Sarah's Silks:
Peek-a-boo and sensory play for babies, dressing up capes and fairy wings, stages and backdrops for small world play, table cloths and blankets for pretend play, setting the scene for a seasonal display and even eco-friendly gift wrapping (using the Furoshiki technique).
⭐️ Outdoor Fun:
A friendly reminder to get outdoors! Sticks, leaves, sand and shells are free! Try your hand at planting some seeds from Sow 'n Sow. If you'd like more inspiration for outdoor fun and games, check out our Outdoor Play section!
Check out these useful guides:
Best open-ended toys and gifts for BABIES (0-12 months)
👶🏼 Senger Naturwelt:
The cuddliest animal friends you could ask for! Give the gift of their first best-friend!
👶🏼 Cuddly Dolls:
Kaethe Kruse and Olli Ella Dozy Dinkums make the cutest companions for any little one! The perfect cuddle-buddy for your little babe!
👶🏼 Rattles and Grasping toys:
Wonderful toys for developing early manual dexterity skills and fine motor movement.
👶🏼 Wooden Walkers:
Schoellner and Verneuer make the ultimate companion for a little one trying to get their license in walking!
👶🏼 Simple Stacking and Sorting:
The Grimm's Conical Stacking Tower, Coloured Stacking Bowls, and 7 Rainbow Friends in 7 Bowls are all ideal tools for your child to develop an understanding and awareness of different colours, shapes and sizes.
Best open-ended toys and gifts for TODDLERS (12-36 months)
🖍 MOOV Baby:
Your toddler will get a move-on with this range! MOOV Baby build their toys with the importance of child development at the forefront of each product creation.
🖍 Bikes and Ride-ons:
There's nothing more exciting than a child's first ever bike, and Wishbone and Dynamiko offer only the very best of the best!
🖍 Cars, Trucks, Boats and Planes:
Grimm's, Fagus, Debresk and Weizenkorn all offer these styles of wonderful open-ended play items that are guaranteed to be a favourite for any child.
🖍 Puzzles:
Simple puzzles such as the ones from Drei Blaetter and Weizenkorn used at this age are a way of introducing your child to problem-solving and intellect.
🖍 Pretend Play:
Kids naturally love copying their parents and engaging in pretend-play. The Erzi Play Food range is a favourite amongst children for playtime, as well as the Glueckskaefer range which offers items to further encourage imaginative and dramatic play through natural development.
🖍 The Gruffalo:
An adored tale brought to life with BAJO figures, props and of course the book!
Check out these useful guides:
Best open-ended toys and gifts for PRE-SCHOOLERS (3-6 years)
🧸 BRIO:
Producers of the world's most iconic wooden train set which has been adored by children for decades!
🧸 Waytoplay Flexible Roads:
Roll out an adventure anywhere and anytime. Compatible indoors and out, turn any place into your "waytoplay".
🧸 Magnetic Tiles:
Fostering imagination and allowing children to work on many skill sets in a playful way: STEM skills, fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
🧸 Doll's Houses and Small-World Play:
Doll's houses are the epitome of small-world play and you will find yourself spoilt for choice with our range from Ostheimer, Maileg, Verneuer, Drewart, Regenbogenland, Schoellner + MORE!
🧸 Treasures from Jennifer:
Offering products that make excellent tools for introducing your child to the world of schooling - multiplication boards, moon and alphabet puzzles, hundred frames and perpetual calendars just to name a few!
🧸 Ball Runs & Marble Trees:
Captivating and offering endless hours of open-ended play, ball runs are the perfect addition to any playroom which will be adored for years to come!
Check out these useful guides:
Best open-ended toys and gifts for PRIMARY CHILDREN (6-12 years)
🍎 Corvus Kids at Work:
An extensive range of kids-sized tools and DIY activities for the Jack of all trades!
🍎 Walachia:
A beautiful collection of toys that encourage children to engage both their mind and their hands for developmental play!
🍎 Matador:
Offering both simple and challenging blue-prints to work from, your aspiring little builder will be kept busy for hours!
🍎 VAH Spielzeugmanufaktur:
Allow your little warrior to explore the benefits of risky and imaginative play with this epic collection of toys!
🍎 Advanced Puzzles:
As your child develops their problem solving skills to more advanced levels, pick a puzzle to challenge them a little bit more each time.
🍎 Advanced learning tools from Treasures from Jennifer:
Consolidating more advanced information and learning can be challenging, but the learning tools from TFJ are designed to simplify it for your little Einstein.
🍎 Sumblox:
Learning maths has never been more fun (or easier)!
Best open-ended toys and gifts for OLDER KIDS and GROWN UPS
🎓 Sow 'n Sow:
Exercise your green thumb and try your hand at planting seeds and flower pressing!
🎓 Olli Ella Baskets:
The ultimate companion for storing, carrying, shopping, collecting and holding all of your bits and bobs.
🎓 KAPLA:
Create an abundance of endless and epic constructions - but be sure to have a steady hand!
🎓 Ornaments and Decorations:
From Grimm's Celebration Rings and Decorations, to Graupner ornaments and the Waldorf Family displays, you can deck out any space for any occasion with these beautiful pieces.
🎓 Grapat Loose Parts:
Let your imagination run free as you create some mindful mandala pieces - there's no right or wrong way to do this, but you can use the mandala construction board as your nifty guide.
🎓 Ambrosius Fairies:
The most exquisite and dainty additions for the ultimate fairy collector!